28 Nov 2023

Article Index 

• What is blockchain?
• Blockchain use cases: the old way
• Reasons to use blockchain
  • Efficiency
  • Costs
• Examples of alternative blockchain use cases today
  • Intranet
  • Project management
  • DAOs (Decentralised Autonomous Organisations)
  • ESG Systems
• Challenges and misunderstandings about blockchain

In today’s digital era, the term “blockchain” frequently surfaces in conversations about technology and innovation.

Initially known for its role in powering cryptocurrencies, blockchain‘s potential extends far beyond just digital coins. This decentralized ledger system, characterized by transparency and immutability, is changing how data is stored and exchanged.

While the traditional uses of blockchain revolved around currencies and record-keeping, its versatility has opened doors to uncharted territories. However, the journey isn’t without hurdles. Misunderstandings and challenges persist, clouding perceptions. Dive deep into this article to demystify blockchain, its conventional uses, its potential, and the transformative ways it’s being employed today.

What is blockchain?

Blockchain is best understood as a digital ledger, a transformative technology that transcends the confines of traditional data storage. Unlike conventional systems controlled by a single entity, blockchain operates on a decentralized framework.

This means there’s no sole proprietary or dominant source of control, enhancing its security and reliability.

Within this decentralized infrastructure, every validator in the network possesses a copy of the entire blockchain. Such distribution ensures heightened transparency, making it harder for malicious activities to go unnoticed and ensuring integrity in every transaction.

Further elevating its robustness is its programmability. Blockchain can automate business processes through smart contracts. These contracts act as self-executing entities, carrying out predefined actions when certain stipulated conditions are met. This not only streamlines processes but also reduce the need for intermediaries.

A significant characteristic of blockchain is its immutability. Once data finds its way onto the blockchain, it becomes a permanent fixture. This indelibility reassures users that once something is written, it remains untouched, fostering an environment of trust.

Delving into the realm of cryptocurrencies, protective mechanisms like MiCA emerge as essential. MiCA is tailored to shield users within crypto markets, ensuring a secure and genuine transactional experience. Beyond mere technological prowess, blockchain’s dedication to normative compliance is commendable. It inherently respects and adheres to legal standards, making sure operations align harmoniously with prevailing regulations.

In essence, blockchain isn’t merely a technological trend; it’s a comprehensive system redefining digital interactions’ landscape.

Blockchain use cases: the old way

At the heart of blockchain’s appeal is its diverse array of applications, with many rooted in traditional concepts but reinvented through this innovative lens.

Trust tools: In a globalized world, businesses often span continents and encompass multiple parties. Navigating these intricate networks demands trust. Blockchain emerges as a beacon in this respect. By ensuring transparency and immutability, it becomes an indispensable tool in building confidence across multi-party business processes. This trustworthiness elevates the quality and reliability of transactions, making blockchain an ally in an increasingly interconnected business landscape.

Tokenization: Beyond just being a buzzword, tokenization represents a paradigm shift in value transfer. By converting physical assets into digital tokens on the blockchain, entities can efficiently manage, trade, and transfer them. One of the most prominent examples of this is the rise of the tokenization of financial assets, which represent unique digital elements verified using blockchain technology. This digitalization opens doors to unprecedented liquidity and accessibility, transforming how assets are perceived, managed, and transacted in today’s digital age.

Crypto-trading: Far from being merely a speculative bubble, crypto-trading has matured into a legitimate trading product. The decentralized essence of blockchain offers traders an alternative to traditional financial systems, promoting real-time, transparent, and secure trading practices. As the financial sector continues to evolve, crypto-trading stands as a testament to blockchain’s potential to reshape commerce and investment strategies and financial entities such as Santander or BBVA offer this service to their private banking customers.

In evaluating these traditional use cases, it becomes evident that blockchain is not just about revolution but evolution, refining age-old practices with a modern touch.

Reasons to use blockchain

The intrigue surrounding blockchain extends beyond its innovative nature. At its core, the motivations for its adoption boil down to efficiency and cost-saving potentials.

Efficiency

Blockchain revolutionizes the way industries operate, introducing a paradigm shift in efficiency.

At the forefront is the enhanced collaboration and trust it instils among stakeholders. With blockchain, modifications can be implemented swiftly, changing the structure in mere minutes.

The platform allows for direct transfer of value and property, streamlining processes without the hurdles of intermediaries. An enticing feature is its independence from tedious backups.

Once deployed, there’s no need for continuous maintenance or support – it operates seamlessly. Moreover, the streamlined processes it offers through smart contracts cut down redundancy, ensuring smoother transactions.

Costs

The financial advantages of employing blockchain are manifold. Utilizing layer 2 blockchains translates to significantly lower fees.

Charging models are direct: pay per writing with free querying.

Users take the helm of their identity, being accountable for their digital persona.

With the advent of EU regulations like EIDAS II, digital identity’s mainstream acceptance is inevitable. Post-deployment, organizations can forge additional security measures, thanks to blockchain’s inherent security.

Embracing solutions like IPFS eradicates frontend hosting costs. Furthermore, the system’s self-sustaining nature means no recurring costs for hosting, infrastructure, or backend support.

In an era where businesses strive for optimization, blockchain offers the duality of enhanced operations and fiscal prudence.

Examples of alternative blockchain use cases today

Blockchain technology’s adaptation across various industries showcases its growing ubiquity and versatility.

While many associate it primarily with financial transactions, its reach goes beyond, touching unexpected areas and revolutionizing established paradigms.

These contemporary applications provide insight into how deeply blockchain can influence and innovate even the most entrenched systems.

Intranet

The main function of an intranet is focused on the exchange of information for employees. This information is usually stored in company resources which also provide services for them such as employee signing or training platforms consuming resources.

While these platforms often do not require the complexities of smart contracts, they are far from one-dimensional. Intranets can seamlessly incorporate a range of tools, enriching the user experience.

Training platforms can be integrated to encourage skills development. Employee registration can be effortlessly facilitated, offering the added benefit of being auditable by design. Employee benefits management becomes more transparent and accessible. Even aspects that are often overlooked, such as surveys, gain a touch of efficiency and security while maintaining anonymity, proving that the blockchain-powered intranet is versatile and cutting-edge.

Project management

In the realm of project management, blockchain finds applicability for both internal initiatives and customer-facing ventures. The core strength lies in the ease of traceability and auditability it introduces to the process.

Every phase, change, or decision can be tracked in real-time, ensuring transparency and accountability. With the integration of smart contracts, actions become automatic, based on predefined triggers. This eliminates manual interventions and enhances efficiency.

Notably, the versatility of blockchain means it’s equally suited to both traditional waterfall methodologies and the more dynamic agile frameworks.

In fact, blockchain brings a layer of automation, reliability, and transparency to project management, irrespective of the chosen approach.

DAOs (Decentralised Autonomous Organisations)

DAOs represent a revolutionary shift in how organizations operate, leveraging blockchain to ensure transparency and collective decision-making. Consider its implications in public administration; by integrating DAO structures, governmental operations could achieve unparalleled transparency, fostering public trust.

Communities of neighbours might utilize DAOs to democratize local decisions, ensuring every voice is heard. Investment clubs, too, can benefit, making group investment decisions more transparent and traceable. Even more traditional structures, like lotteries, can be revamped to be fairer and more transparent.

In the corporate world, envision a setup where employees don’t just work but also vote, directly influencing organizational decisions. This method transforms the traditional top-down approach into a more collaborative one.

Similarly, in the realms of circular and platform economies, like Uber or Deliveroo, DAOs promise to distribute decision-making power more equitably among participants.

Furthermore, in the burgeoning world of DeFi, or decentralized finance, DAOs stand as foundational pillars, ensuring operations are transparent, democratic, and trustworthy.

ESG Systems

The integration of blockchain within ESG systems (Environmental, Social, and Governance) can be transformative.

By leveraging blockchain’s inherent transparency, companies can unequivocally showcase their dedication to sustainable and ethical practices. This transparency, in turn, allows stakeholders to verify a company’s claims without relying solely on third-party audits or reports.

One of the most impactful applications lies in the realm of carbon credits.

Blockchain can ensure that the issuance, trade, and retirement of these credits are traceable, verifiable, and tamper-proof. This not only streamlines the process but also eliminates potential fraud or double-counting.

Moreover, commitments to sustainability targets, often declared by organizations, can be tracked in real-time.

With blockchain, every step towards achieving these commitments is recorded, ensuring that companies are held accountable for their environmental and social pledges. This proactive tracking not only reinforces corporate accountability but also instils greater confidence among investors, consumers, and other stakeholders.

Challenges and misunderstandings about blockchain

Blockchain technology, despite its transformative potential, is often shrouded in misconceptions and misinformation. One common misconception is the presumed immaturity of blockchain technology. However, Bitcoin, the pioneer of blockchain, was launched back in 2009, making the technology over a decade old.

Another concern that often arises is the distrust in decentralized networks. Contrary to this scepticism, leading blockchains like Bitcoin and Ethereum have maintained 100% availability, underlining their robustness.

Regarding privacy concerns, it’s important to note that there are different types of blockchains, such as private, permissioned, and public networks. Depending on the specific use case, organizations can even opt for hybrid models that combine the best features of each.

The energy efficiency of blockchain is also a hot topic. While Bitcoin’s energy consumption is often highlighted, numerous other blockchain networks require minimal resources, with some even capable of running on a basic raspberry pi computer.

In terms of transaction costs, certain blockchain networks provide flexibility by allowing users to select block validators, thus influencing transaction fees.

However, it’s also crucial to recognize the challenges associated with blockchain. Presently, many networks can only handle hundreds of transactions per second, potentially limiting scalability for certain applications.

Moreover, while blockchain itself is secure, poorly designed smart contracts can be vulnerable, making audits essential.

In conclusion, blockchain is far more than just a buzzword. It’s a groundbreaking technology that, when understood and applied correctly, can drive efficiency, reduce costs, and create innovative solutions that redefine traditional business processes.