Blockchain technologies are usually used in the context of cryptocurrencies and everything crypto-related. It is not surprising as this type of technology was developed exclusively to be used for cryptocurrencies.
However, as crypto-related topics get more traction and limelight, more possible uses for blockchain technology have appeared, both in theory and in practice. These are the key possible yet somewhat unexpected possibilities of blockchain technologies that go beyond crypto.
Supply chain management
In the business world, supply chain management (SCM) is the management of the flow of goods and services from the point of origin to the point of consumption. The goal of SCM is to increase efficiency and profitability by reducing waste and unnecessary costs.
Traditionally, SCM, a market valued at a few billion dollars, has been done with a centralized database. This system is vulnerable to hacking and data breaches. In addition, it is difficult to track the origins of goods when they are spread out over multiple locations.
Blockchain technology can be used to create a decentralized SCM system. With blockchain, it is possible to track the movement of goods through a supply chain in real-time. This allows businesses to identify issues and problems quickly and resolve them before they cause significant damage.
In addition, blockchain can be used to create a secure record of transactions. This eliminates the need for third-party verification and reduces the risk of fraud. Blockchain also allows businesses to track the origins of their products, ensuring that they are sourced ethically and responsibly.
Overall, blockchain has the potential to revolutionize SCM. With its security and transparency, it offers a more efficient and secure alternative to traditional methods.
Identity management
The distributed ledger technology that is blockchain is being explored for many different applications beyond just crypto-currencies. One such application is in the area of identity management. There are a number of ways that blockchain could be used for identity management.
One way that blockchain could be used for identity management is by using it to store digital identities. A digital identity is an electronic representation of a person, organization, or thing. Digital identities can be used for a variety of purposes, such as logging into websites, signing up for services, or making purchases. Blockchain could be used to store digital identities in a secure and transparent manner. This would allow people to access their digital identities from anywhere in the world without having to worry about the security of their information.
Another way that blockchain could be used for identity management is by using it to store biometric data. Biometric data is data that captures physical or behavioral characteristics that can uniquely identify a person. Blockchain could be used to store biometric data in a secure and transparent manner. This would allow organizations to securely store biometric data and use it for identification purposes.
Another way that blockchain could be used for identity management is by using it to store documents. Blockchain could be used to store documents in a secure and transparent manner. This would allow organizations to securely store documents and access them from anywhere in the world.
Improving voting systems
Blockchain is a distributed database that allows for secure, transparent and tamper-proof record-keeping. This makes it well-suited for voting systems, where maintaining the privacy and security of votes is critical.
One potential use of blockchain for voting is to create a secure, tamper-proof ledger of votes that can be used to verify the results of an election. This would allow election officials to audit the results of an election quickly and easily, and would help to ensure that the results of an election are accurate.
Another potential use of blockchain for voting is to allow voters to cast their votes online. This would allow voters to cast their votes from anywhere in the world, and would reduce the amount of time it takes to count votes.
Blockchain could also be used to prevent voter fraud. By creating a secure, tamper-proof ledger of votes, blockchain can help to ensure that only eligible voters are able to vote and that their votes are counted accurately.
Finally, blockchain can help to improve voter confidence by providing a secure and transparent voting system. By allowing voters to verify the results of an election and ensuring that the voting process is fair and accurate, blockchain can help to build trust in the voting system.
Changing the gig economy
With smart contracts at hand, blockchain technology can revolutionize the understanding and usage of the gig economy market. The gig economy market is valued at hundreds of billions of dollars, and this trend is still growing.
Knowing the usage of get-paid-to websites and the possible fraudulent activities related to them, the usage of blockchain technologies can indeed resolve this since the payments gig workers receive would be transparently provided on publicly available databases.
One early player in this market is JumpTask, a gig economy platform that allows businesses to outsource their specific jobs to a worldwide workforce of gig workers. In simpler terms, businesses can provide such jobs as translations to this platform, the document itself would be split into a lot of small portions, and gig workers would be able to translate each part, in the end creating a fully translated text.
As the payments for this work are made using a cryptocurrency that was created by the platform owners themselves, this creates a sense of security for gig workers since they are sure that the payments will be made and that they can be verified on any public blockchain explorer.
Seeing that payouts are not being made from a certain wallet associated with the appropriate business would mean that this employer in the gig economy is not reliable. Utilizing blockchain technology would make things way more transparent and trustworthy.
All in all, the traditional notion of blockchain being strictly cryptocurrency-related affair should be forgotten as there are way more applications for it besides tracking transactions. Unrivaled security measures and cryptographic approaches can make our everyday lives better.
