Blockchain for business
Observing the use of blockchain in business is like looking at digital transformation ten years from now. It’s a far yet visible horizon. This is the post-platform moment, it already exists, it has volume, even if it is on a small scale. The blockchain, which was created to record transactions involving Bitcoins, with a decentralized structure, based on encryption, guarantees the total uniqueness of the information stored. Nobody can change the chain of what is registered. Everyone involved has a copy of the data. And this differential makes companies feel confident to share data in their ecosystems and use technology in their products and services. These initiatives make some icons of modernity - like Youtube, Uber and Airbnb - seem a little... outdated. The future is building. Here are some examples of Blockchain applications:
How can blockchain be used to support sustainable business practices
video sharing
Paratii is a project in Brazil that proposes the creation of a video sharing platform using blockchain networks. The difference for Youtube? Here, there is no company that mediates between the person who shares the video and the one who will watch. Another evolution is that both parties can be rewarded financially, for sharing or for watching the video. It’s much more democratic. Everyone wins. The project started, but has been suspended. The technology still needs to evolve a little to work.
Uber P2P
The proposal of Arcade City is to offer a P2P platform that connects drivers and passengers without intermediaries that take 25% of the income of those who are working. That was the idea of Christopher David, a former Uber driver from Austin, who developed the solution. During the evolution of the platform, in a draft version ,the app contained only a chat, driver and passenger freely combined itinerary, price and form of payment. All without a go-between.
Airbnb automated
Slock.it is a handle connected to the blockchain for those who want to rent a hosting. Imagine an automated Airbnb, where the transaction is made directly between Locker and mobile, including payment and opening the door, through a cryptographic key. The idea is amazing and the platform is under construction.
Tracking de vinho
Agrum offers complete tracking of wine production, from grape planting to bottle delivery. The platform uses IoT to provide indications of geolocation and ambient temperature for the blockchain. This means that when the person has a bottle of this type in hand, you can read the QR code and access all the information that accompanied the process of production and transportation of the drink.
Guarantee of origin of food products
In the same way, a partnership between Walmart and IBM should ensure the origin of food products sold in the network of hypermarkets. The technology enables tracking of produce, for example, through the supply chain using the IBM Blockchain Platform. With this, it is possible to know where each mango comes from, who was the producer and in what conditions it reached the consumer. Have you thought?
Car insurance for time of use
OnMe Seguros, a digital Insurance platform, is preparing to offer a differentiated service to people like me, who travel for long periods and do not think it is fair to pay car insurance as if they went out with it 30 days a month. This insurance must be charged proportionally, for the time the vehicle is out of the garage. A really sensational Feature will be when the company puts in the car a monitoring device with IoT that, when connected to the blockchain, prescribes its entire maintenance history and parts fatigue. A similar service has been offered for some time by Carfax in the United States. In this case, the blockchain will store location and review information, which is validated at the time of sale, for example.
Industry 4.0
I’ll summarize a story. A friend used a 3D printer connected to the blockchain network to retrieve the original file and print a fuel tank following the appropriate measurements and molds, as if it were at the supplier, on the other side of the world. This is possible because the blockchain ensures that the file contains the exact measurements so that the printing is done anywhere in the world and is faithful to the project. Imagine what will happen when this technology is used on a large scale? This is just one example.
Department store
A Brazilian fashion retailer also has a project to implement a platform connected to the blockchain to integrate suppliers, outsourcers and blocks that develop products for it. All assets are tracked, including avoiding abuse and slave labor in cooking time.
It’s future, it’s being built. And are you prepared to think of a decentralized world?
