Intro

In 2010, not many companies if any were leveraging blockchain technology for the betterment of our day to day lives. Fast forward 10 years, we now start to see things like voting and elections on the blockchain (terrible idea in these early stages) paying your taxes with crypto using government created blockchain based platforms, and supply chains are starting to shift to blockchain. Hell, even banks in Hawaii are pushing for the right to be crypto custodians. That doesn't even scratch the surface, it's no secret that the gears that make the world turn are transitioning to blockchain technology more and more to combat the costs associated with using older ledger technology, and also to bring truth, transparency, and traceability back into the supply chain and our every day lives.

I wanted to spend some time talking about what we might expect in the next 10 years based on what's happened over the past 10 years, when it comes to blockchain technology and how it's been used for the benefit of many.

Future Applications

There are currently many flawed systems in which blockchain based platforms could be developed and deployed to bring truth, efficiency, and transparency back into those systems.

School attendance and grading/records are very important areas that could heavily benefit from the application of blockchain technology. A system where school records are accessible on the blockchain in a permission based manner would be extremely useful and helpful to the education system. The US government has already begun to tokenize grant payments, which will change the way students receive grants forever. There is also the newly created Education Blockchain Initiative, which was designed to help identify ways that blockchain technology can improve the flow of data between educational institutions and employers, while empowering individuals to translate educational outcomes into economic opportunities.

Secure and encrypted flow of information for military personnel is essential for effectively carrying out operations of all types. SIMBA Chain is currently building a platform for these exact purposes, and it's based on blockchain technology. They are building a decentralized messaging and transactions platform mapped to DoD constructs. The project will provide NAVWAR with modernization capabilities for both land and sea assets, and it will be done by connecting blockchain fabric all the way from seabed to outer space.

Conservation is another area that could highly benefit from the application of blockchain technology. Hunting and fishing licenses, tags, permits, everything could be transferred over to an immutable blockchain based platform for each state, and could make record verification faster and more efficient then ever. Fish and game record keeping has a lot to gain from leveraging blockchain technology, making records more transparent and easily accessible for conservationists.

Conclusion

Over the course of the next 10 years, I believe that the immutable nature of a blockchain, and the technologies currently being built upon it, will prove to be the most important tools used to develop technology as we know it. Humanity has a chance to be connected in a truly decentralized nature, with blockchain based payment solutions, and open source blockchain based smartphones, social media, e-mail, and web browsers being the standard. An open and decentralized web is a place where everyone can participate in the creation of their own value and wealth, without the boundaries and constraints of traditional centralized and closed sourced operations.

I've touched on a few areas where blockchain technology could play an important role in future development, but there are tons of other sectors that come to mind, we can leave those for another day.

Have a safe weekend!