Blockchain Impact on Society for Secured World

Blockchain has the potential to revolutionize many sectors, from banking to healthcare. However, can blockchain-based technologies simultaneously offer trust and privacy to ensure private and tamper-free records?

Governments, development institutions and social entrepreneurs exploring the potential of blockchain for anti-corruption, grant disbursement and other vital services must ask this question.

Trust and Transparency

Uncover how blockchain is revolutionizing trust in the digital world by creating decentralized systems where multiple parties control the network, rather than just one centralized authority.

One of the main benefits of blockchain technology is increased security and transparency. Since blockchain records are stored on a decentralized network, it makes it nearly impossible for anyone to tamper with the data. This means that sensitive information can be stored securely on the blockchain, which is a major advantage for industries such as finance, healthcare, and government. The transparency of blockchain transactions also allows for increased accountability and reduces the chances of fraud or corruption.

• Trust in all type of businesses : Blockchain is a revolutionary technology that enables businesses of all sizes to increase trust in their transactions.Blockchain creates trust between different entities where trust is either nonexistent or unproven. As a result, these entities are willing to engage in business dealings that involve transactions or data sharing that they may not have otherwise done or would have required an intermediary to do so. It can also save time and money in the process of verifying a transaction.

• Does blockchain replace banks?

  • It is important to note that Blockchain does not replace traditional institutions like banks or notaries, but rather augments them. Most of the money that shows up when you view your account balance is not held by the bank. In fact, a bank run causes a bank to fail when too many customers attempt to withdraw their money all at the same time, and the money just isn't there. A bank account balance, therefore, is just an accounting entry.

  • The blockchain is ultimately a ledger that represents accounting entries. Therefore, bank accounts could come to be represented on blockchains making them more secure, accessible, and cheaper to maintain. Furthermore, it could help alleviate the risk of bank runs. It can also help bolster consumer trust, which is crucial in the retail industry.

• Smart Contracts: Another way that Blockchain can enhance trust is by allowing for self-executing contracts or smart contracts. This feature allows a payment to be released immediately after conditions are met, such as when the purchase price and quality of goods meet the required standards. It enables trustless and transparent agreement between two parties without involving any third party.

• Supply Chain: Typically, traditional supply chains use paper based and disjointed data systems that lead to information silos and make tracking products a time consuming task. Lack of traceability and transparency is an industry-wide challenge that leads to delays, errors, and increased costs. Modern supply chain participants need a unified view of data, while still being able to independently and privately verify transactions such as production and transport updates.Blockchain can also be used to track supply chains. With blockchain, supply chain companies can document production updates to a single shared ledger, which provides complete data visibility and a single source of truth. This helps to combat issues like counterfeit goods, compliance violations, delays, and waste. Companies can also choose to share track and trace data with their customers as a way to verify product authenticity and ethical supply chain practices.

Data Protection

Blockchain is a technology which enables the protection of data against manipulation. So, in this sense, it increases the security of data. However, simply put, this security is achieved by making the records saved in the blockchain transparent and immutable; and this, in turn, is achieved through the redundant and distributed storage of each record at multiple nodes throughout a large network.

A foundational privacy issue facing information system developers and users is personal data privacy. Personally-identifiable data about clients, employees, prospects and other stakeholders may be regularly collected and stored in shared ledgers. Today, many organizations store private stakeholder data and even passwords in unencrypted form. Even when data are encrypted or anonymized, it may be possible to identify users unless well-developed cybersecurity processes are designed into data management systems. With frequent cybersecurity failures and increasing regulation, maintaining the privacy of personally identifiable information (PII) has become an issue of strategic concern for many organizations.

Blockchain technology could potentially limit the impact of this erosion of privacy, while still releasing personal information when it is useful. For example, a user could store personal information on a blockchain and release parts of it temporarily to receive services. Bitcoin and other blockchain-based digital currencies have demonstrated that trusted and transparent computing is possible using a peer-to-peer decentralized network and a public ledger.

Another advantage of blockchain technology is decentralization. The decentralization of blockchain networks means that there is no single entity that controls the data stored on the blockchain. This makes it possible for people to conduct transactions without the need for intermediaries, such as banks or government agencies. Decentralization empowers individuals and provides them with more control over their data and assets, which can lead to increased economic freedom and opportunities.

Financial Freedom

The financial industry is plagued with mountains of paperwork, perilous data breaches and redundant processes that have only added to its massive losses and lack of trust from its consumers. Using blockchain in financial services can go along way in alleviating these problems.

• Bring security and transparency: Centralized financial systems are opaque, with security dependent on intermediaries and databases. This means that nobody will know what’s going on until after a system has been hacked.

Blockchain can solve both these problems at one go:

• Immutable: This ensures that data is difficult to alter and is secure, authentic and correct.

• Privacy: Blockchains can use both a public key and a private key system to maintain the safety of access to a network and the privacy of an individual’s transactions.

• Zero-Knowledge Proof: This cryptographic method allows the proof of information without revealing it and separates the data verification from the data. Financial institutions can carry out user verification without access to the data, lessening the chances of breaches.

• Financial institutions can reduce costs with blockchain technology: Multi-layered, centralized financial institutions invest heavily in purchasing, maintaining and securing central databases. Added to that are other recurring costs like bookkeeping, value transfer systems, commissions and labor.

Blockchain technology offers many advantages in the areas of grant disbursement. The technology is transparent and secure, reducing the possibility of corruption and fraud.

It is also a great way to audit financially weak areas and ensure data integrity. In addition, the system streamlines processes and reduces redundancy.

Cost Efficiency

Blockchain technology can also help streamline various processes, making them more efficient and reducing costs. For example, in the financial industry, blockchain-based remittances can be processed much faster and at a lower cost compared to traditional methods. This not only benefits consumers but also has the potential to bring financial services to those who were previously excluded.

Without denial, the launch of digital payments in 1999 made people’s life easier. On one hand, firms and banks were able to minimize their overhead costs by moving some of their transactions from the traditional retail branch to the internet, and on the other, customers benefited from the ease of use.Moreover, the financial sector kept on investing in new technologies to meet the changes in consumer preferences, lower transaction costs, and ensure business continuity. As blockchain enables the direct transaction between the two parties without involving any intermediary results in the cost reduction and efficiency.

Identity Management

Identity management is a complicated process for identification, authentication and authorization of individuals to access systems, networks, and applications. Robust digital identity solutions are implemented to reduce the risk of fraud, identity theft, and data breaches.

Every time we share our personal data on any web platform, our digital identity gets generated. Now the problem with this digital identity is that we have 0% control over these identities - which means they are subjected to hacking. Moreover many companies sell these data to the marketers and earn billions of dollars from these data. Security breaches and the problems that come with them, such as Identity theft and fraud, are becoming more and more frequent.

Blockchain being a decentralized system operates the identity management system also on a decentralized platform. Hence whenever the individual wants to create the new digital identity over the network it makes use of the software which creates the unique digital identifier which encrypts the data and make sure that the stored record of the individual identity is secured an tamper proof.

Blockchain enabled identity management is much beneficial due to its decentralized system, high security, and interoperability. With these benefits the individual identity is secured due the presence of data on multiple nodes, an individual has the full control over their id’s and can use their digital identities on different applications.

Lastly today this technology can be used in many sectors like, governments can use blockchain-enabled identity management systems to provide secure and transparent access to public services, such as voting and accessing healthcare. Financial services companies can use blockchain-enabled identity management systems to improve the speed and efficiency of customer on boarding and to reduce fraud. Companies in the supply chain industry can use blockchain-enabled identity management systems to improve transparency, track goods in real-time, and reduce the risk of fraud.

Anti corruption

Blockchain technology enables transactions to happen without a middleman, such as banks or payment processors like PayPal. This could make it possible for payment processing to be settled within seconds, as well as eliminate banking transfer fees altogether. This proves that Blockchain has the potential to be a game changer in anti-corruption efforts.

Blockchain technology also offers improved traceability. This is particularly important for supply chain management, where it is crucial to know the origin of products and ensure they are ethically sourced. With blockchain, every transaction can be tracked, providing a clear and transparent record of a product's journey from production to the final consumer. This helps to promote accountability and increase trust in the supply chain. Plus, Blockchain serves the feature of transparency also that looks after the transactions' authenticity by confirming those involved, the time and date of the transaction, and the consensus protocol that would not accept it.

In theory, blockchain could also be used to record a wide range of data points, from votes in an election, to product inventories, state identifications and deeds to homes. This could help secure digital IDs and enable more trustworthy supply chains. Corruption is a major challenge to the World Bank Group’s twin objectives of ending extreme poverty by 2030 and boosting shared prosperity for the poorest 40 percent. It alters the incentives of those entrusted with public office, undermines service delivery and erodes trust in governments.

A key element of constructing effective anti-corruption systems is ensuring there is political will to combat corruption. This is often a key challenge for development partners, who support anti-corruption efforts in partner countries through strengthening their own corruption risk management policies and mechanisms.

Democracy and Governance

Blockchain technology proposes a decentralized, transparent way for storing information and we seek to know the intersection between this technology’s offerings and the impact on democracy. This edge cutting technology can also be used to facilitate democratic decision-making. With blockchain, people can vote on important decisions through secure, transparent and verifiable online voting systems. This could have a significant impact on the way we conduct elections and make important decisions, increasing public trust in the democratic process. The issue of implementing the electoral processes of a nation on the blockchain is not something to be done only by the government electoral body, it is a project that will cut across different government sectors to ensure easy and complete implementation. The body in charge of identity management, the education institutes, the Banking industry and the likes. With these bodies involved, it is easy to generate a unique Pin or ID that everyone can vote within the comfort of their homes with full confidence that their votes will count since they are already aware of the fact that it is on the blockchain, making it secure, immutable and transparent for everyone to see the results. A blockchain-based digital government can protect data, streamline processes, and reduce fraud, waste, and abuse while simultaneously increasing trust and accountability.

Final Thought

Blockchain technology has the potential to bring about a positive impact on society and secure the world in many ways. From increased security and transparency to improved traceability and more efficient processes, blockchain has the potential to transform various industries and the way we live our lives. While there are still some challenges to overcome, the future of blockchain is promising, and it will be exciting to see how it continues to evolve and change the world.