Blockchain applications are far more than just bitcoin and cryptocurrency. With its ability to increase openness and fairness while also saving businesses time and money, technology is influencing a wide range of industries in ways ranging from contract enforcement to government efficiency.

What is blockchain? 

Blockchain is a method of storing data in such a way that it is almost impossible to alter or hack. A blockchain is a digital log of transactions that are duplicated and spread across the blockchain’s entire network of computer systems. Each block in the chain contains several transactions, every time a new transaction takes place on the blockchain, a record of that transaction is added to the ledger of each participant. 

Blockchain is a distributed ledger technology in which transactions are recorded using a hash, which is an immutable cryptographic signature. This means that if one block in a chain was modified, it would be apparent it had been tampered with. Blockchains, such as Bitcoin, are constantly growing as new blocks and are added to the chain, considerably increasing the ledger’s security.

Why is blockchain technology generating so much buzz?

In the past, there have been numerous attempts to generate digital money, but they have all failed. The most pressing issue is one of trust. Bitcoin was created to address this issue by utilizing a blockchain. Blockchain is unique in that no one is in charge; instead, the individuals who operate it, run it. Bitcoins can’t be falsified, hacked, or double-spent, so those who own them can be sure that they’re worth something.

Benefits of blockchain

1. Trust

Where trust is either non-existent or unproven, blockchain generates trust amongst multiple entities. Due to the trust created on this system, businesses are inclined to engage in transactions or data sharing. One of the most frequently mentioned advantages of blockchain is the ability to enable trust. Early blockchain use cases demonstrated their worth by facilitating transactions between entities that did not have direct contacts but needed to share data or make payments. 

2. Decentralized structure

When there is no central player to facilitate confidence, blockchain reveals its worth. As a result, blockchain enables data sharing across an ecosystem of businesses where no single company is solely responsible for fostering trust when players lack trust because they are unfamiliar with one another. A good example is the supply chain: a variety of organizations, from suppliers and transportation companies to producers, distributors, and retailers, desire or require information from others in the chain, but no one is in charge of facilitating such information exchange. The decentralized nature of blockchain overcomes this problem.

3. Improved security and privacy

Another major advantage of blockchain-based systems is their security. The increased security provided by blockchain is due to the way the technology functions: with end-to-end encryption, blockchain generates an unalterable record of transactions that prevents fraud and unlawful conduct. Furthermore, blockchain data is kept across a network of computers, which makes it relatively impossible to attack. Similarly, by anonymizing data and requiring authorisations to limit access, blockchain can solve privacy matters better than traditional computer systems.

4. Reduced costs

Blockchain can also help businesses save money as It improves transaction processing efficiency. It also simplifies reporting and auditing operations by reducing manual duties such as data aggregation and amendment. In general, blockchain helps organizations save money by removing the middlemen, vendors and third-party providers. 

5. Speed

Blockchain can handle transactions substantially faster than conventional techniques since it removes intermediaries and replaces human processes in transactions. In some situations, a transaction on the blockchain can be completed in seconds. However, the speed with which a blockchain-based system can process transactions is dependent on several factors, including the size of each block of data and network traffic. Nonetheless, experts have decided that in terms of speed, blockchain often outperforms traditional processes and technology. 

6. Innovation

Leaders in a variety of industries are experimenting with and deploying blockchain-based technologies to solve intractable problems and improve long-standing inefficient procedures. An example of such innovation is the use of blockchain to authenticate the information on job applicants’ resumes. A high percentage of people fake their resumes, according to studies, leaving hiring managers with the time-consuming duty of manually checking the material.

What are the day-to-day uses of blockchain?

1. Smart Contracts

The term ‘smart contract’ has recently become a buzzworthy term thanks to the 2013 release of the Ethereum Project. The Project “is a decentralized platform that runs smart contracts: applications that run exactly as programmed without any possibility of downtime, censorship, fraud or third-party interference.” Businesses will be able to use ‘smart contracts’ to bypass regulations and “ower the costs for a subset of our most common financial transactions. Best of all? These contracts will be unbreakable.

2. Supply-Chain Communications & Proof-of-Provenance

Most of the items we buy aren’t created by a single business, but by a network of suppliers who sell their components to a company that assembles and advertises the final product. The issue with this approach is that if one of these elements fails, this can be detrimental to the final product. By proactively offering digitally permanent, auditable records that show stakeholders the state of the product at each value-added phase can be implemented through blockchain technology. 

3. Immutable Digital Records

A blockchain is a large digital ledger that keeps track of financial transactions. It can also be used to safely store essential and precious documents, preventing them from being altered, stolen, or misused. Financial transactions, insurance data, legal issues, and other sensitive documents can all be saved on the blockchain in encrypted code.

4. Intellectual property

From high-tech patents to fashion and entertainment, blockchain technology is being utilized to prevent intellectual property theft and fraud, as well as create proof of ownership. The following are some examples of IP blockchain use cases:

• Provenance authentication
• Tracking of Registration Distribution
• Evidence of initial usage in commerce or trade
• Management of digital rights
• Smart contracts are being used to enforce IP rights.
• Real-time payment transmission authentication

What is the cost of blockchain implementation?

The cost of blockchain implementation is spent on multiple activities or phases of the project including:

• Design: System Blueprint, user interface/experience design including wireframes, high-fidelity designs with a prototype, and low-fidelity designs with app flow.
• Development: Coding and Testing
• Deployment: Deployment on Cloud Platforms, Delivery, and DevOps
• Migration: Moving the existing solution to the Blockchain platform
• Maintenance: Maintaining new updates and testing that the app runs smoothly on every OS release
• Upgrade: New features, Changes in Smart Contracts
• Third-Party Tools: Hosting, Storage, Notification System, Collaboration
• Blockchain platforms also, contribute to the cost of blockchain app development. A developer has to pay a certain fee to deploy a contract on the blockchain.

Cost: Project Management

The cost of project management is also included in the creation of a blockchain app. The costs are incurred from the agile methodology used by your development agency, for example, to hold regular meetings or daily scrums, track the current sprint, testing, deadline, defects, deliverables, and so on. The cost of such software tools is also factored into the cost of implementing blockchain.

Cost: Continuous Integration

Maintaining a pipeline of high-quality code is also critical. Every developer must write code and test it in a shared code repository to guarantee that it is compatible with the code of others. Using an automated method is the best way to check this.

Cost: Maintenance 

Because blockchain technology is still relatively new to the market, and new platforms are being introduced daily, the apps can be moved between platforms based on their scalability, flexibility, and anonymity. The cost of maintaining a blockchain app could range from 15 to 25% of the total project cost, depending on the application’s complexity.

At Under Reality, we help our clients navigate through the virtual world – by embracing new technologies – giving them a competitive advantage. We focus on driving outcomes and making a difference. Want to learn more about how we can lead your company to success? Call, email, or drop by! We have great coffee.