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Maersk is using blockchain to validate container ownership claims. Revolutionary tech in a world where crime meant the confirmation papers cost more than the co

Maersk is using blockchain to validate container ownership claims. Revolutionary tech in a world where crime meant the confirmation papers cost more than the container to ship. Several countries outside the west are moving to do registration of land ownership on blockchain tech because their bureaucratic system is corrupt. Banks have moved to cryptocurrencies for transfers. Sure it's not the unregulated ones, but it's still block chain. In government in Scandinavia we're doing various proofs of concepts on blockchain. Because it cuts out the need for a legal "middle man" it has huge potential even in less corrupt parts of the world. Everything from simple paperwork to lock/key systems in elder apartments (don't know the English word sorry) is being tested. Blockchain is certainly full of scams, but it actually offers tremendous value in enterprise, especially when you do any form of bureaucracy. The thing is though, in this world 10 years is nothing. Just look at RPA, it's a tech from before the internet and it's only now beginning to be applied in real world situations that isn't cheating in a video game.

tom_mellior 9y ago
> Several countries outside the west are moving to do registration of land ownership on blockchain tech because their bureaucratic system is corrupt. Do you have a source for this? I can't imagine how it might work.
- dozzie 9y ago
  Why not? Blockchain is a document timestamping system, which means its whole purpose is to tell which of the two connected documents was issued earlier. As such, it doesn't care if the document was subtracting a number from one account and adding the same number to another account or if it was some text telling who gets the ownership of a described plot. In fact, this particular use is one of the few that blockchain is actually good for (because it was designed as document timestamping), unlike stuff like voting or databases.
  - tom_mellior 9y ago
    This is a particular use for a public database. The public database must be writable (only) by the corrupt authorities. What exactly does a blockchain do to make the authorities non-corrupt here?
    - chipgap98 9y ago
      The data is stored on a decentralized database (many nodes). I buy my house and am send the rights to that land on a blockchain. Only someone with the private keys to my address/account/whatever could send that house to someone else. The scale of the network should make it impossible for the database to be corrupted. The whole idea here is distributed trust
      - tom_mellior 9y ago
        > Only someone with the private keys to my address/account/whatever could send that house to someone else. And that is exactly the opposite of what a land title database is. The authorities must be able to transfer your house to your heirs if you die. The authorities must be able to take away your deed in certain cases. The authorities must be able to correct entries in the database. They must be able to override things. Land titles are worthless if they are not enforced by courts, and courts will not enforce land titles in a database that has illegal entries.
        dorgo 9y ago
        So the logical next step it to move courts and enforcement to the blockchain.
        eksemplar 9y ago
        > And that is exactly the opposite of what a land title database is. It's exactly what it is where I live. When you purchase property both parties log in with their state issued digital id to sign the transfer of ownership. This isn't done by blockchain in Denmark, which means the nationstate owns and operates the system with little openness. NOT a problem in one of the least corrupt countries in the World, but it might as well have been done through blockchain and in 20 years I imagine that it will.
kilotaras 9y ago
> Several countries outside the west are moving to do registration of land ownership on blockchain tech because their bureaucratic system is corrupt. Speaking as a citizen of such country[1]. The problem is not in ledger/registry. The problem is that you can get a fake shareholders notice, a court order from corrupt judge, etc. and change the ownership in the registry. I don't see how blockchain solves anything that a simple publication of all changes wouldn't. [1] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-10-03/ukraine-turns-to-blockchain-to-boost-land-ownership-transparency https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-10-03/ukraine-t...

tom_mellior 9y ago

> Several countries outside the west are moving to do registration of land ownership on blockchain tech because their bureaucratic system is corrupt. Do you have a source for this? I can't imagine how it might work.

dozzie 9y ago
Why not? Blockchain is a document timestamping system, which means its whole purpose is to tell which of the two connected documents was issued earlier. As such, it doesn't care if the document was subtracting a number from one account and adding the same number to another account or if it was some text telling who gets the ownership of a described plot. In fact, this particular use is one of the few that blockchain is actually good for (because it was designed as document timestamping), unlike stuff like voting or databases.
- tom_mellior 9y ago
  This is a particular use for a public database. The public database must be writable (only) by the corrupt authorities. What exactly does a blockchain do to make the authorities non-corrupt here?
  - chipgap98 9y ago
    The data is stored on a decentralized database (many nodes). I buy my house and am send the rights to that land on a blockchain. Only someone with the private keys to my address/account/whatever could send that house to someone else. The scale of the network should make it impossible for the database to be corrupted. The whole idea here is distributed trust
    - tom_mellior 9y ago
      > Only someone with the private keys to my address/account/whatever could send that house to someone else. And that is exactly the opposite of what a land title database is. The authorities must be able to transfer your house to your heirs if you die. The authorities must be able to take away your deed in certain cases. The authorities must be able to correct entries in the database. They must be able to override things. Land titles are worthless if they are not enforced by courts, and courts will not enforce land titles in a database that has illegal entries.
      - dorgo 9y ago
        So the logical next step it to move courts and enforcement to the blockchain.
      - eksemplar 9y ago
        > And that is exactly the opposite of what a land title database is. It's exactly what it is where I live. When you purchase property both parties log in with their state issued digital id to sign the transfer of ownership. This isn't done by blockchain in Denmark, which means the nationstate owns and operates the system with little openness. NOT a problem in one of the least corrupt countries in the World, but it might as well have been done through blockchain and in 20 years I imagine that it will.

kilotaras 9y ago

> Several countries outside the west are moving to do registration of land ownership on blockchain tech because their bureaucratic system is corrupt. Speaking as a citizen of such country[1]. The problem is not in ledger/registry. The problem is that you can get a fake shareholders notice, a court order from corrupt judge, etc. and change the ownership in the registry. I don't see how blockchain solves anything that a simple publication of all changes wouldn't. [1] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-10-03/ukraine-turns-to-blockchain-to-boost-land-ownership-transparency https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-10-03/ukraine-t...