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In such unstable countries militia can just take your land, and not care what some blockchain says. And if land ownership was actually enforced based on crypto

by pornel 5y ago

In such unstable countries militia can just take your land, and not care what some blockchain says. And if land ownership was actually enforced based on cryptographic proof, then this attack would work even better: https://xkcd.com/538/ https://xkcd.com/538/

acdha 5y ago
Blockchains are also perfect for hacking: use someone like NGO’s spyware package or bribe their maid, and the blockchain community will line up to say it was the victim’s fault and there’s no way the community can do anything but recognize the thief as the legitimate owner.
DennisP 5y ago
The idea is not that people have their own keys to transfer ownership. The idea is for the registrar have the keys, but not be able to change ownership without public documentation. And there's a big gap between corrupt officials and roving militias. Here are two more recent articles from The Economist, the first on the general problem (not all of which can be solved with a blockchain) and the second specifically on applying blockchains to the problem. https://archive.md/9afqO https://archive.md/9afqO https://archive.md/yetMv https://archive.md/yetMv And if you don't mind a link from Reason, here's one with a specific example of the issue I'm talking about: > Currently, Honduras stores its title records in a room at the bottom of "dusty stairs" in a "nasty old government building," Factom CEO Peter Kirby said in an interview last year with Reason. Until recently, the room had no door. > "Anybody could go in, pull down a book, open up the spine, and replace a title record with a new title record," Kirby said. Some government bureaucrats have altered the records to assign themselves beachfront property. https://reason.com/2016/04/30/bitfury-desoto-blockchain-land-registry/ https://reason.com/2016/04/30/bitfury-desoto-blockchain-land...

by pornel 5y ago

acdha 5y ago

Blockchains are also perfect for hacking: use someone like NGO’s spyware package or bribe their maid, and the blockchain community will line up to say it was the victim’s fault and there’s no way the community can do anything but recognize the thief as the legitimate owner.

DennisP 5y ago

The idea is not that people have their own keys to transfer ownership. The idea is for the registrar have the keys, but not be able to change ownership without public documentation. And there's a big gap between corrupt officials and roving militias. Here are two more recent articles from The Economist, the first on the general problem (not all of which can be solved with a blockchain) and the second specifically on applying blockchains to the problem. https://archive.md/9afqO https://archive.md/9afqO https://archive.md/yetMv https://archive.md/yetMv And if you don't mind a link from Reason, here's one with a specific example of the issue I'm talking about: > Currently, Honduras stores its title records in a room at the bottom of "dusty stairs" in a "nasty old government building," Factom CEO Peter Kirby said in an interview last year with Reason. Until recently, the room had no door. > "Anybody could go in, pull down a book, open up the spine, and replace a title record with a new title record," Kirby said. Some government bureaucrats have altered the records to assign themselves beachfront property. https://reason.com/2016/04/30/bitfury-desoto-blockchain-land-registry/ https://reason.com/2016/04/30/bitfury-desoto-blockchain-land...