This is, this is, this is the, this is the REAL WORLD!
Today the age old story is continuing to repeat itself, just like groundhogs day on repeat… “IS there even ONE existing blockchain product out?” My knee jerk reaction at the present time is, “Give us a break, this sweet taste only reached the pallet of the masses less than one year ago.” Do you even blockchain, BRO!?
As the infant and nascent technology awakens, angst keyboard warriors begin to appear like frost in the early morning hours, only to evaporate with the rising sun and begin again the following day. Tweets and reddit posts fill the cyber airwaves with, “Who?” “What?” and “Where?” — all pertaining to a single buzzword that has thrust itself upon our planet like an alien plague:
“— B-L-O-C-K-C-H-A-I-N!”
After days, weeks, and months of this non-stop elementary grade ridicule, I decided to stop typing back (I promise, after this article…) and pick up my digital ax to begin my journey into development within the blockchain abyss! Tell my baby I’ll be gone til’ November. November 2019!
I have already designed over a dozen products for initial and immediate deployment. While I have a handful in the backlog, I will attempt to roll out two before Jan.1, 2019. My goal is to create an MVP (minimal viable product) that will illustrate the usefulness and profound, perhaps revolutionary, impact behind very practical blockchain deployments.
Case 1:
Create a ledger of approved contacts and or users. Approved Control List Blockchain or Public ACL Blockchain. The idea is to compile a (publicly accessible) list of acceptable users that can then be used by various parties. The list will be made accessible to those that request the private key. Additions to the list will be reviewed and controlled by a public consensus (permission Byzantine Fault Tolerance or pBZT). Alternatively, another list compiled of only “Bad” actors can be used to block access for pre-determined users, alias’ and or email handles.
In an attempt to limit identify fraud and miss-use or stolen identity of credit/debit card information, the list (smart contract) will determine the following:
a. Associate user legal name to email handle(multiple)
b. Compile list of, “Good” users (as determined through consensus)
c. Compile list of, “Bad” users (as determined through consensus)
d. Allow access to ACL from multiple parties
e. Allow updates to ACL from multiple parties
A user or email is flagged by a notarized or “trusted” third-party and then a vote is initiated to write the transaction to the blockchain (requiring 2/3 votes to successfully complete or edit the record/transaction).
This type of ACL is not currently utilized within the industry. A traditional and central database is typically used to store these types of lists. Today they require periodic updates, often needing to be performed manually. These datastores are also privately owned and the type of data will vary depending on where and how the data is being sourced.
With the blockchain framework, the same list can now be compiled into others to create a robust and decentralized database that is chained together, thus creating an immutable and current master list of users. In order for future changes to occur and additions to be added a vote is required mandating 2/3 consensus before writing the transaction to the blockchain.
Case 2:
Blockchains and Distributed Ledger Technology is proving to help with the advancement of identity proofing. The goal of this second MVP is very simple yet very profound. By creating a unique relationship between a phone number and SSN we can prompt users to perform KYC before enrollment to a new Digital Wallet. The Digital Wallet exists on a blockchain and will allow for two major components: 1) Identity Proofing and 2) Voting
By proving your identity and ownership of a Digital Wallet, Tokens can be distributed as a tool for voting. Essentially, through means of a blockchain and personal mobile device, I am proposing the creation and mandate of electronic voting. Votes will be approved and a receipt will be provided with timestamp, input data, and transaction ID. The issuing wallet will be held accountable for the vote and the digital wallet will be proofed to the owner’s identity. Through geo-location and digital signatures I believe this voting process can be performed securely and with confidence. Users will not be required to have a smart phone, only a phone number so that they can transmit their vote and prove their identity or ownership of the phone # where the vote is being cast.
