Blockchain Technology for Business – What Can it Offer

With the launch of Bitcoin, blockchain technology rose to popularity because it demonstrated that the digital ledger technology is actually quite effective. Today, there are government agencies, big corporations and even non-profit entities that are trying to figure out how to leverage this technology. Blockchain delivers value because of its capability to share data in a secure, fast way amongst organizations. The best thing is that one organization is not responsible for facilitating transactions or safeguarding data.

Blockchain technology boasts some very unique characteristics, which can offer multiple advantages to businesses. Some of the top benefits that businesses can reap are mentioned below.

• Trust

Thanks to blockchain, it is possible to establish trust between various entities that are unproven. Due to this technology, the entities are willing to share data or conduct transactions that they would not do otherwise, or would typically need an intermediary. Hence, the fact that blockchain technology enables trust is one of its most prominent benefits for businesses and other organizations as well.

• Decentralized structure

If there is one hot topic that is discussed very frequently in blockchain news, it is the decentralized structure of blockchaintechnology. The best thing about it is that there is no centralized authority, which means there is no single entity in charge. This can be helpful in various industries like the supply chain where multiple businesses require information from one another involved in the chain. These include producers, suppliers and transportation companies. As there is no just one entity involved, blockchain can be used for taking charge.

• Immutability

Put simply, immutability means that any transaction or data stored on the blockchain cannot be changed or altered in any way. Everything is date and time-stamped, which creates a permanent record. Therefore, blockchain technology can come in handy for tracing and tracking and can ensure a reliable and secure audit of the data.

• Speed

As it eliminates the role of intermediaries and replaces manual procedures involved in transactions, blockchainis able to process them a lot faster than traditional methods. As a matter of fact, it can process transactions within seconds in some cases, but the timings can vary. Nonetheless, it is a fact that blockchainis certainly ahead of other technologies and processes when it comes to speed of executing transactions.

• Privacy and security

With cryptocurrency brokers and exchanges getting hacked and compromised every now and then, security is a big concern for people. The good news is that blockchain technology can offer top-notch security, which it is able to deliver through its operation. It creates a record of transaction that cannot be altered and has end-to-end encryption, which allows it to eliminate fraud, or any other unauthorized activity. Furthermore, hacking is also not possible because a network of computers is used for storing data on the blockchain. In addition, blockchain can also be used for dealing with privacy issues because it can keep data anonymous and also ask for permissions before giving access.

• Reduced costs

Another leading benefit of blockchain technology is that its nature can help organizations in cutting their costs. Transactions are processed efficiently and it does not require manual tasks, such as amending and aggregating data. Moreover, reporting and auditing processes also become easier. The most notable way through which blockchain technology reduces costs is by cutting out middlemen i.e. no third-party service providers or vendors involved.

• Data control

Blockchain technology also offers control over data, as you can decide how much of your digital data you want to share with someone and for how long. It should also be noted that organizations can also enforce limits through the use of smart contracts enabled on the blockchain, which gives them a great degree of control.

With the help of these features and characteristics, blockchain technology can prove to be instrumental in ensuring the development and growth of different businesses in various industries.