Q&A — Felice Balsamo, coordinator of the Naples Blockchain Consultation Group 🇮🇹
As I mentioned before, Phore is always looking for ways to get blockchain adopted into the real world. A recent example of this ongoing mission is the fact that Phore became part of the Naples Blockchain Consultation Group in Italy. Today I’m sharing a Q&A with the man who runs it, Felice Balsamo.
What, in your opinion, are the benefits of blockchain both in general terms and linked to Naples Blockchain Initiative?
In my opinion, the main target is to raise awareness among public executives, citizens and business owners toward new terms that are becoming more and more commonly used, as happened before with the internet, like e-mail, search engines, etc. Once all these terms had to be explained but today is no longer necessary. Terms such as blockchain, cryptocurrency, cryptography, wallets, QR-codes, must become in common use before being able to convey services to citizens.
Are there negative aspects to avoid?
People must not think about the blockchain as easy money or that you can do anything with the blockchain. It is also important to avoid companies that want to speculate on imposing their own solutions.
Why do you think that Napoli is taking the lead of looking into Blockchain so deeply, ahead of other cities in Italy?
Naples is the third largest city in Italy by the number of inhabitants and has always been ready to test new technologies. In 2000, Napoli was the first city to test the “first” electronic identity card which expanded to all the municipalities.
In 2015 it was the first to introduce the new electronic identity card, called CIE 3.0. Napoli has always been supportive of innovation and open to a change. Now the time has come for us to introduce this blockchain technology on a large scale and the city has shown itself ready.
Do you think that Naples has specific needs that other cities do not have that Blockchain address?
Being a big public administration, certainly yes. Managing a lot of documents and having a lot of tasks make the bureaucratic process complex. Implementing blockchain technology can reduce time and responsibilities. In fact, we started with the service of issuing Book Coupons, about 17,000 requests were managed also with the blockchain, resulting in the reorganization of services and offices. In this way, it is not only a technological change but also an organizational one for public offices. Moreover, thanks to the tourism boom, the commercial activities of the city have opened up to new solutions such as cryptocurrency.
Are you looking to share what you’ve developed with other cities in Italy and beyond?
This week we will meet the municipality of Latina and many more municipalities are interested to talk with us. Some foreign foundations are following the “Napoli case” and have invited us to participate in the most appropriate forms. At the same time, we are interested in collaborations with cities who are engaged in other projects, like Torino.
Will the mayor act as an international blockchain advisor to smart cities?
The mayor, Luigi De Magistris and the deputy mayor, Panini, fully support the Napoli Blockchain project within the municipal offices.
To date, there are no specific programs helping projects in the field of blockchain: solutions have been adapted to the context of Naples thanks to their support. The Naples Blockchain working group tests and verifies and develops solutions that are presented to business owners and retailers.
How will Napoli token/cryptocurrency work?
At the moment, the token must be considered a “test” to introduce the technology to our citizens. They can download a wallet and use QR codes to help them become familiar with blockchain and crypto. Then, for example, after the technology is introduced, the city of Napoli could become a cleaner place because the token can be used to have citizens dispose of bulky materials to earn a token that could be used in commercial activities. Napoli could stand as an example to the world.
Will other cryptocurrencies be integrated into city payment circuits?
With our solution, up to 50 cryptocurrencies can be integrated, however, it is up to each business owner to decide which cryptos they will support. To date, only Bitcoin has been chosen. An interesting fact is that business owners did not ask for conversion into Euros. They have chosen to hold onto cryptocurrencies as an investment.
How can Phore Blockchain help Napoli Blockchain initiative?
We are interested in experienced projects like Phore to help us build the Napoli blockchain project. We are planning to build a cryptocurrency, launch a city ICO and build a Neapolitan exchange. We would like to simplify the process with knowledge and input from industry leaders. We are currently organizing an annual meeting on the subject that will take place from 1–2 March, 2019 and we look forward to our discussions with Phore.
Thank you for your time Felice 👍
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In my opinion, Phore can help them in multiple ways: from being an advisor on technical and development topics to partnerships, visibility, payment processes, community development, and management.
But more importantly, Phore could assist them to define the best blockchain solution that should be: open, permissionless, secure, fast and scalable.
The future is now.
As a strategic advisor of Phore, I am sharing content and news in regards to their development and marketing progress.
In addition, I’m also actively advising the core team on their present and future content and event attendances.
