Evangelists call it the wave of the future — while critics dismiss it as a passing fad. But no matter which side of the blockchain fence you sit on, it’s hard to deny the explosive growth and incredible hype this new technology has experienced in recent years.
There’s a ways to go before blockchain reaches its full potential. It may be pushing new boundaries, but it’s still in its infant stage and there are undeniable kinks to smooth out.
But the allure of a technology that adds immutable trust to transactions remains strong — and promises big benefits to voting systems, finance, supply chain management, digital rights management, un-hackable data storage, and more.
Venture capital funding for blockchain startups is booming — hitting $3.9 billion in the first three quarters of 2018. That was already 280 percent higher than all of 2017.
Big businesses are giving blockchain a vote of confidence as well. IBM poured more than $200 million into a…
