Future Cities
Remember those 1980s SCI-FI movies where the action takes place in 2020 and they show a world full of flying cars, holographic advertisements and people with robotic limbs? Well, it’s almost 2020 and we still don’t get to look out the window and see all those things, instead the changes in our society are taking place beneath the surface, in a more toned down manner. It’s all about how money and information moves, how blockchain implementation changes the way we look at everyday tasks. Have you ever wondered how blockchain can potentially transform a city?
Gradual Implementation
Blockchain as we know it has been around since 2008 when Bitcoin was created by the infamous and elusive Nakamoto, but it took almost 10 years for the technology to gain massive popularity and interest. To be more precise, 2017 was the year when the Digital Gold Rush began, Bitcoin and altcoins skyrocketed and all types of ICOs hit the market. From $1,000 to almost $20,000 and from $10 to almost $1,400! That’s how much the first 2 cryptocurrencies (by market cap) moved during 2017 and very early 2018.
Some say “the bubble has burst” but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Indeed, as I am writing this, most coins are down compared to late 2017, but they are still way up if you look at early 2017 prices and besides, a market cannot be gauged by the success or failure demonstrated over 1 year. Also, we shouldn’t overlook one thing: the performance of Bitcoin, Ethereum and other cryptocurrencies shouldn’t be directly associated with the success of blockchain technology because the latter is what can really transform our lives and the cities we live in. Market speculation — buy low, sell high — can be a good source of income if you do it right but real life application of blockchain is the true benefit.
Calling Bitcoin, altcoins or the blockchain a bubble is madness, it’s just like calling the internet a bubble back in the day. Let me tell you about a real bubble: Tulip Mania that started in early 17thcentury in what is now known as The Netherlands. Without dwelling too much into the details, I will simply tell you that some single tulip bulbs were worth more than 10 times the yearly salary of a skilled craftsman. One bulb! Fortunes were made and lost and it all came crushing down in early 1637 when nobody wanted to buy the flower anymore.
The main difference between tulips and blockchain is that with the former, when the speculative incentive is gone, all you’re left with is a beautiful and very expensive flower that nobody wants to buy. Blockchain on the other hand has countless applications across finance, media, healthcare logistics and many others, which are not tied to the price of any cryptocurrency. As the tech becomes more widespread, these uses will become more apparent in everyday life and will gradually transform the cities we live in.
New Payment Methods. Mainstream Adoption Soon?
Many online retailers have already tested cryptocurrency payments and this trend is even present among offline shops. A few online names include Steam (well-known gaming platform), Microsoft, Overstock and Shopify, while offline vendors include KFC Canada, Subway and others. Not to mention there are about 2,200 Bitcoin ATMs in the United States alone at the time of writing. All this means that the world is beginning to adopt blockchain as a form of payment and that more and more retailers will follow.
We can even see changes in the banking system and the way international payments are made. For example, Ripple is actively working with banks and trying to expedite cross border payments as well as greatly reduce transaction costs. One of their partners, Banco Santander has even launched a mobile application for cross border payments powered by RippleNet, allowing to do in just a few clicks what would have taken a long time in the past.
It’s evident that big changes are coming. Maybe not today, not tomorrow, but soon the old ways will become obsolete, just how landline phones or dial-up internet have. I don’t know when flying cars will become a thing but blockchain tech will soon become a lot more noticeable.
Too Many Passwords — The Strings Of Digitalization
Our lives are already dependant on social media, streaming services, online payments and we generally rely on online accounts to define our online personality or to buy stuff. Everywhere you look there’s a “Log In” box and a password you have to remember and type in. If we expect blockchain to take a more prominent role, that means we will be inundated with staggering amounts of passwords to remember.
This begs the question: will we memorize all that information or rely on simple yet functional solutions like Infinitus (INF) to store and protect our online credentials? And since we’re talking about a future where almost everything revolves around blockchain tech and decentralized solutions, I believe it’s only normal that we adopt a blockchain powered dApp to take care of our sensitive information.
Changes Are Coming! Are You ready?
It is no longer a question of if, but when blockchain will see mass adoption. And when it happens will you be ready? And by “ready” I don’t mean having a load of Bitcoins or any other cryptocurrency, but knowing how to use the new technology, how to make the best of its real world applications and more importantly, how to protect your online persona together with your crypto assets. The answer is simple: use a blockchain solution for a blockchain problem and store your private keys with INF — The Smart Designation Repository.
