TCR’s and Unconventional Applications at Pillar Unconference

by Dayna Moon, VP, Revenue & Client Services

Few topics have the power to bring people from different countries, backgrounds and beliefs together like technology. Throw blockchain in to the arena and you are bound to hear an ear-splitting howl of support, a quizzical “Isn’t that the bitcoin stuff?” or an overwhelming bout of silence……

In mid-July Lithuania, a quiet Baltic country known for its history and medieval Old Town, played host to Pillar’s Unconference — a 2nd generation gathering where everything is curated by the attendees themselves down to the sessions, format, and timing.

Proposed talks were featured on a board and were voted on.

If you’re thinking it sounds like organized chaos — you’re right! However within the organized chaos — ideas were planted, projects bloomed — all poised to fuel this budding ecosystem we call blockchain.

An idea board inspired by the conference topics.

Imagine being able to sell your home in a matter of days not months, have your medical records at the touch of a button, if tragedy strikes, the confidence that your possessions are all accounted for; blockchain can do that and the multitude of examples presented throughout the week proved these ideas have moved from concepts to real-world applications.

Dr. Alex Cahana representing CryptoOracle presented steps for creating a crypto health solution, and if any of you have been to the doctor lately and waited and waited and waited….. you’ll undoubtedly appreciate the advancements and proposed blockchain projects in the market. Even as healthcare has jumped the ranks to become the largest source of employment in the U.S., there is a clear need to protect a user’s data and improve a significant percentage of the workflows and processes in place today which projects like Iryo and Amchart are aiming to accomplish.

Unibright’s Hackathon sponsored by Lufthansa “without a single line of code”, was a visual exercise in solving some of the airlines challenges around managing asset lifecycles and partner loyalty programs. Many of us have endured the frigid restrictions with miles and rewards programs throughout the years ending in frustration and outright claims to never fly again.

What if a TCR could fix that? What if you could have a “say” or a vote in the rewards that benefit you and your “flight style” the most? A token curated registry by definition is a curated list by a community designed to provide economic incentives to reward good actors or behavior. Users value different elements of the reward programs differently so why not let them vote?

Scenarios such as:

• Tokens or votes for flexible travel
• Tokens with a higher value but with an expiration date for users that fly frequently. Ex. triple the value of miles earned with a 6mo. validity period
• Lower value but never expire. Ex. Similar to models in place today with no expiration.
• In-flight or airport amenities — allows users who value in flight amenities such as 1st class service meal service, etc to vote towards their amenities or vice versa airport amenities — clubs, priority boarding, expedited security, etc.
• More miles in exchange for receiving communications from approved external partners.
• Ability to gain tokens for services rendered i.e. positive interaction on social, or a shared memory.
• Tokens awarded for a broken chair, inoperable in-flight entertainment anything that equates to non positive experience

The workflows are applicable to multiple scenarios and verticals as value is in the eye of the beholder and with a TCR in place that value can be extended and provide transparency between brands and users — all while ensuring their data is not compromised. Pillar itself is releasing a wallet designed to keep your personal information ….. well just that PERSONAL. Information such as Browsing History, Location, Bank Records and Credit Scores — adjectives companies use to make advertising decisions with — are today housed by centralized entities. As we’ve seen time and time again, this information is susceptible to attack, costing billions in damages and time lost in recovery.

Blockchain technology in itself isn’t perfect — but find me something that is and then we can have a different conversation. What this technology does promise is change and a way for voices we’ve only heard whispers from to roar like lions. For most, change isn’t easy but it is a reality and I for one am grateful to those courageous adopters that took a chance and founded this land we know today, all in all laying the groundwork for the next generation.