Everyday blockchain stories from the near future
Published in
4 min readJul 5, 2019
Street lamp
JEFF and MIRIAM, an elderly couple sit on the couch. They are about to watch the nightly tv show.
JEFF
That lamp on the street has a sharper light than usual.
MIRIAM
I don't see it.
JEFF
It's sharper. It comes straight to my eyes.
MIRIAM
(leaning towards JEFF to check)
I don't know. Maybe sharper.
JEFF
I can't watch the show this way.
MIRIAM
You can pull the curtain.
JEFF
That's what a weakling would do.
MIRIAM
If the light bothers you.
JEFF
We can't sit here with the curtains pulled together just because the light is sharper.
MIRIAM
That's what a curtain is for.
JEFF
It means surrender. One day I pull the curtain, the next day I use an earplug, because the street is noisy, the next day I wall up the window.
MIRIAM
You can check if it's on the chain.
JEFF
Now that's an idea.
(He pulls out his phone.)
Do I search by the exact address?
MIRIAM
I'd look for street lamps first. I haven't heard of putting brightness on chain.
JEFF
(fidgets with his phone)
I think I found it.
MIRIAM
Can you vote it down?
JEFF
Of course, I'm just voting it down... hey, it costs 0.003.
MIRIAM
A single vote?
JEFF
I'm trying to figure it out. I don't want it to be completely turned off, just turn it down by 10 percent.
MIRIAM
What is the unit?
JEFF
It says "community-configured illuminance".
MIRIAM
That reads brightness, I suppose. But what's the unit?
JEFF
What's the unit, what's the unit. The only numbers I can see is it costs 0.003.
MIRIAM
(Wants to grab his phone)
Let me check it for you.
JEFF
(Takes back the phone)
I can do that. If I can pull the freaking curtain, I can cope with an electric switch too. Because this is nothing else but an electric switch. Problem is others have access to it too. And some stupid half-blind bloke turned it on too much.
MIRIAM
(takes a sneak on the phone)
It says the brightness is now 180 Lux.
JEFF
I'm out of luck then.
MIRIAM
Why? Stake 0.003 and you're good.
JEFF
What if the blind bloke stakes just a little more?
MIRIAM
We'll see. We can still pull the curtain.The will
The will
TOM is lying in a hospital bed, his daugher, SARAH is sitting next to him.
SARAH
I want you to recover, to come home, to tend the animals. The cows are waiting for your return. We all want this. But did you think of your will?
TOM
Will?
SARAH
It would be prudent, given the circumstances.
TOM
I did.
SARAH
You made a will? I couldn't find it.
TOM
Did you open my drawer?
SARAH
I would never do that.
TOM
Did you talk to Dr Lawrence? No, he wouldn't tell you that.
SARAH
I checked it on InheriChain.
TOM
Inheri what?
SARAH
Ok. I don't know if you signed a piece of paper and if that paper bears the stamp of Dr Lawrence. I don't even want to know, don't tell me nothing. Dr Lawrence is your generation.
TOM
He's two years my elder, to be precise.
SARAH
I'm sure he's a great expert of corporate law, but I'm afraid he's not very up-to-date. Handwritten wills are gone.
TOM
What do you mean by gone?
SARAH
They are not valid anymore. Since last November, to be precise. If it's not on InheriChain, it doesn't count. It's like shoveling your money into the ocean.
TOM
I have no idea what your Inherichain is. What a disgusting name! But there's law in this country. And the law says my property goes to my family unless I stipulate otherwise.
SARAH
Correct. The same on InheriChain.
TOM
Don't say that name again.
SARAH
So everything on the Inheri... uhm, nowadays, goes to the closest family member as before. But you can change it. And yours...
TOM
(covers his ears and mumbles)
SARAH
You don't wanna hear that, ok. Now if you want to make a will which is none of business, apart from being your daughter.
TOM
I know your name, your address, your social security number. (Smiles) I even remember your first phone number. You know that little pink one.
SARAH
We use public keys today. All you have to know is my public key, let me show you. (she pulls out her phone)
TOM
Nobody can remember that.
SARAH
Of course not, it's 64 characters. Do you want me to write it down for you?
TOM
Maybe the first six characters, that's enough.
SARAH
Dad, if you enter the wrong public key, your money will end up nowhere. It's like shoveling...
TOM
I know. You learned that expression from me. I had learned it from Lawrence. He can go to the bank and fix it.
SARAH
There's no bank involved.
TOM
Then the insurance company.
SARAH
If you get a single character wrong, it's gone, remember this. I'll send it to you in email.
TOM
I'll live another five years and wait until it gets easy again.
