[barthvr]

Some stores use it to store the production chain metadata of their products : when it was produced, by whom, etc, and make this information public. As anything stored in the blockchain can't easily be faked, it allows customers to check the authenticity of what they are buying (ie where has this product been farmed, cooked, by whom, etc).

[tjchear]

I attended SF's blockchain event last year and was fortunate enough to have a discussion with a guy whose startup was working on blockchain app for verifying cannabis from farm to store (and also for providing a marketplace, I think). They're apparently doing well, but I left wondering how crucial is blockchain to what they're doing, as far as customers are concerned. If I have to hazard a guess, I doubt many customers are savvy enough to know how to verify the blockchain of their goods. The app, I imagine, tries to make this easy by showing it in the form of UI, but how would I know if, underneath that sleek veneer, it's not just some good old crud database?

For as long as humans have engaged in trading, we have relied on trust that's built over time. There are bad actors from time to time, sure, but I'm not sure if that's enough of a problem (perhaps it is in cannabis circle) to justify making blockchain a centerpiece of one's endeavor to modernize the purchasing experience.

The same goes for other current applications of blockchain such as trading card games. I left the event feeling most of the presenters just forcefully shoehorned blockchain tech into their applications, with one exception: cryptocurrencies use in countries with oppressive regimes and poor banking system).

[heisenzombie]

I don’t think I get this. How does the blockchain part help this problem, over just publishing the data?

[jpalomaki]

Using a (widely trusted) blockchain you could provide a mechanism for people to make sure you have not tampered with the historical records.

[dewey]

This always comes up as one of the theoretical use cases or when a big company says they are doing blockchain now (which in reality is a small team evaluating if this new technology is worth it for them).

Do you have a source for where this is actually use in production and not as POC in a lab?

[draw_down]

Cool, which stores do that?