[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).