Debunking common myths and misconceptions about blockchain

Blockchain technology has been a major disruptive force over the last couple of years. Its ability to guarantee transparency and eliminate intermediaries all the while ensuring the security of all sorts of transactions made it resist and overcome the initial skepticism of both the general public and especially financial institutions. And despite promising adoption rates and favourable feedback, blockchain is still relatively new compared to the systems it is designed to replace.

Additionally, its complexity coupled with bad PR led by traditional financial entities (out of fear of losing ground to the technology) meant some myths, misconceptions and controversies arose and are now inevitably associated with blockchain.

In this blog post, we debunk some common myths and misconceptions about blockchain to help you gather a more thorough understanding of the technology.

1. Blockchain and cryptocurrencies are basically the same thing

Ever since the introduction of Bitcoin in 2008, the terms blockchain and cryptocurrency have been used interchangeably. However, they don’t mean the same thing despite their strong ties. To figure out the difference, let’s first define each term. A cryptocurrency is a digital asset used as a medium of exchange, like the Euro or US dollar. It is stored in a decentral and transparent manner within public ledgers, typically a blockchain. But what exactly is a blockchain?

Blockchain is a public ledger that uses a chain of blocks to store different kinds of records and transactions. It has key benefits for businesses, such as decentralization, persistency, anonymity and auditability.

Both definitions show how blockchain is the system that enables the storage and exchange of cryptocurrencies. To put it simply, we wouldn’t have cryptocurrencies as we know them today if it wasn’t for blockchain.

2. Blockchains can only be public

Blockchains have always been portrayed as the alternative for traditional financial services, mainly because they are public. However, this statement isn’t entirely true. There are other types of blockchain, such as private, consortium and hybrid blockchains. All four types share some similarities as they more or less follow the same basic principles. They contain a cluster of nodes operating on a peer-to-peer network system. Nodes are the equivalent of servers that verify and exchange transactions and build the blockchain blocks.

The differences between the four types are mainly the visibility, access and participation in the consensus process.

Public: Transactions are visible to everyone and there are no restrictions on who can participate in the consensus process.
Consortium: As the name implies, consortium blockchains are managed by a group of members utilizing pre-defined nodes with access permissions, such as writing, reading blocks and performing transactions
Private: A private blockchain is one used within an organization. Permissions are centralized and restricted to selected members.
Hybrid: This is a combination of public and private blockchains. This type of blockchain offers flexibility and control since members can decide which data to keep private or to share publicly.

3. Blockchain is a database

Since blockchain is relatively new and complex, there has always been a tendency to compare it with already available technologies, like databases. Sure, a blockchain can be considered as a form of database, but a database is definitely not a blockchain. Both technologies are used to store data, but they do this in different ways and following two distinct principles. If you’re looking to harness the unique features of blockchain technology, you might consider taking the route to develop a dapp (decentralized application) that operates on a blockchain network.

Blockchains are decentralized public ledgers (in most cases) that typically store records and transactions within blocks. The stored information may be visible to everyone or to selected members who can handle data through read and write operations. On the other hand, databases are centralized collections of data stored within tables. The stored information is usually just visible to restricted members who have more control over the handling of data, whereby they can create, read, update and delete data.

4. Governments Won’t Ever Accept Blockchain Technology

Contrary to the belief that governments will never accept blockchain technology, there is growing evidence of increasing acceptance and regulation of cryptocurrencies around the world. Governments have recognized the transformative potential of blockchain technology and the benefits it can bring to various sectors.

For instance, countries like Switzerland, Malta, and Singapore have implemented progressive regulations to foster innovation and attract blockchain-based businesses. Additionally, significant economies such as the United States, Japan, and the European Union have introduced regulatory frameworks to address issues like investor protection, anti-money laundering, and market stability. Even certain countries have taken the first steps towards inducting crypto in the financial sector. Cryptocurrency investors can explore additional options like crypto off ramp to facilitate seamless digital asset transactions. For example, India recently announced a crypto tax in India and G20 countries are also looking into ways to regulate cryptocurrency.

These initiatives demonstrate that governments are actively engaging with blockchain and cryptocurrencies, aiming to strike a balance between fostering innovation and ensuring regulatory compliance. The trend towards embracing blockchain technology reflects the recognition of its potential to revolutionize industries and create new opportunities for economic growth and development.

5. Blockchain use cases are only targeting the financial industry

This statement would have been true a decade ago; however, blockchain has come a long way since then and now covers more use cases and industries other than just the financial industry. For instance, blockchains are being progressively used for knowledge sharing and record keeping within educational and healthcare institutions. For example, authorized users can access sensitive data securely thanks to methods that are not provided by other digital or cloud sharing platforms. Using a blockchain also reduces the number of intermediaries handling input, while bringing transparency to operations.

Blockchains can also be used to engage employees and communities by combining gamification mechanisms with cryptocurrencies to create an internal economy. Users can gain tokens based on their work and contributions, which they can ultimately spend on perks or activities made available by their organization.

Additionally, human resources is another field that has been significantly impacted by blockchain. Start-ups like Etch, ChronoBank and others cover the whole scope of HR operations, from recruitment software to payroll management, by allowing companies to automate recruitment and payroll and to pay employees in a fast and secure way, all by taking advantage of the power of blockchain.

Blokchain has moved from just being a new trend or buzzword to now playing a major role in a wide variety of industries. Interest from big corporations, such as JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Facebook and others, shows how far the technology has come. However, the technology is yet to reach its full potential with concerns over its scalability and a lack of qualified blockchain developers. But one thing is for sure, blockchain is here to stay.

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Fares Laroui

I am a product marketing specialist at eXo. My role is to assist marketing and sales teams in their operations and present our digital workplace solution to the world. I mainly blog about the latest tech trends, digital transformation, internal communication and how to navigate through eXo Platform.

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Debunking common myths and misconceptions about blockchain

Content

1. Blockchain and cryptocurrencies are basically the same thing

2. Blockchains can only be public

3. Blockchain is a database

4. Governments Won’t Ever Accept Blockchain Technology

5. Blockchain use cases are only targeting the financial industry

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