An unpublished letter to the editor of The Economist.
November 1, 2015
Just as generalists mesmerized by quantum physics are prone to misapply it to broader but unrelated problems, some are making exorbitant claims for the potential of blockchain to change the world ("The trust machine", The Economist, October 31st). Yes, blockchain is extraordinarily clever but it was designed specifically to stop electronic cash from being double spent, without needing central oversight. As a general ledger, blockchain is unwieldy and expensive.
Trust online is all about provenance. How can I be sure a stranger's claimed attributes, credentials and possessions are genuine? Proving a credit card number, employment status, or ownership of a block of land in a 'democratic' peer-to-peer mesh strikes some as utopian, but really it's oxymoronic. The blockchain is an indelible record of claims, which still need to be vouched for before they are carved forever into mathematical stone.
Steve Wilson
Principal Analyst - Identity & Privacy, Constellation Research.