Unblocked

Chapter 14. THE BIG SMALL PRINT

Throughout this book, I have called out challenges that the space, and anyone looking to work with the technology, will face. These are big challenges, but as I have emphasized, there is a great influx of resource directed to address them. Like so many others that you have heard from in these pages, and that you will hear from as you continue your journey, I am optimistic that the future holds breakthrough after breakthrough that will ultimately resolve many obstacles. I don’t believe we know enough to accurately predict where these breakthroughs will come from. However, I do want to leave you with a focused list of warnings, all in one easy-to-scan place, to remember as you take your next step, whatever it may be.

Be Skeptical

Blockchains are sexy at the moment, and that’s creating a blockchain blind spot. They’re being built in to all sort of visions that really require nothing more than a database or that would be better off centralized. Question if a blockchain is really needed or if you are falling for the “blockchain trap.” Does a blockchain solve a real problem? For this use case, do you really need a database to which multiple parties can write? Is there a lack of trust among these parties? Is there truly no third party that these entities would trust? If the answer is no, you don’t need a blockchain, end of story. Instead of looking first to blockchains, challenge yourself to find a solution without one.

Don’t Write off the Toys

In this ...