The global utilization of blockchain technology is predicted to reach $19 billion in 2024, a significant growth from the 2020s of $4.5 billion. This statistic indicates that blockchain technology is a force to reckon with across public and private organizations looking to streamline their transaction processes.
The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated blockchain technology’s adoption following the increase in online-related work and transactions. This clears a lot of doubts that the technology is efficient and reliable in terms of transparency, traceability, and security. It also signifies that its innovative, future-focused, and modern businesses are leveraging its technology because of its outstanding robustness.
Understanding Blockchain for Business
People have different perceptions or understandings of blockchain and more often confuse it with cryptocurrency like bitcoin. In this aspect, blockchain for business is a decentralized ledger used by different entities, such as suppliers and retailers, to smoothen transactions while upholding transparency, safety, and accountability.
The ledger is linked to a network made up of nodes that are responsible for validating transactions. In essence, blockchain technology eliminates reliance on third parties like banks, enabling several entities to engage and transact with each other within a decentralized system.
Among the industries revolutionized by blockchain are financial institutions, healthcare, government, suppliers, food distributors, etc. Blockchain payments also eliminate paperwork such as invoices and other financial statements often used by third parties.
There is a growing demand for blockchain development services by organizations. A blockchain development company not only designs but also implements and distributes the applications per Web3 protocols in alignment with the organization’s needs. Blockchain technology has enabled businesses to improve productivity without a centralized authority, among other benefits discussed in this article.
Top Benefits of Blockchain Technology to Modern Businesses
Blockchain continues to transform businesses in various ways during this digital era. The highlights of blockchain for business are as follows:
Data Decentralization
Blockchain technology’s decentralized nature and structure do not involve third parties such as brokers or intermediaries, allowing companies to transact freely without interference. No entity regulates transactions in a blockchain ecosystem; therefore, business owners do not need to part with operation costs that usually arise in systems run by third parties. The decentralized data is automated, mitigating human errors associated with traditional databases and improving transacting speed.
Transparency, Visibility, and Trackability
Blockchain offers plenty of reasons to be trusted as a public ledger by users, including facilitating data protection and compiling digital records stored in nodes. Recorded events or blocks are created and displayed across the ledger enabling all users or participants to see them.
The blocks are chained together and arranged chronologically. It is impossible to edit, erase, or alter the contents of a blockchain database. With blockchain-based applications, transaction history can be easily audited because each record is stored with the date and time it took place.
Complex Security
Blockchain is trusted by businesses for its tamper-proof design, making it solid and impenetrable by hackers. Users consider using blockchain networks to mitigate costly cyber attacks.
The technology offers the utmost data protection by using complex mathematical algorithms that are hard to crack or disintegrate, making it hard for unauthorized parties to access or falsify records.
A blockchain ecosystem also helps customers to individualize data control by issuing digital fingerprints that allow efficient and safe data sharing. Permissioned users are guaranteed security as they share data or transact, which helps build trust.
Cost-effectiveness and Speed
Fees or charges associated with third-party vendors are avoidable if businesses adopt blockchain. The technology reduces transaction costs because no middlemen are involved or required to approve the processes.
Even auditing is efficient because the system is automated, making report generation uncomplicated. Speed is also relative when using blockchain. Transactions and data sharing are processed in seconds and accurately, eliminating error-prone traditional data management.
Fast transactions prevent backlogs and enable businesses to do more in less time.
Supply Chain Management
Blockchain has digitized the supply chain by enabling businesses and their customers to track packages from when they are dispatched or shipped up until their delivery. Global companies can track shipments in any part of the world in real-time using a blockchain system.
Shipping companies, banks, customs services, and other supply chain entities can effortlessly digitize paperwork for easy management and minimize costly errors that can cause delays.
Blockchain Technology Use Cases
Businesses heavily rely on decentralized Web3 blockchain platforms, and among the top Web3 use cases include storage, gaming, browsing, and streaming. Below are brief details of the named use cases on how they rely on blockchain to decentralize their operations:
- Blockchain-based Gaming: Players or gaming enthusiasts can leverage Web3 decentralized gaming to trade their assets individually without involving third parties in games such as Gods Unchained and Axie Infinity.
- Decentralized Browsing: Puma, Brave, and Opera Web3 are among the modern browsers with improved security, transparency, and ad-blocking features, among other perks that endear them to millions of users.
- Blockchain-based Streaming: Video and audio global streaming market growth has been on an upward trend, and the incorporation of blockchain by streaming platforms such as HOAG is a game-changer.
Traditional streaming avenues have always had issues with monetization, privacy shortcomings, etc. Such concerns are being addressed by blockchain-based streaming, where, for example, content creators can see how their content is performing.
- Blockchain-based Storage: Business entities can harmoniously use Web3 for cloud storage where each participant has equal access to the decentralized storage servers.
Sharing cloud storage resources enables participating entities to save costs that traditional solutions could have used. Examples of real-life Web3 cloud storage applications include Computecoin and Filecoin. Other Web3 use cases include blockchain finance, metaverse, social media, and creator economy.
Wrapping Up
Blockchain technology in business already has many accomplishments, and the future can only improve as more businesses continue to embrace its transformation. The impact is undeniably worth investing in, and businesses yet to use blockchain technology are missing the opportunity to optimize and automate payments in a transparent, trusted, unchangeable, and safe manner.
There are several professional blockchain development companies and experts that businesses can consult for a from-scratch blockchain application creation.
