It is not a coincidence that the Bitcoin genesis block came into existence in the midst of the financial crisis. Satoshi referred to the blockchain as an alternative to the failing banking system. The financial crisis was followed by a democratic crisis. People around the world sense that the state or European Union as trusted third party, maybe cannot be trusted after all.
The only way blockchain can really change society is, if we use this technology to re-establish our values. If elections can get hacked, blockchain can make them safe again. If people feel unrepresented by politicians, blockchain has the potential to create new forms of groupdecision making. If ownership or personal data is not registered by the state properly, a blockchain can be a safe vault. Blockchain has the possibility to restore norms like the rule of law, liberty and non discrimination. But we need to realise that these norms will not code themselves. They need good blockchain-governance.
In order to better understand the full potential of blockchain technologies, the Dutch Government asked us to set up some blockchain pilots. We started at the beginning of may 2016 and so far we have finished 35 pilotprojects within the Dutch Government: www.blockchainpilots.nl.
We hope to find more governmental or EU organizations who want to work together on specific usecases. We can share prototypes or start new projects together.
