The fact that great responsibility accompanies great power has become crystal clear in the blockchain world. While blockchains are most commonly connected with commerce, the potential impact of distributed ledgers is being discovered in fresh sectors daily.
In the most recent episode of the Distributed Dialogues podcast, a collaborative show between the Let’s Talk Bitcoin Network[1] and Distributed Magazine[2], blockchain’s better side was on display. The show explored three different perspectives on how the technology is being used, not just to raise crypto value, but to help humanity rise up.
Blockchains for Human Rights
Alex Gladstein, chief strategy officer at the Human Rights Foundation[3] (HRF), explained that organization’s optimism about blockchain technology. HRF is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that promotes and protects human rights globally, with a focus on closed societies.
According to Gladstein in his interview with the show’s co-host Rick Lewis, about 90 countries, with a total population of about 4 billion people, currently lack the checks and balances that a more open society would have.
Gladstein believes that decentralized models such as blockchains and cryptocurrencies can make a world of difference for this large population whose rights are routinely violated. It’s part of a nascent field he calls “demtech,” short for “democracy tech,” and its development comes with an unexpected bonus.
“Demtech would be getting power back in the hands of the people,” he said. “It’s not really out there yet … but it’s an opportunity, and what’s cool is you can probably make a lot of money in this space. When you talk about decentralized money networks, decentralized VPNs, censorship-resistant money and communications, I think there’s going to be huge demand for that …There’s tremendous opportunity to both impact the planet and make a lot
