Blockchain has been one of the most talked-about tech trends of the last few years. As with many other trends that were important before the pandemic hit, it didn't make as many headlines in 2021 as it has done previously. But development has been ongoing and the year saw continued adoption of the technology throughout many industries and sectors.

1. The Six Biggest Blockchain
Trends Everyone Should Know
About In 2021

2. © 2020 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Title
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Introduction
Introduction
Blockchain has been one of the most talked-about tech trends of the last few years. As with many
other trends that were important before the pandemic hit, it didn't make as many headlines in 2021 as
it has done previously. But development has been ongoing and the year saw continued adoption of
the technology throughout many industries and sectors.
The simplest way to think about blockchain is that it is a database – a storage infrastructure for data –
that’s secured by both encryption and by being decentralized. With many copies spread across many
locations, all kept up-to-date simultaneously, changes can only be made to the data when there is
consensus that it is correct to do so.
The Six Biggest Blockchain Trends Everyone
Should Know About In 2021

3. © 2020 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
This relatively new (established by the protocol for the Bitcoin cryptocurrency in
2008) way of managing and securing data can be used anywhere there is a need
for a shared database that can be accessed and used by different people or
organizations. One way of looking at it is that the security of the data is ensured
by mathematics (cryptography), rather than having to rely on the
trustworthiness of whoever the data happens to be in the hands of at any given
time.
Blockchain is valuable for any sort of transaction where values and timestamps
need to be securely recorded, so it is of particular interest to financial services
companies. However, it's also potentially useful for any process that involves
tracking the movement of data between parties, so it has applications across
trading, supply chain, logistics, and provenance.

4. © 2020 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Blockchain For Vaccine Tracking And Distribution
The development of Covid-19 vaccines was hopefully the first step towards
defeating the virus, but governments around the world are facing a huge task in
distributing it to their populations. With limited supply and the need to be kept
in refrigerated conditions, this is a great example of a problem for which
blockchain provides a solution.
Over the next year, we are likely to see blockchain used to track vaccines from
the point of manufacture to the patient. At every step of the journey, it can be
used to create a permanent and non-falsifiable record of where each batch was
at any given time. To do this at the speed required for vaccination to be
effective across the entire world means processes must be developed for
demand forecasting, supply chain management, and authentication.

5. © 2020 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Blockchain For Vaccine Tracking And Distribution
Currently leading the field in deploying blockchain-based solutions to these problems is
IBM, which has a working system and is now in talks with pharmaceutical companies with
the aim of launching a pilot project.
Two UK hospitals are also trialing an expansion of a blockchain system currently used to
track the distribution of chemotherapy drugs, to also track Covid-19 vaccine distribution.
Shipments of vaccines are fitted with internal sensors to ensure they do not rise above the
minimum safe temperature. If they do, a permanent, non-erasable entry is automatically
added to the blockchain to ensure the drugs can be safely removed from the supply chain.
If these projects prove successful, then it seems another very valuable use case for
blockchain will be established, and we can expect to see it replicated on a large scale.

6. © 2020 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
The Ongoing Rise Of Enterprise Blockchain
Enterprise blockchain, also referred to as private blockchain or permissioned blockchain,
simply refers to deployments that, unlike the flagship use case of bitcoin and
cryptocurrencies, fall under the control of a centralized “owner” – generally the company
that has deployed the chain.
Bitcoin – specifically its meteoric rise in value – makes most of the headlines, meaning that
many people are unaware that the technology has a plethora of uses in industries from
pharmaceuticals to finance to diamond mining. So, while cryptocurrencies have proven
robustness (it doesn't appear that any has ever been successfully hacked or cracked),
businesses around the world are busy proving it can also drive efficiency and reduce costs
across everyday operations. Investment in blockchain technology by businesses is forecast
to reach almost $16 billion by 2023. By comparison, spending was said to be around $2.7
billion in 2019, and we will see this acceleration ramping up over the coming year.

7. © 2020 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
The Ongoing Rise Of Enterprise Blockchain
Banking and financial services will undoubtedly lead the way, thanks for its
obvious suitability for ledgering and accounting, as well as the disruptive
influence of cryptocurrencies themselves. Beyond that, applications will
increasingly be seen in healthcare, manufacturing, distribution, and professional
services. Confidence in the technology is also growing, with a recent Gartner
survey finding that 14% of enterprise blockchain projects moved to the
production phase in 2020, compared to 5% in 2019.

8. © 2020 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
The Rise Of NFTs
NFTs are certainly a trending topic at the moment and something we are only going to
hear more about throughout the year. It stands for non-fungible tokens, which are
essentially digital assets (pictures, music, code, contracts) that live on a blockchain and
therefore can be said to have value due to their uniqueness. In the short term, this is
creating new ways for some industrious people to make a lot of money – for example, the
musician Grimes who sold artwork as an NFT for $6.6 million, and the NBA which has
generated $230 million in sales of baseball video clips across its Top Shot marketplace.
Some people have called them "digital collectibles" because, unlike most digital files, they
can't simply be duplicated and copied. In short, it brings the economic principle of scarcity
into play for the first time in the domain of digital assets. While it might seem like a fun
diversion at the moment, the technology could have far-reaching implications.

9. © 2020 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
The Rise Of NFTs
Over the past decade, many of us have become increasingly comfortable with
the idea of buying and owning digital assets – we might have spent thousands
building up collections of digital movies, music, books, productivity software, or
videogames. But in the digital world, nothing we really buy is unique or personal
to us – in fact, often, we don't even own the things we buy – we're simply paying
for a license to use them. NFTs are interesting because they provide a way to
certify and authenticate ownership of pretty much anything, tangible or
intangible. As well as unique artworks, they could be used to track ownership of
land and property – which currently often requires time-consuming and
expensive legal process search of registries, or used vehicles, where data on
previous ownership is often a factor in valuation.

10. © 2020 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Blockchain As-A-Service
The as-a-service model of distribution has been key to the rapid adoption of technology
trends, including cloud computing, the internet of things (IoT), and artificial intelligence
(AI). Blockchain is likely to be next, with companies including Amazon, IBM, and Microsoft
all offering or developing tools and platforms enabling businesses to leverage the
technology without making up-front investments in infrastructure and skills.
Beyond operating as a record or store of value, advanced blockchain implementations
such as the Ethereum network and Hyperledger Fabric allow the creation of “smart
contracts” and other decentralized, trustless architectures that have any number of
applications. One example is a contract that automatically executes when conditions are
met. This could include the transfer of money from an escrow system to make a payment
when a project has been signed off as complete. Cloud-based, as-a-service platforms will
bring this technology within reach of organizations that otherwise would not have the
resources to do so without spending years planning and developing infrastructure.

11. © 2020 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Blockchain Expertise A Highly Tradeable Skill
Blockchain is not immune to the bottlenecks caused by the shortage of workers
skilled in emerging technologies. This means that if you're set on a career in
tech, then developing skills around engineering, deploying, or maintaining
blockchain solutions is likely to set you up for a bright future. As with AI, there
simply aren't enough skilled blockchain professionals out there to keep up with
the industry's big plans for rolling it out across all areas of operations. As more
and more blockchain projects begin to demonstrate usefulness throughout
2021 and beyond, the number of projects under development will rapidly
increase, putting those who have been savvy enough to upskill themselves in
control of a sellers' market.

12. © 2020 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
The Cryptocurrency Craziness Continues – But
Stablecoins Offer Some Sanctuary
From the mystery surrounding Bitcoin’s anonymous creator, to Elon Musk’s
propensity for making market-moving announcements, to price volatility that
can see billions wiped from market caps in minutes, the world of cryptocurrency
is certainly not boring – and that’s likely to remain the case. After all, this is an
asset class where “memecoins” like Dogecoin, created as a joke, can rise in value
by over 1000% in under a year.

13. © 2020 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
The Cryptocurrency Craziness Continues – But
Stablecoins Offer Some Sanctuary
Of course, while this is all great fun for most of us, for banks and financial services – where
stability and long-term usefulness is key – it can be a challenge. Recent years have seen
the concept of stablecoins growing in popularity, precisely because they provide a refuge
from the crazy peaks and troughs of cryptocurrency values. Cryptocurrencies such as
Tether, TrueUSD, and USDCoin peg their values to real-world centralized (fiat) currencies.
This means that while they aren’t as potentially lucrative (or indeed ruining) as speculative
investments, they do offer stability, which is essential for a currency that can be used as a
store of value as well as a medium of exchange.
Currently, stablecoins are mainly used to "park" assets during times of high volatility
without having to transfer back into centralized currencies. In the long term, they could
provide the blueprint for real digital currencies that anyone can use, safe in the knowledge
that the value of their coins won’t be wiped out overnight by a billionaire making a joke
on Twitter.

14. Bernard Marr is an internationally best-selling author, popular keynote speaker, futurist, and a
strategic business & technology advisor to governments and companies. He helps
organisations improve their business performance, use data more intelligently, and
understand the implications of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data,
blockchains, and the Internet of Things.
LinkedIn has ranked Bernard as one of the world’s top 5 business influencers. He is a frequent
contributor to the World Economic Forum and writes a regular column for Forbes. Every day
Bernard actively engages his 1.5 million social media followers and shares content that
reaches millions of readers.
Visit The
Website
© 2020 Bernard Marr , Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
© 2017 Bernard Marr , Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
© 2020 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Bernard Marr is an internationally best-selling author, popular keynote speaker, futurist, and a
strategic business & technology advisor to governments and companies. He helps
organisations improve their business performance, use data more intelligently, and
understand the implications of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data,
blockchains, and the Internet of Things.
LinkedIn has ranked Bernard as one of the world’s top 5 business influencers. He is a frequent
contributor to the World Economic Forum and writes a regular column for Forbes. Every day
Bernard actively engages his 1.5 million social media followers and shares content that
reaches millions of readers.
Visit The
Website

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