Municipalities and Blockchain Solutions

Blockchains are distributed ledgers that keep a growing list of lasting records that can’t be changed.

Because of this essential feature, blockchain can keep track of many different kinds of data in many other businesses. But it’s important to remember that the government is also trying out this new technology. Municipal governments, in particular, have a unique chance to look at how these solutions can improve their operations and help them deal with problems like inefficient and expensive processes, security risks, and a lack of openness.

In addition to improving operations, blockchain can help manage assets, share information, store public records, and more. This post will discuss the benefits of blockchain solutions for local government and the many ways they can be used.

Why blockchain solutions are suitable for local governments?
Blockchain technology can lead to several good things for local governments, such as:

More openness and honesty
Because events on the blockchain can’t be changed, any information added to the ledger stays there forever; this makes sure that everyone can see the same data at the same time, which increases openness and lowers the risk of corrupt practices. For example, using solutions based on the blockchain for vote systems and managing contracts can help make people more accountable.

Better security
Municipalities must protect the private information of thousands or millions of people from hacking and security holes. Information is automatically kept safe by blockchain technology’s unique security features. In particular, any data added to the blockchain becomes part of a network of distributed ledgers that needs an agreement to confirm transactions. Because of this, hackers and other cybercriminals almost can’t change the gathered data. Because of this, blockchain solutions are great for many things, like sharing credentials that can be checked and keeping track of private financial and health information.

Better use of time
Traditional methods are slower and less efficient than those that use blockchain technology. Instead of spending time and money keeping track of paper records, local governments can use blockchain to build a decentralised system that uses smart contracts to speed up processes and save time and money. This system eliminates annoying data silos, saves time, and cuts down on work, frees up resources for other projects.

Innovation at Work: Blockchain is being used by local governments

Even though blockchain is a new technology, many people have already seen its usefulness. Here are a few ways that blockchain systems are changing in US city and county governments:

Digital Wallet: Williston, North Dakota
Blockchain solutions are for more than just big towns with lots of people. In Williston, North Dakota, a small, rural town, the city has put a municipal-hosted Digital Currency Machine (DCM) in the Williston Basin International Airport so that people can pay their utility fees in cryptocurrency.

Taking care of property in Cook County, Illinois
Cook County, Illinois, was the first place in the US to use blockchain to manage real estate title records and its portal for paying property taxes. In particular, the platform has made a decentralised record of title changes and ownership swaps that can be tracked. With this information, the Cook County Clerk’s office is safe from nation-state attacks and can finish land transfers without paper, lowering operational costs.

Chandler, Arizona – Mobile Voting
In Chandler, Arizona, the city council agreed to hold a mock election in the summer of 2021 to see how blockchain solutions could be used, and this was done because they were interested in how blockchain couldn’t be changed.

Blockchain solutions can help you build a better future.
With blockchain technology, local governments can improve their digital transformation efforts by implementing robust infrastructure that makes internal processes more transparent and efficient. In particular, governments can use a decentralised ledger to cut costs, improve performance measures, and gain new insights that help them make decisions more quickly. And no matter the use case, blockchain can change how local governments work entirely.