We're often being told that the blockchain – the tech behind Bitcoin – will rewire not just the banking sector, but social security payments, healthcare and even digital voting. Until now, it's all been theoretical tech industry talk. However, in recent months there's been a flurry of interest from the wider world, and some big developments that look set to shape a future blockchain economy.
It emerged recently that China will use blockchain for making social security payments, while Australia has proposed using blockchain to run its voting systems. Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton has publicly backed using blockchain for public services.
Is blockchain – and its associated technologies and platforms, including Bitcoin and Ethereum – about to blossom from being an obscure niche technology to become the basis of a new kind of global public infrastructure?
http://www.techradar.com/news/internet/bitcoin-vs-distributed-ledger-vs-ethereum-vs-blockchain-1328432
