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Chris Bates' presentation at NetExplo.
Bitland won the Netexplo Award 2016!
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What is BitLand?
BitLand operates to address the problem of insecure land tenure, bring confidence of investment to emerging markets, and unlock land wealth stagnating due to inefficient legacy systems. The focus is on creating an effective virtual land registry utilizing blockchain technology, spearheading collaborative solution implementation, and jump starting a fully transparent ecosystem for all users.
We aim to allow individuals and organizations to survey land, manage deeds and titles, perform applicable transactions, and then record the information on the blockchain.
Why Ghana?
Land registration in Ghana has historically been cumbersome and disorganized. As a result, thousands of titles remain unregistered and land conflicts are rife. Of the 42,000 applications for land registration submitted between 1986 and 2006, less than 30 percent were registered. Land conflicts arise as claimants take advantage of the poorly coordinated system and register titles without other claimants’ knowledge. The adjudication system for conflicts is weak, courts are overwhelmed, and decisions are poorly enforced.
Since colonial times, Ghana’s land sector has suffered from splintered institutional functions and an underdeveloped land registration system. But, the government and international donors are beginning to address these challenges through legal reforms and more systematic land registration.
As of January 2011, several projects are seeking to strengthen the land sector in Ghana and formalize tenure. These include: the Government of Ghana’s Land Administration Project (LAP), which is supported by the World Bank; the Millennium Development Authority’s Land Tenure Facilitation Activity supported by the US; and private sector programs led by Medeem LLC as well as the Micro-Mortgage and Land Titling Project led by Opportunity International and International Land Systems (ILS).
Under the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA), Ghana is implementing a pilot project in peri-urban Accra to title and register land. The ten-step process begins with a parcel inventory and involves verification by landowners, and a time for public scrutiny. It takes 31 days for 100 parcels and costs about $200-$250 per registered parcel. To date, MiDA has issued and registered 270 land titles using this process.
It is uncertain how the Government of Ghana would scale-up projects nationwide. Challenges persist in terms of making the process simple, efficient and cost effective for both landholders and land administration authorities. Unless the “costs” associated with land registration are sufficiently low vis-a-vis the benefits perceived by landholders, land registration records can rapidly become obsolete, jeopardizing the investments made to reform registration systems.
The Ghanaian government, World Bank, and other agencies have been battling the issue of insecure land tenure with limited to moderate success with collective focus since 2003. Phase I of the Land Administration Project ended in 2010 and Phase II is scheduled to run through 2017. Both phases of the project were/are plagued with the same issues as mentioned in the above excerpt. Although these efforts have been hampered, Ghana has posted exemplary GDP gains over the last decade while facing the identified problems.
BitLand Ghana
BitLand Ghana is the home of the pilot program for BitLand. It is the NGO which has been operating in Kumasi, Ghana and the surrounding communities for the past 2 years. To date, it has completed public out-reach, crypto-currency/blockchain seminars, and land rights informational road-shows in 28 communities in preparation for the launch of BitLand beginning its main operation. Bitland is partnered with Openledger which allows the company to secure its blockchain infrastructure.At the end state, the BitLand system provides the ability to reduce fraud and increase efficiency to the mortgage lending process. Banks cannot issue mortgages on land that is unregistered. The utilization of an open, decentralized, and transparent ledger will effectively unlock significant amounts of land to be used for equity purposes that previously could not be touched. In Africa, roughly ninety percent of rural areas are unlisted and unregistered. As the project in Ghana matures, we will look to expand the reach of BitLand across the African continent and abroad. By adding infrastructure in more developing countries, BitLand has the potential to unlock massive volumes of capital and resources.
The Crowdsale
30 million Cadastrals were created in one block. 21 million Cadastrals will be sold during the ICO hosted by Crypto Currency Exchange Denmark(CCEDK). The remaining 9 million is allotted for distribution over 99 years for various purposes. At the completion of phase two of the crowd sale, all unsold Cadastrals will be added to the reserve and all purchased Cadastrals will be released for immediate trade. The funds raised will be apportioned directly to laying the operational infrastructure in Ghana. Future use of the token will be to register land titles, settle disputes, sell land, purchase property, and issue microloans for residential/commercial/industrial development. 20% of the network profit will be utilized to support the tokens on the open market. The Bitland reserve will hold multiple denominations of currencies, commodities, and will always keep a portion of currency from any country in which BitLand has a presence as part of the basket. Ghana is only the beginning.
Purchasing Instructions
Here's our tutorial video that shows how you how to get started on OpenLedger.
Click the image to watch the video!
Here's our new tutorial video that shows how you can fund your OpenLeder account with Bitcoin.
click the image to watch the video!
1. Create account on Openledger
Online wallet –
https://bitshares.openledger.info/#/ Wallet Download –
https://bitshares.org/download/2. Click Accounts
3. Click Deposit/Withdrawal
4. Click CCEDK
5. Deposit BTC
6. Send Open.BTC to ccedk.escrow
7. Change transaction fee denomination from “bts” to “open.btc”
Presshttp://www.enterpreneurialand.com/bitlands-african-blockchain-initiative-putting-land-on-the-ledger/http://www.helenabitcoinmining.com/2016/04/07/bitland-blockchain-initiative-seeks-to-create-reliable-land-titles-in-africa/http://bravenewcoin.com/news/blockchain-initiatives-going-mainstream/http://techbackoffice.com/bitlands-african-blockchain-initiative-putting-land-on-the-ledger/The Team
The common theme is that the leading factor inhibiting long term and sustainable growth across multiple sectors in emerging countries is insecure land tenure. Ghana will have the first iteration of our operation, platform, and system. BitLand has a chance to change the game not just only Ghana, or Africa, but the world.
Founder - Narigamba Mwinsuubo
CSO - L. Christopher Bates
COO - Elliot Hedman
Financial Advisor - Ryan Berry
Web Admin - Brock Hager
Advisor - Ronny Boesing
Website:
www.bitland.worldWhitepaper:
http://www.bitland.world/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Bitland_Whitepaper.pdfBitland FAQ:
http://www.bitland.world/frequently-asked-questions/Additional Purchase Information:
http://www.bitland.world/how-to-purchase-cadastrals/Contact:
http://www.bitland.world/contact-bitland/
