Over the past decade, few technologies can match the excitement that blockchain has generated across industries ranging from banking and finance, to law and supply chain management. As examined in the Oakland Institute’s latest report: Driving Dispossession: The Global Push to “Unlock the Economic Potential of Land,” land tenure administration is one notable application of blockchain that could potentially have significant implications for billions of people on the planet. The World Bank and several Western corporations are championing the technology as a solution to secure land rights and spur development. A number of governments are now in the process of working with startups to transfer land registries onto blockchain. But can the technology actually secure land rights?
Currently over 25 countries are in the process of providing individual titles and transferring land registries onto blockchain. Despite the high level of investment in the technology, at this point most countries remain in the early stages of implementation.
*The views of the above article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Africa Speaks 4 Africa or its editorial team.