Most Interesting Blockchain Applications in Fintech
Blockchain is a revolution in technology, just like internet it is going to disrupt the way of doing business. Whether its fintech, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, insurance, digital security, enterprise SaaS — blockchain is everywhere today.
So, the first question arises here is:
What Is Blockchain?
As the?definition goes, a blockchain is a public ledger of information collected through a network that sits on top of the internet.
The information recorded on a blockchain can take on any form, whether it be denoting a transfer of money, ownership, a transaction, someone’s identity, an agreement between two or multiple parties, or even how much electricity a lightbulb has used. The information is stored in the form of blocks, with each block on the chain able to store up to 1 MB of data.
What Are The Principles Of Blockchain Technology?
Here are some basic principles underlying blockchain technology:
How Blockchain Works?
When a block?stores new data?it is added to the blockchain. Blockchain, as its name suggests, consists of multiple blocks strung together. In order for a block to be added to the blockchain, however, four things must happen:
The block is also given the hash of the most recent block added to the blockchain. Once hashed, the block can be added to the blockchain and becomes part of the record.
What Are Various Applications Of Blockchain In Fintech?
Blockchain enthusiasts are continuously experimenting with this technology to bring out new use cases and applications to solve the redundant and complex issues in the fintech industry. A few of the blockchain applications which are already popular are:
Let’s dive into details here!
KYC Verification
An institution, a bank, for example, sends a request to the blockchain platform to access your identity data.
In this new architecture, data access would be solely based on user consent. To grant consent, a user only has to log in, probably through a?One Time Password?(OTP) and allocate a private key to the data. Although the data can now be accessed by a third party (the bank in this instance), ownership of the data remains with the user.
Practical Case: Startups such as Primechain Technologies and Elemential Labs are among the key players in India here.
Supply Chain Financing And Management
Blockchain systems?allow?significantly higher settlement turnaround time at lower costs by providing a single source of truth regarding pivotal points in the supply chain, like creditworthiness, supplier inventory levels, purchase order receipt and approval, invoice receipt and approval, and more.
Practical Case: Delhi-based Sofacle Technologies is one such startup which designs and develops blockchain-powered enterprise solutions for smart contracts, supply chain finance, insurance, among others. Similarly, Auxesis which is currently focussing on private blockchain solutions with its enterprise-grade infrastructure focussing on security, performance and scalability. Then there is StaTwig which combines IoT and blockchain to provide real-time tamper-proof end-to-end tracking for packages and goods that identifies problems and inefficiencies in the supply chain.
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Simplification Of Remittances
The main goal of blockchain remittance companies is to?simplify?the entire process, removing unnecessary intermediaries. To provide frictionless and near-instant payment solutions. Unlike traditional services, a blockchain network doesn’t rely on a slow process of approving transactions, which usually goes through several mediators and requires a lot of manual work. Thus, blockchain technology may solve some of the major problems faced by the remittance industry, such as high fees and long transaction time.
Practical Case: Auxesis and?EzyRemit are providing such solutions in India for businesses with large volume of remittances.
Trusted Payments Solutions
Blockchain technology?promises to?facilitate fast, secure, low-cost international payment processing services (and other transactions) through the use of encrypted distributed ledgers that provide trusted real-time verification of transactions without the need for intermediaries such as correspondent banks and clearinghouses.
Blockchain technology was initially used to support the digital currency Bitcoin but is now being explored for a wide variety of applications that don’t involve Bitcoin.
Practical Case: In India, KrypC is one startup offering such solutions for the payments industry. The startup’s specialised connectors for the financial industry are customised for money transfer, trade finance and pre-approved loans. Another one is Mumbai-based?GetXS?which is developing blockchain-based digital identities which can be authenticated securely.
YES Bank has facilitated the issuance of a commercial paper (CP) of INR 100 Cr using blockchain technology for Vedanta, a natural resources conglomerate. Usually not backed by any form of collateral, a commercial paper (CP) is an unsecured money market instrument issued in the form of a promissory note. YES Bank used R3 Corda?enterprise blockchain?platform developed by US-based MonetaGo to facilitate the issuance. The blockchain platform, thus, ensures an efficient, transparent and secure mechanism for CP issuance and redemption.
Records Storage And Management
Documents in physical or digital form?can be modified?and copied. While there are many products and services that provide secure and verified document management, they tend to be expensive and often require the involvement of a third party. Blockchain embeds authentication into the document itself and using a closed-loop tracking system to protect against tampering or modification.
Practical Case:?Indian startup?RecordsKeeper?that allows users to store documents, data and any transaction immutably in private-blockchain securely without the need of central authority.
Bengaluru-based PARAM Network?is using the blockchain solution to cut the cost of e-invoice processing by half and store digital receipts on-chain. It also automates the entire process while bringing in transparency. This also cuts down the turnaround time and complexity of the verification process in invoice processing.
Secure Digital Regulatory Process
Blockchain’s immutability?lends itself?to the application of proof-of-process for compliance. Blockchain could be used to keep track of the steps required by regulation. Recording actions and their outputs immutably in a blockchain would create an audit trail for regulators to verify compliance.
Practical Case: Signzy Technologies offers digital trust solutions based on blockchain and AI, aiming to simplify and secure digital regulatory processes.
Disrupting Digital Insurance
By allowing policyholders and insurers to track and manage physical assets digitally, blockchain technology?can codify?business rules and automate claims processing through smart contracts, while providing a permanent audit trail. Insurance giants and startups alike are attempting to use blockchain technology to prevent insurance fraud, digitally track medical records, and more.
Practical Case: Somish Solutions is a startup in India which develop and provide blockchain-based solutions for applications such as P2P insurance, tokenised fund transfers etc.
Eliminate The Dark Tactics Of The Stock Market
Wealthtech is the new niche which fintech startups in India are rapidly exploring. Blockchain?can reduce?the inefficiencies through automation, which also leads to a reduction in cost, lowering entry barriers and resulting in an increased market base. It will also?help in eliminating?stock tampering, processing time and charges, naked short selling, as well as commissions of all intermediaries.
Credit Scoring
Fintech companies are widely using blockchain to cater to the unbanked population lacking CIBIL score and helping them get credit.
Practical Case: Telangana government?joined hands?with London-based startup Cognito Technologies to kick off a pilot project, wherein it will leverage blockchain technology to come up with credit scores of those from economically weaker sections of society.
Faster Processing Speed
The distributed ledger could make it possible?to connect?all parties in a financial trade in real-time for faster processing of a payment. For instance, if you use another bank’s cash machine (ATM) today, that bank must contact your bank to make sure you have enough funds in your account before dispensing the cash. If both banks used the same blockchain ledger, the bank could dispense the funds instantly without waiting for approval.
Eliminating Audit Trails
The transparency of information and permanence of records makes it nearly impossible?to alter?or manipulate the data, so banks no longer have to keep redundant audit trails of transactions; the transaction ledger is the audit trail.