Practical and Theoretical Applications for Blockchain in Volunteer Management

Few topics have been surrounded in contemporary tech lore as much as “The Blockchain.” At the same time, it’s something of a sleeper phenomenon. An author by the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto published a paper in 2008 that many cite as the blueprint for blockchain technology and cryptocurrency, but the paper went mostly unnoticed for several years. Between 2012 to 2018, blockchain-related topics became a near-singular focus for the technology community. Now that focus has largely shifted toward artificial intelligence (AI), but might blockchain still be the biggest watershed since the Internet itself? Could it democratize, legitimize and organize all information? And how would this affect our lives and the practice of Volunteer Management? Fifteen years into this conversation, Ahead of the Curve reflects on the innovations, proven applications and potentially transformative concepts related to our professional field.