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"Blockchain, Linked Data, and You"
Summary
Our article on the possibilities of blockchain technology in the library and linked data ecosystems was published in Public Library Quarterly. The abstract:
Blockchain, or distributed ledger technology, has been an increasingly common topic in technical circles over the past several years. You may have read one of the thousands of articles documenting the dramatic swings of blockchain-backed digital currencies like Bitcoin or the utopian musings that blockchain could replace our voting systems, financial systems, or other society-wide infrastructure.
There is some hype about blockchain but the technology does show promise for providing a secure decentralized digital infrastrucure with data integrity - and libraries around the world can find valuable uses for that infrastructure. In addition, the scourges of fake news, misinformation, and disinformation can be weakened by potential applications of blockchain technology in the infosphere.