How 2018 is shaping up in blockchain technology.
The visionaries will forge ahead, those hoping for immediate industry and process transformation will give up. This is the answer I usually give when asked for a one-sentence summary of how I see 2018 shaping up in the blockchain technology arena.
Following blockchain technology feels a little like living in two parallel universes: one is the world of press and vendor hype, fueled in equal measure by commercial self-interest and a genuine desire for innovation, and which remains firmly in the phase of irrational exuberance. The other is the world of enterprise business and technology professionals actually working on blockchain projects; this world is firmly anchored in the phase of rational assessment, and everyone’s agreed that large-scale, widespread deployment of blockchain-based (or indeed blockchain-inspired) networks isn’t imminent. The inhabitants of this second universe also recognize that you need to be prepared to be in it for the long haul, as the true transformational potential of blockchain-based networks will take a long time to materialize, for non-technical as much as technical reasons.
That’s not to say that this latter group will persevere with all of the blockchain initiatives they have started. Forrester’s 2018 blockchain predictions reveal that we’ll see some serious pruning of projects in 2018. Initiatives will increasingly be assessed against standard business benefit models, and those found wanting will not be given the go-ahead, or they’ll be stopped if already underway. The projects that proceed will fall into three categories:
Source/More: Get ready to face the realities behind blockchain hype | CIO
