BLOCKCHAIN, COVID-19, SATAN, AND YOU…

Aaron Wallender

June 24th, 2020

Before discussing the intersection of blockchain technology and COVID-19 (and Bill Gates), it is likely helpful to start with a simple understanding of what blockchain technology is, and how its application is conceived.

What is a Blockchain?

According to Merriam-Webster, blockchain is ‘a digital database containing information (such as records of financial transactions) that can be simultaneously used and shared within a large decentralized, publicly accessible network’.[1]

Blockchain began in 2009 as an open source project. The community that drove the development of the technology subsequently participated in its evolution through various iterations of the system, modifying the original code and tweaking it for other, wider, and more diverse applications.  This wide accessibility of blockchain, reflected through its publicly accessible networks and peer-to-peer operability, is the hallmark of a system that epitomizes trust for its users and the data it produces.[2]

It is, however, possible to limit or control the accessibility of the blockchain while at the same time improving its cross platform connectivity, as well as its capacity and speed.[3]  These newer advancements in blockchain portend a higher level of productivity and the ability to apply the technology over a much wider scale. I will further discuss the ability to control the environment of blockchains below.

Another indelible feature of blockchains is the immutability they impart to the records they manage. Because a blockchain is decentralized and cryptographically secured, the ability to alter a record, or to hide changes to the chain of information, is eliminated. The append-only nature of a blockchain design breeds transparency and is one of its most notable benefits. However, other positive aspects of blockchains include low transaction costs and data security.[4]

The Different Types of Blockchain[5]

Public blockchains are permission-less and designed for total decentralization, where no individual or entity controls access to the database. They allow anyone to join the network, and they provide the ability for users to see every transaction that is processed. As such, they can be highly censorship-resistant and secure. A well-known example of a public blockchain is Bitcoin.

A private blockchain is more of a centrally managed system. Participants need consent to join, and the transactions that kept and recorded in the database are private and only available to those that have the requisite permission. Hyperledger Fabric is a good example of a private blockchain architecture.

Finally, there are hybrid blockchains that give participants the ability to choose what data they want to make public, and what data to keep private, but that still maintain many of the security features of a public platform. The development of Facebook’s forthcoming Libra currency is one example of a hybrid blockchain in action. The social network’s goal is to give its users access to a publicly available e-currency that is underpinned by a private, secure, and manageable structure.[6]

COVID-19 and Blockchains

The arrival of the worldwide pandemic has led to some novel ideas regarding the application of blockchain technology, particularly in the retail, medical and government sectors.

Multinational grocers like Walmart are adapting ledger immutability as a means of tracking and tracing consumable items, like meat, seafood, vegetables, rice and cooking oil.[7] Barcodes are placed on individual grocery items so that they can be traced at every step of their production and distribution process, offering a means to ensure product safety and adding transparency to product availability.

In the field of medicine and medical supply procurement, blockchain-enabled marketplaces are providing transparent solutions to critical supply distribution that minimize the risks of fraud and hoarding while mitigating quality issues.[8]  Furthermore, in the actual application of medical services, heavyweights like IBM, Oracle and Microsoft have partnered with a variety of international health organizations to create MiPasa. MiPasa is a blockchain-powered hub designed to quickly and accurately detect COVID-19 carriers and hot spots around the world, securely sharing the information among individuals, hospitals and public authorities while simultaneously preventing the dissemination of personally identifiable information.[9] 

Lastly, the administration and maintenance of the rule of law is a concern for governments in relation to COVID-19. Social distancing rules place pressure on democratic systems that rely on in-person voting, exposing the need for technological (and legislative) advancements that can provide secure and reliable alternatives. Blockchain’s ability to create a decentralized network of immutable and encrypted data streams makes it a viable candidate to develop remote voting systems for certification and use by the congress of the United States, among others.[10]

Bill Gates, Blockchain and the Number of the Beast

Bill Gates has been notably prolific as a public commentator since the arrival of the Coronavirus. Was the prediction he made of an oncoming pandemic in his 2015 Ted Talk, aside from being astute and foretelling, more of a promise than warning?  Conspiracy theories abound that the billionaire genius and philanthropist is, among other things, at the head of a cabal that created COVID-19, which conspirators allege is a diabolic means of generating big pharma profits. According to the proponents of the ‘circular cabal conspiracy’, epidemics like the bird flu, swine flu, AIDS, and the novel Coronavirus are all frauds perpetrated to control and drive the healthcare industry.[11]

Another Bill Gates conspiracy theory related to blockchain innovation and COVID-19 is being advanced by the Oscar-winning Russian director Nikita Mikhalkov.[12] The theory presents Gates’ funding of vaccine and digital identity research (a technological advancement that relies on blockchain concepts like decentralization and encryption) as evidence of a nefarious global surveillance plan foretold in the biblical book of Revelations. According to the conspiracy, the billions of forthcoming doses of Coronavirus vaccines set to be distributed around the globe are apparently embedded with a microchip capable of tracking and monitoring those who are injected with the medicine. This ‘vaccine-enabled surveillance state’ is apparently a satanic plot intended to enslave the world.[13] Mikhalkov presented his conspiracy theory on a Russian local TV show that later went viral on Youtube, Facebook and Twitter. He presents evidence in his presentation that a Microsoft patent number for a human-powered crypto mining system is an allusion to the Apocalypse of John in the Bible, and the number of the beast.

Regardless of your thoughts on the satanic or philanthropic nature of Bill Gates’ endeavors, it remains clear that blockchain technology has great potential that COVID-19 does not diminish. In fact, the scientific advancements in blockchain seem particularly well-fit to address many of the risk factors that have burgeoned since the arrival of the Coronavirus. Whether it is tracking the safety and availability of food or medicine, enabling a secure and transparent alternative to in-person voting, or building a network capable of anonymously and effectively tracking the virus, blockchain is a technology that will keep experiencing growth and development as people continue to employ it in innovative and disruptive ways.

[1] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blockchain

[2] https://opensource.com/article/18/6/blockchain-guide-next-generation

[3] ibid

[4] https://blockgeeks.com/guides/what-is-blockchain-technology/

[5] https://dragonchain.com/blog/differences-between-public-private-blockchains/

[6] https://www.forbes.com/sites/rachelwolfson/2019/06/19/facebooks-cryptocurrency-libra-validates-blockchain-but-industry-experts-voice-concerns/#67c5259e72f4

[7] https://www.computerworld.com/article/3435770/why-hybrid-blockchains-will-dominate-ecommerce.html

[8] https://hbr.org/2020/04/how-the-pandemic-is-pushing-blockchain-forward

[9] ibid

[10] https://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonbrett/2020/05/17/blockchain-may-be-certified-for-remote-voting-under-new-rule-in-congress/#41717db93f98

[11] https://blockchain.news/news/bill-gates-planned-covid-19-pandemic-via-deep-state-circular-cabalsays-disgraced-dr-mikovits

[12] https://blockchain.news/news/bill-gates-foundations-covid-19-vaccine-is-satanic-plot-says-oscar-winner

[13] https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/bill-gates-id2020/