Blockchain as a Trust Ledger: Applying the Technology Beyond Bitcoin and Cryptocurrencies

Blockchain technology, which differs from Bitcoin, serves as a powerful tool for creating trust ledgers across various industries, enhancing data transparency and management efficiency.

Differences Between Bitcoin and Blockchain

There is often confusion between Bitcoin and blockchain technology, but they are not the same. Although related, their differences are significant. According to the general definition, a blockchain is an immutable ledger that allows parties to conduct transactions in a decentralized manner, using a consensus mechanism regarding the overall state of the ledger.

Simply put, a blockchain is a distributed 'database' that is not managed by a central authority, is accessible to any interested party, and records data exchange with timestamps between two participating parties in a log that can only be added sequentially and is resistant to unauthorized alteration.

The Nature of Immutability and Data Protection

The property of only adding new entries means that data timestamps can be added to the log, but they cannot be changed afterward. The resistance to unauthorized alteration is due to the use of cryptographic checks and balances that signal attempts by an attacker to change records after they have been published on the ledger.

Bitcoin and Cryptocurrencies as Applications

Therefore, Bitcoin and most cryptocurrencies are better viewed as applications built on blockchain technology, similar to how email and websites are applications of the internet. Specifically, Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency—a digital currency issued on a blockchain, whose volume is regulated by an algorithm rather than a centralized structure like a central bank, as happens with traditional government-issued currency.

A Bitcoin transaction can be seen as a data exchange indicating the amount of Bitcoin transferred from sender to recipient, recorded in a visible audit log. Since this log records data exchange, it can also be applied to data exchanges in other fields besides financial services where a single source of reliable information is required, such as in supply chains.

Blockchain as a Trust Ledger

Beyond Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies, blockchain is useful as a shared trust ledger in multi-party environments, such as supply chains. A supply chain utilizing blockchain is a distributed system that collects, securely stores, and verifies key product information throughout its entire lifecycle. The network of interconnected participants and companies in the supply chain gains access to a single source of truth that is immutable and tamper-proof. This improves transparency, reduces fraud, enhances end-to-end traceability, and optimizes operations.

The concept of a shared trust ledger has numerous applications, including tracking food chains from farm to consumer; identity management, creation, and maintenance of land ownership rights; Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) of emissions; and tracking product origin and operational data through digital product passports (e.g., battery passports).

Barriers to Implementing Blockchain Solutions

However, global consensus on implementing blockchain solutions for non-cryptocurrency (non-financial) purposes is limited by both technical and non-technical factors. These include a shortage of qualified technical specialists to implement these solutions, complex and costly infrastructure requirements, lack of management support, dependence on existing legacy systems, environmental issues, and regulatory uncertainty.

In the context of South Africa, this is confirmed by a study by the University of Cape Town's Department of Information Systems on the adoption of blockchain in small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMEs) in Johannesburg. This study identified process compatibility, pressure from trading partners, technical complexity, senior management support, perceived benefits, and organizational readiness as significant factors influencing decisions to adopt blockchain.

Furthermore, although ready-made enterprise blockchain solutions are available on the global market, they often lead to vendor lock-in due to proprietary data formats, restrictive contracts, and high switching costs. Moreover, such off-the-shelf solutions often require significant initial capital expenditure, are not adapted to local conditions (a 'one-size-fits-all' approach), and do not always meet digital sovereignty requirements.

Solving Problems with BlockAPI BaaS

To address the challenges affecting the implementation of blockchain solutions and promote its adoption among SMEs, as well as in the private and public sectors of South Africa, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) developed the BlockAPI Blockchain-as-a-Service (BaaS) platform. This lightweight managed blockchain API platform allows for recording and verifying data on the blockchain, such as supply chain data.

BlockAPI BaaS enables SMEs to bypass the steep learning curve associated with blockchain technology and economically integrate this technology into their current business processes without the need to build, deploy, and manage their own blockchain infrastructure. The advantage of seamlessly integrating a trust ledger on the blockchain alongside existing systems without replacing them lowers adoption barriers and required financial investment while increasing the likelihood of management approval.

Advantages of Using BlockAPI BaaS

Benefits of using BlockAPI BaaS include: simple and low-cost access to write data to the blockchain via API; the ability to verify the integrity of data audit logs via API; integration with existing and legacy systems and business processes; and blockchain integration without vendor lock-in.

Practical Application of BlockAPI BaaS

BlockAPI BaaS is currently at Technology Readiness Level 6 and has been demonstrated in logistics, manufacturing, agriculture, and financial services value chains in South Africa. Demonstrations across various verticals highlighting its simplicity and ease of integration include: the CSIR Cold Chain Track and Trace platform, which uses an IoT sensor attached to a refrigerated container to track the temperature and GPS coordinates of medical samples between medical and diagnostic facilities; the CSIR Greenhouse Gas Observatory platform for secure emissions monitoring, tested at an aluminum foundry; the CSIR ILIMA supply chain platform used by small farmers for poultry management; and Master's research projects at UCT, including one on ESG reporting by financial institutions and another on medical sample transportation.

Digital Public Infrastructure Based on Blockchain

In today's world, where digital transformation is a source of competitive advantage and economic growth, providing Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) is a priority to accelerate the participation of businesses and citizens in the digital economy. Designing, implementing, and deploying BlockAPI BaaS as an API and cloud-based trust ledger service to promote blockchain adoption in environments where data integrity is critical (such as supply chains) aligns with DPI principles. Given that BlockAPI BaaS is universal across the various sectors mentioned previously, it can also be positioned as DPI for SMEs and the academic community.

Firstly, Bitcoin and blockchain are different concepts. Secondly, beyond Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies, blockchain—a 'time-stamped, distributed audit-style log'—provides a reliable data ledger in environments dependent on data immutability. Finally, the BlockAPI BaaS platform demonstrates high effectiveness in supply chain solutions. BlockAPI BaaS increases the transparency, traceability, and efficiency of supply chains across various sectors; lowers adoption barriers for SMEs and can serve as a model for building fundamental blockchain-based digital infrastructure in the country.

tecnoblog.netJuly 15, 12:30

What is a VPN and how does the technology protect user data on the internet

A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, is a technology designed to establish a layer of security between the user's device and the internet. This function involves encrypting connection data and masking the user's true IP address.

Risks of Unprotected Connections

When performing activities such as accessing airport Wi-Fi, using banking applications, checking work emails, or making online purchases, digital traces are left behind. If the connection is not properly protected, this data risks exposure. Tools like NordVPN help in this scenario by hindering both the tracking of online activities and the risk of data interception.

When to Use a VPN

Using a VPN becomes relevant in several situations. It is indicated for those who access public Wi-Fi networks, work remotely, make virtual purchases, use banking services on mobile phones, wish to reduce browsing monitoring, or need to consume geographically restricted content. Although a VPN does not eliminate all security precautions, it provides an essential layer of privacy for the connection.

Technical Operation of a VPN

Technically, a VPN creates a secure and encrypted link between the device and the internet, using a VPN server as an intermediary. This process ensures that data is transformed into a format illegible to third parties. Furthermore, the original IP address is hidden, causing websites and services to view the VPN server's IP. Consequently, providers, public networks, and third parties find it more difficult to track browsing traffic, and the apparent location can be changed by selecting a server in another country.

Various Uses of VPN Technology

The VPN has transcended the niche of security specialists, becoming useful in multiple applications. It protects sensitive information on open Wi-Fi networks, minimizes online tracking by advertisers and websites, and enables access to regionally restricted content by connecting to international servers. In a remote work environment, it serves as additional protection when accessing corporate systems. Additionally, it can help bypass limitations imposed by providers in uses such as streaming or gaming, and by hiding the IP, it increases security in games against targeted attacks. It is also useful for comparing prices during travel and shopping, checking regional variations.

Criteria for Choosing a VPN

Selecting an effective VPN must go beyond cost, balancing security, speed, privacy, and usability. Important criteria include the implementation of robust encryption to protect traffic, a proven no-logs policy, independent audits to validate the provider's privacy, a vast network of servers to ensure stability, adequate speed, compatibility with various devices (computer, mobile phone, TV, router), and extra features such as anti-phishing protection or tracker blocking.

NordVPN Highlights

NordVPN incorporates advanced features, complementing basic VPN functionality. Tests conducted by West Coast Labs in October 2025 indicated that NordVPN achieved an average speed of 817 Mbps and an overall score of 58/60, boasting over 9,500 servers distributed in more than 224 locations across the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia-Pacific. Its no-logs policy is validated by six independent audits. Traffic is protected by 256-bit AES encryption and supports modern protocols such as OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPsec, and NordLynx. The NordWhisper protocol assists in restrictive networks, such as public Wi-Fi or corporate environments. The network offers specialized servers, including Double VPN, Onion over VPN, obfuscated servers, P2P, and dedicated IP. Furthermore, Next-Gen Antivirus provides defense against malware, phishing, and ads, and a specific feature for Android and iPhone alerts about fraudulent calls before the user answers.

Advanced Functionalities

For specific uses, NordVPN offers features such as Double VPN, which doubles encryption by routing traffic through two distinct servers; Onion over VPN, which integrates the VPN with the Onion network for greater anonymity; obfuscated servers, to disguise usage on blocking networks; optimized P2P servers for file sharing; and dedicated IP for connection predictability. Split Tunneling allows the user to define which applications should use the VPN and which should access the internet normally, while threat protection blocks malicious pages and trackers.

Platform and Support

NordVPN offers a complete solution that combines VPN, next-generation antivirus, and fraud protection. With a single subscription, up to ten devices can be protected simultaneously, compatible with operating systems such as Windows, macOS, and Linux, as well as mobile devices (Android and iOS), Apple TV, and routers. The provider guarantees 24/7 customer support.