Overview
CoinDesk quoted Alan Cohn in a December 30 article titled "A Slow Awakening: 2016 in US Blockchain Policy." In the article, which discusses blockchain regulatory developments of the past year and what may lie ahead in 2017, Alan Cohn says: "If 2016 was the year that the blockchain burst into public view, 2017 is the year that blockchain pilots and proofs-of-concept begin to permeate the mainstream of industry.” With a number of new projects announced within the first few weeks of 2017 such as a collaboration between IBM and the FDA and Deloitte's new blockchain research lab, he may have hit the nail on the head.
Alan also predicts that in 2017 there will be a stronger focus on using blockchain technology "to solve real-world problems, starting with digitizing processes that have resisted technological solutions or automation because of fears around non-trusted counter-parties, multi-party transactions, insecure transaction records, and high rates of fraudulent activity, areas where blockchain technology offers stair-step advantages." While only time will tell how the regulatory landscape will change, the activity in the past two weeks makes 2017 look like a promising year for the blockchain.
