Homework on Provenance - Questions

[maxpower106]

1. The blockchain enables digital provenance by virtue of the fact that it is trustless and can not be tampered with by anyone. This means that the origin of any transaction or transfer in a supply chain can be verified on blockchain technology.

2. A normal database can be written, edited or removed by a central body (person, company or party). This means that we have to trust the information that is stored.

3. Digital provenance has two key benefits;
   It increases the efficiency of the way in which we are able to trace sources of data. Because data on a blockchain can not be changed, it removes the need for a centralised body or party to ‘verify’ the contents of the database.

Secondly, it provides greater trust to consumers about the origin of the data or products which they purchasing. If a consumer is able to verify the authenticity of a product then it will increase their confidence to purchase.

[Patrick_N]

1. Blockchain does not rely on trust, it verifies information. Data can only be added and not deleted and other computers need to verify this information, therefore making it difficult to falsify records. It can combine different information strands, where ‘product’ was made, when it was made, by whom it was made and combine in one.
2. A normal database allows information to be deleted and is not verified by other computers and therefore information has to be trusted but can easily be falsified.
3. It removes trust from the equation. An organic shop can know that the products they receive are truly organic. Or a business dealing with perishable goods can know how long the goods spent in transit. Larger business dealing with numerous suppliers do not need countless datasets and paperwork to verify the products they are receiving and thus save many countless hours.

[CryptosaurusRex]

How does blockchain enable digital provenance?

Known as digital stone, the blockchain is a database that records transactions but doesn’t allow editing or removal of transactions.

Why doesn’t a normal database bring the same provenance?

Normal databases allow recording and editing or removal of database entries.

Why is digital provenance such a great benefit to many businesses?

It provides auditable tracking of steps in a process such as manufacturing or supply chain. It is trustless and verifiable.

[Ryanb]

1.Blockchain enables digital provenance by basically "etching it into stone so the message can never be deleted or lost.
2. A “normal” database does not have the same level of transparency and security, therefore less accountability?
3. Trust is a huge issue in business, like Ivan mentioned with food majority of food manufacturers don’t even know what ingredients they are using, blockchain verifies everything instantaneously

[amohite]

1. It is a decentralized public ledger, it is trust less and verifiable.
2. The normal database is a secured databases with central authority and requires trust.
3. The digital provenance is of great benefit to the businesses because of its real-time auditing, and transactions can be tracked easily and verified.

[CryptoJedi]

1. How does blockchain enable digital provenance?
   You can track things back to their origin and see exactly what is happening since inception.
2. Why doesn’t a normal database bring the same provenance?
   A normal database is editable and controlled by a central authority, which requires users to have trust. Users cannot verify.
3. Why is digital provenance such a great benefit to many businesses?
   It allows for a complete audit of all steps in a process, giving complete transparency. No need to trust anyone. You can verify the details.

[Hello2]

@ivan

• How does blockchain enable digital provenance?
• Why doesn’t a normal database bring the same provenance?
• Why is digital provenance such a great benefit to many businesses?

1. Via distributed ledgers that hold the original copy that can not be changed and is visible to all.
   2)A normal database can be changed at any time and is often controlled by a central authority
   3)Companies will be able to audit in real time possibly stopping fraud and auditing costs

[spaceballs]

1. How does blockchain enable digital provenance?
   immutable decentral database, data can be added but not removed, records on db can’t be changed, there is no authority behind - “public ledger”

2. Why doesn’t a normal database bring the same provenance?
   normal db’s are centralized, records on db could be manipulated by authority behind - data can be added & removed

3. Why is digital provenance such a great benefit to many businesses?
   many usecases - FinTech, clothes, food, … - don’t trust, verify!
   immutability, privacy, security, transparency, reliability, efficiency (Smart Contracts)

[MarcusM]

1. The blockchain can record the full transaction history for every element in the supply chain. Being decentralised and confirmed from beginning to end by a large network, the distributed ledger can be used to trace the provenance of anything, it’s factually verified and immutable.

2. A regular database would be centralised and therefore be subject to editing or abuse from the custodian, versus an independently verified digital ledger that cannot be changed.

3. Virtually all supply chains operate based on trust. Blockchain doesn’t require trust in goods, services or information, as it can be used to verify every detail instead. It brings confidence, efficiency, and certainty to businesses.

[Viddiben]

1. By making it decentralized, giving everyone access to the blockchain, than everyone can verify.
2. Because It is a centralized database wich ,outsider’s" can not see or reach. Data can also be removed and fixed to their advantage
3. Fx. A company that has really healthy products, can show that they are truly better than their competitors. Maby it would then erase company’s with bad products and structure from the market.

[StanleyGM]

How does blockchain enable digital provenance?
By having a ledger which is contained and verified across multiple computers it allows for digital provenance to occur. Anyone is able to access the data from their own devices and check every transaction which allows for digital provenance.

Why doesn’t a normal database bring the same provenance?
A normal database is kept privately on either a device or a server. These databases have restricted access and because of this it means that those without access have to trust that those who do are acting accordingly and honestly which isn’t always the case.

Why is digital provenance such a great benefit to many businesses?
Digital Provenance is a benefit to many companies as it can allow for their operations to happen without trust. Their suppliers can verify using blockchain which allows for a trustless system which only states verified information.

[RoryPhilBTC]

1. Every transaction that goes through the blockchain can be tracked and verified. The data is always there and cannot be forged.

2. Normal databases are centralised, meaning they are not open to the general public to verify each transaction. This way information and transactions can be hidden or even be fake.

3. Businesses can then see exactly what is going on within their processes and tackle problems as they come up instead of whenever they arise in a conventional database.

[sjbeckm]

1. Blockchain enables digital provenance by tracking all transactions. Each time a transaction occurs it is logged into the database which cannot be removed or altered and it is open for all to see.
2. One, data in other databases can be altered or changed. Two, this data being entered into other databases can be falsified as it is not necessarily required to be validated by multiple other databases.
3. Digital provencence will be able to make internal business processes more efficient. It will be able to consolidate multiple business functions/tasks in one place in real-time, these functions/tasks can be bundled into one transaction. You can also see all of the transactions that occurred in these business processes from beginning to end and it is all visible.

[H48]

@ivan

• How does blockchain enable digital provenance?
• Why doesn’t a normal database bring the same provenance?
• Why is digital provenance such a great benefit to many businesses?

1. It allows the consumer to trace the makeup origins back to their sources. Each source, purchased on the blockchain, is recorded on the public ledger.
2. A normal database hinges on trust from the supplier.
3. A digital provenance is such a great benefit to businesses, because it will ensure that they are getting exactly what they are paying for. In addition, they will be able to market the improvement and it will serve as a competitive advantage.

[William]

1. Blockchain enables digital provenance because, as the analogy goes, it’s like a Stone. You can add to this “digital stone,” but you cannot subtract. Because of this, anything that gets added- and is verified by other computers on the network - to the blockchain, it cannot be. removed. You are thus able to track every transaction/exchange that was ever done, down to its origin.

2. A normal database doesn’t bring the same level of provenance because a) they are a centralized entity, meaning there is a single point of failure and can be hacked, they are not immutable. b) Because its not immutable, the owner of the database has access to this and can change information and make ‘corrections.’

3. Digital provenance is a great benefit to businesses because by being on a blockchain, it serves as a public ledger, meaning its availability is 24/7. No need to have any concerns regarding audits or accounting errors, along with being able to examine exact/accurate transactions/exchanges/decisions and where each of these originated.

[SamK]

Homework on Provenance - Questions

1. How does blockchain enable digital provenance?
   The Blockchain allows us to track things in real time on an immutable public ledger.

2. Why doesn’t a normal database bring the same provenance?
   A normal database is corruptible and requires trust which is unreliable cannot truly be verified.

3. Why is digital provenance such a great benefit to many businesses?
   Digital provenance allows business to operate with trustless reliability making their transactions and supply chain based procedures, more reliable.

[Geisha]

1. Blockchain is like a digital stone. Once transaction is written on the blockchain it can’t be deleted! and all the transactions can be traced back.

2. A normal database is centralized which means that it can be manipulated and changed the data.

3. It can allow real time auditing and verify transactions. “Trust less relation “

[TomDrones]

Homework on Provenance - Questions

1. How does blockchain enable digital provenance?

It allows you to track all transactions with real time auditing on a public ledger and removes issues of trust by mathematically verifying.

2. Why doesn’t a normal database bring the same provenance?

There is a lot of hidden information in a normal database due to it’s centralized nature, and that data is only as trustworthy at the last entity which updates it.

3. Why is digital provenance such a great benefit to many businesses?

It allows businesses to audit supply chains in real-time while removing issues of trust. It can greatly improve the quality of a product and provide transparency in how it was manufactured.

[FiToKa]

1. How does blockchain enable digital provenance?

Transactions are only added to the blockchain and could not be removed. They are also public and could be reviewed by everybody on the network. The network itself is backed up by independent nodes which comply to the rules of the open-source software and its cryptographic capabilities. All this brings trust to the system.

2. Why doesn’t a normal database bring the same provenance?

Normal databases are usually maintained by a company or authority which brings trust to question. This centralization allows transactions to be manipulated.

3. Why is digital provenance such a great benefit to many businesses?
It allows real-time auditing and binds accounting and transactions tracking with high level of trust, absence of errors and efficiency.

[Shanghaistu]

1. How does blockchain enable digital provenance?
Digital Provenance is defined as chronology of ownership (for a digital asset). Blockchain enables this by keeping a record of every transaction on the blockchain that cannot be removed.
2. Why doesn’t a normal database bring the same provenance?
A normal database is open to be manipulated because it is not subject to the rigour of continuous checking by multiple and independent nodes that can challenge the database if a record is incorrect. A normal database is often under the control of a single person or few people that can manipulate transaction history, which is impossible on the blockchain network
3. Why is digital provenance such a great benefit to many businesses?
Digital provenance enables real-time (and cost effective) auditing, traceability and replaces “trust” with verification