It Is Time to Seriously Consider Personal Blockchains

Much has been written about the benefits of using blockchains for securing transactions in finance, healthcare, supply chain management and more, and some of these benefits are already being realized. But not nearly as much consideration has been given to use blockchains for records of personal transactions. That is, there is great potential for blockchains in certifying and securing the validity, time, and order of various life events, legal transactions, records of achievement, personal contracts, healthcare records, etc. In this article, the motivation for creating personal blockchains is presented. Then, various kinds of personal blockchain implementation possibilities, use cases, challenges, and solutions are briefly discussed. Personal blockchains offer many benefits but pose some challenges and create some concerns. The purpose of this article is to stimulate more discussion and research into these issues.