Blockchain is being touted as a game changing development—a disrupter or innovator (depending on your view) that will transform how industries conduct business. One thing is clear, what started as the foundation for Bitcoin has evolved well beyond cryptocurrency into a process that has the potential to impact many companies—including electric cooperatives.
What does this really mean for the utility sector? Are there beneficial uses, and if so, what are the legal implications or impediments to making blockchain an everyday reality? Will blockchain be the downfall of the industry, or will it help to reduce costs and streamline processes? Can and should it be embraced by cooperatives?