Promoting Scientific Research on Blockchain Technology for the Benefit of Society
Latest updates
New Book: Blockchain and the Digital Economy
The book is written in a non-technical and accessible way and strives to demystify the functionalities of blockchains and their potential for a range of readers in the wider social sciences. It begins by explaining the key concepts of blockchain technology and presents an overview of the involved technical and economic elements.
Choosing a Distributed Ledger Technology
To conduct any IT project, it is greatly advantageous to rely on well documented software as well as software with active developer community. The development of a blockchain system is no exception to this, as the choice of a Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) with plenty of resources is advantageous.
Seal of approval of the Stifterverband 2020 – 2021
Our research activities have been honored by the Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft with the seal of approval "Innovativ durch Forschung". We would like to thank our employees for their commitment to explore the opportunities and limits of the blockchain technology and sharing their findings with society.
Research projects
The BRL is carrying out a series of research projects, some of which are listed here. The primary goal is to explore the implications of blockchain technology for society and to identify potentials, obstacles and recommendations for action.
Today’s product life cycles are complex and decentralized. It is often difficult to judge the sustainability of a product and its compliance with ecological and social standards. The DiBiChain project partners aim to develop a blockchain system that provides a digital replica of the product life cycle.
The project focuses on the topic of self-sovereign identities. It aims at creating and linking secure digital identities of things and people using the example of vehicles and their owners and users. The project addresses the area of conflict between process digitization and data and legal security.
What we do
The Blockchain Research Lab promotes independent science and research on blockchain technologies and the publication of the results in the form of scientific papers and contributions to conferences and other media. The BRL is a non-profit organisation aiming, on the one hand, to further the general understanding of the blockchain technology and, on the other hand, to analyse the resulting challenges and opportunities as well as their socio-economic consequences.
Why blockchain?
Blockchain technology has the potential to disrupt digital interaction in our economy and society. The technology’s rapid and dynamic technical development is driven by startups and incumbents alike, creating a myriad of applications across economic and societal domains. However, the implications of this potential new technological paradigm have not yet reached a broader public debate, nor have economic and societal implications been sufficiently addressed by academia.
What is blockchain?
The blockchain is a basic technology that allows values to be securely transferred directly between parties on the Internet. This can result in various advantages, such as higher efficiency by eliminating intermediaries, a higher level of transparency or the automation of processes by means of so-called smart contracts. The special combination of encryption, data verification and reconciliation mechanisms makes it virtually impossible for transactions to be subsequently manipulated or deleted.
Support the BRL
In order to create and maintain a superb research environment that facilitates independent and interdisciplinary research by our scientists and scholarship holders, as a non-profit organisation, the Blockchain Research Lab depends on your commitment. We welcome all donations that will help us to sustainably change business and society!