Northern Nevada counties are using blockchain to store digital versions of birth certificates, marriage certificates, and other government records. It’s just one more way this online ledger, known for securing virtual currencies like bitcoin, is replacing paper… and people.
The Reno Gazette-Journal reported that between April and December 2018, Washoe County delivered 950 secure digital marriage certificates to home computers and smartphones. (A convenient option for the many out-of-towners who flock to Reno to tie the knot.) Elko County, meanwhile, is testing the technology to record certified birth certificates. Blockchain makes it possible for recipients to receive marriage or birth certificates in less than 24 hours via email versus waiting a week or longer. And digital records can be used over and over again, unlike paper copies that are used only once.
Experts predict that the number digital certificates processed in the U.S. per year could at least match the billions of paper records that get a certificate or embossed seal. As such, government staff and office workers will soon find themselves displaced by kiosks. Governments will continue to collect the fees but will no longer have the overhead of clerical labor.
What other uses, beyond virtual currencies and public records, might there be for blockchain?