“Blockchain? What’s that? Is that a new keyfob technology for smart homes?” you may ask. Despite its rising relevance, very few know about this technology. Let’s just say Bitcoin couldn’t have born without blockchain. In layman’s terms, blockchain is a technology that stores information in a decentralized way, distributing it evenly among a network of private computers. The main advantage of the system is that you cannot take down or corrupt the information, since it’s backed up with several sources. As we mentioned earlier, Bitcoin’s secured cryptocurrency system is based on this technology, but there are other implementations as well, such as an independent dating network created by the users themselves.
But what’s the relationship between blockchain and home automation? Well, the Internet of Things plays an ever increasing role in our lives, which means that more and more devices are linked together. On the front of home security, it allows your home security system to be fully managed remotely from your smartphone, while the camera system streams live footage right to your browser. And don’t get us started on all the smart devices that already use the internet to make our everyday life easier.
Intelligent thermostats, smart lightings are just the beginning, and the smart refrigerator, smart washing machine and smart bed are set to make even the small things in life more convenient and pleasant. However, traditional cloud-based connections are full of security holes. Insecure cloud servers and unencrypted communication are just the tip of the iceberg, but weak passwords, improper authentication and the neglect of TLS (transport layer security) are also serious problems.
Blockchain elevates home automation and home security to whole new level by solving these problems. Companies, such as Froglabs already experimented with the idea, and they found out that switching to a blockchain-based system not only improved the safety regarding IoT accounts and password management, but it also made the login process faster and more user-friendly. According to them, we’ll see the technology implemented in about 2-3 years.
But there is much more to this technology that we currently see. Another initiative called ADEPT uses a decentralized system in order to maintain secure transactions and self-maintenance on smart household items. They tested the platform on a smart washing machine, enabling it to use bitcoins to order detergents when supplies are running out, and even negotiate the best deal by following the owner’s instructions. It seems that in the future, IoT services and blockchain will go hand in hand.
Share your thoughts, ask questions, and connect with other users. Your feedback helps our community make better decisions.
©2012-2025 Best Reviews, a clovio brand –
All rights
reserved
