Distributed ledger technology – or blockchain – has the potential to put control of personal information back in the hands of the individual , rather than centralised corporations , which are increasingly vulnerable to cyber attacks , according to Michael Mainelli , executive chairman of distributed ledger company Z / A Group . Writing in the Harvard Business Review , he cited the Estonian model of using blockchain to create e - kaarts , a secure payment system that has proved popular with the public . None of these nation’s systems have proven to be a practical, reliable way to protect and prove our identities. He said a decentralised identity database could also give people the right to sell to , or withdraw their personal information from third parties , as they saw fit .
Distributed ledger technology – or blockchain – has the potential to put control of personal information back in the hands of the individual , rather than centralised corporations , which are increasingly vulnerable to cyber attacks , according to Michael Mainelli , executive chairman of distributed ledger company Z / A Group . Writing in the Harvard Business Review , he cited the Estonian model of using blockchain to create e - kaarts , a secure payment system that has proved popular with the public . He said a decentralised identity database could also give people the right to sell to , or withdraw their personal information from third parties , as they saw fit .