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Can Blockchain Help with Gun Registries

Research Overview

Author: Rob Klein
Release Date: June 2, 2020

Abstract:

Countries with universal background checks and gun registries experience significantly fewer gun-related deaths. As a highly encrypted, tamper-resistant, and decentralized database, distributed ledger technology has the potential to serve as a distributed registry of guns. DLT could allow gun buyers to prove a lack of a criminal record (the equivalent of a background check) without giving up personal information. This survey of the blockchain landscape highlights several start-ups such as VeriTransfer and BitRail that are experimenting with DLT to do for firearms provenance what other blockchain innovators have done with food, cannabis, and pharmaceuticals without impeding the rights of legitimate gun owners.

 

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Blockchain Gun Registries

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