Blockchain technology has been surrounded by a lot of hype, which has piqued the interest of many business leaders, but it has also raised concerns about blockchain issues and vulnerabilities.

A rising number of businesses have expressed an interest in entering the blockchain sector. However, after focusing for a long time on the advantages of blockchain in terms of speed, cost, streamlined processes, and enhanced efficiency, their focus has shifted to the numerous issues and bottlenecks that are blocking wider implementation.

At its most basic level, blockchain refers to peer-to-peer distributed ledger technology that can efficiently and permanently record transactions between two parties, allowing for tracking and traceability. This new technology has game-changing potential for a wide range of applications, far beyond its cryptocurrency roots.

When it comes to implementing blockchain, most businesses encounter the same challenges. Knowing what the challenges are, could be the first step toward conquering them and moving forward on the path to success.

Here are the main challenges of blockchain adoption and how to avoid them

Lack of adoption by other companies

Blockchains are ecosystems that rely on widespread adoption to function properly. For example, track-and-trace capabilities in supply chains would necessitate not only an organization’s adoption of a blockchain network but also those of its suppliers. Studies show that not so many firms are experimenting with blockchain or have fully implemented it. The effectiveness and scalability of blockchains will be restricted until they are widely adopted.

However, there are reasons to be positive about blockchain adoption. Organizations are increasingly organizing collaborative blockchain working groups to address common pain points and build solutions that benefit everyone without revealing private data.

Blockchain has an image issue

Blockchain has an issue with its image. In the perceptions of many, blockchain is too closely associated with cryptocurrency. Crypto, in particular, has a bad reputation due to the fact that it is associated with fraudsters and hackers who use the technology for illegal purposes. This bad rep reflects poorly on the blockchain technology system as a whole, making individuals reconsider their decision to use it.

Members of the public must comprehend the differences between bitcoins, other cryptocurrencies, and blockchain before widespread acceptance can occur. It’s important to remember that cryptocurrencies are just one of many uses for blockchain technology. This will help to eliminate the technology’s occasionally negative consequences and may lead to a greater willingness to use it.

Meanwhile, a rising number of collaborative blockchain efforts in numerous industries have emerged to bring greater change. This type of interdependence could be the key to progress.

Integration with legacy systems

There’s also the issue of how to integrate blockchain with traditional systems, which is a difficulty for businesses. In most cases, organizations must entirely reorganize their old system or devise a mechanism to successfully connect the two technologies if they choose to adopt blockchain.

The good news is that technologies that allow older systems to connect to a blockchain backend have recently emerged. For example, a solution could be a product that enables people with no prior knowledge of technology to take advantage of the benefits of blockchain technology while avoiding the risks associated with the loss of sensitive data.

Lack of people with the necessary skills to use the technology

Blockchain is still a relatively new technology, and the skills required to develop and use it are in short supply.  For quite some time, the market for blockchain expertise has been very competitive. The cost and complexity of acquiring talent in this area further add to enterprises’ concerns about implementing blockchain and integrating it with older systems.

One approach to bridge the skills gap is to employ blockchain as a service (BaaS), which allows businesses to benefit from the technology without having to spend heavily on the technical capabilities required. Another solution is to outsource software development to a third-party company that has experience with blockchain technology.

Lack of trust among users

Another obstacle to widespread adoption is a lack of trust among blockchain users. This issue has two sides to it: Organizations may have doubts about the technology’s security, as well as the trustworthiness of other participants in a blockchain network.

The blockchain considers every transaction to be secure, private and verified. This is true even though because the network is decentralized, there is no central authority to confirm and verify the transactions.

The consensus algorithms that drive universal agreement about the current state of the distributed ledger for the whole network are a critical component of any blockchain network. Business leaders have found that private blockchains, which have no known users, have a higher level of confidence.

Financial resources

Another impediment to broad blockchain implementation is a lack of financial resources. Blockchain implementation is not cheap, and many businesses’ resources have been already stretched due to the pandemic. Another takeaway from the pandemic is that firms, particularly IT departments, may transform far more quickly than previously imagined.

A closer look at this issue reveals that it stems from a lack of organizational knowledge and comprehension of blockchain. We’ve seen that as public awareness of new technologies grows, so does the ability to successfully make a business case for their adoption.

Blockchain interoperability

As more businesses use blockchain, many of them will build their own systems, each with its own set of features (governance rules, blockchain technology versions, consensus models, etc.). These disparate blockchains do not interact with one another, and there is currently no universal model that enables them to do so.

The capacity to share, see, and access information across different blockchain networks without the use of a middleman or central authority is referred to as blockchain interoperability. Because of the absence of interoperability, mass adoption may be extremely difficult.

Interoperability for blockchain will be vital in a post-pandemic business world where collaboration across departments, suppliers, and customers is crucial. It’s the only way to ensure that businesses get the most out of their blockchain investments. The good news is that lately, we’ve seen an increase in the number of interoperability projects aimed at bridging the gap between different blockchains over the past year. Many of them are focused on narrowing the gap between private networks and public blockchains. 

Looking ahead

It would be naive to believe that these blockchain issues aren’t substantial barriers to adoption. In general, though, many of blockchain’s major obstacles are common to any new technology’s bumps in the road. Blockchain advocates will need to persuade their businesses to take the types of risks, develop the kinds of relationships, and make the kinds of compromises that are customary in other industries in order to prove the business case for adoption.

Blockchain can be a strong solution once implemented, given the benefits that businesses are already reaping from it and the growing demand for visibility and openness across and between companies.

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More to read:

How Blockchain Technology can Improve your Business

Beyond Cryptocurrency. The Advantages of Blockchain for Other Industries