Blockchain technology is entering a new era, but there are limitations that must be overcome before decentralized archives can become mainstream.
Although decentralized blockchain technology is relatively new in the grand scheme, its decentralized nature can keep data and information from the hands of censors who seek to create a “safe and faultless” version history.
Blockchain is permissionless, and no one can actually own it. While we cannot save the Alexandria libraries from the past we can ensure that the future has all the tools it needs to preserve historical records.
We’ll be looking at the various ways that nonfungible tokens (NFTs) and blockchain technology can be used to keep archives, as well as the potential downsides and future prospects for blockchain-based storage systems.
Archives and NFTs
NFTs are used in many cases involving digital art. However, nonfungible tokens have a second side that is just beginning to be explored.
NFTs are a way to raise funds for archival development. However, it can be costly and time-consuming to maintain an archive.
Paco Rabanne, a fashion designer, is selling NFTs to support his brand and archive.
The technology can also be used to store information.
Archangel is a project at the University of Surrey that tested a trusted archive of digital public records. The university was able, from 2017 to 2019, to build a test blockchain archive storage platform that utilized distributed ledger technology (DLT), NFTs, and shifted “from a institutional underscoring trust to a technological underscoring trust.”
Cointelegraph reached Foteini Vaeonti, a researcher at University College London, and founder of USEUM Collectibles, an organization that advises museums, policymakers, and cultural organizations regarding NFTs, to discuss the role of blockchain in archives.
Valeonti stated that blockchain technology could be used by museums to “leverage the inherent capacity of provenance and metadata consolidation.” This will allow each museum exhibit to have a unique identifier that is shared across all institutions, projects, and all information systems. It can also be used to track who has it and when.
The family behind Hobby Lobby was found to have 17,000 stolen ancient Iraqi artifacts. This breach in security of ancient artifacts demonstrates that even during times of instability and war, anyone can steal cultural identity.
It was difficult to repatriate the stolen artifacts due to the poor cataloguing of cultural objects. Valeonti added:
“Keeping unique data could be helpful in solving many information science problems that the cultural heritage sector is currently facing.”
War records preservation
Propaganda that seeks to shift blame and claim certain events happened or not is a problem with digital media. People fall into a rabbithole of constant misinformation as propogandists attempt to invalidate those who live in war-torn areas.
There has been a major shift in how crypto and blockchain can help to preserve Ukrainian culture and record the experiences of war victims.
One decentralized project, the Meta History Museum, is keeping track of all events related to the ongoing war. They sell NFTs first to raise funds for war funds. Then, they showcase Ukrainian artists all over the globe. The money is then used to not only fund data collection but also to support Ukrainian troops. The Meta History Museum has raised so far 270.37 Ether or $611,953 as of the writing.
The Meta History Museum gathers tweets about events like bombings or shellings from war from Ukrainian officials.
Prevention of catastrophes
It is vital to have systems in place in wartime to protect those who are in danger. The Hala Sentry system is one such system. It records immutable data on Ethereum about instances of bomb threats, airstrike alarms and other events that could result in the death of thousands or even the destruction of entire cities.
This is done by providing an interface to data from sensors, human observers and strategic partners along with information from open-media. Even if certain events are not covered by news channels, anyone can see what’s happening.
The project was a modest success. According to the Hala Sentry system, “According to a preliminary analysis, the system reduced airstrikes’ lethality by approximately 20-30 percent in areas subjected to heavy bombardment in 2018”.
Is there a downside to this product?
Blockchain tech is still a new technology and has some difficulties in terms of its development. Scalability is a significant problem. There are also regulations that surround the space.
Valeonti stated that NFT technology, particularly when it comes to record keeping, is still in its infancy. She also said that most data stored at the moment is held in both centralized and decentralized storages. Archangel stated, “A central authority model simply doubles down institutionally on trust.”
Web3 and technology must continue to evolve to manage the huge amount of data and information required to enable decentralized archives to flourish. According to Valeonti Blockchain is not yet ready. It’s important to develop the technology first before you trust in barely used technology with valuable information.
Blockchain technology is not only trustworthy, but also more anthropologically driven. This is because copyright claims on artifacts have a stronger cultural presence than a museum’s usage of the artifact.
According a publication of the World Intellectual Property Organization, “Cultural Institutions, including museums and libraries, play an inestimable role in the preservation and safeguarding and promotion collections of indigenous or traditional cultures, like artifacts and photographs, sound recordings and films, among other things that document the lives of communities, cultural practices, and knowledge systems.”
These institutions have two main tasks: protect artifacts that are not theirs and, secondly, manage membership records, Internet tracking data, and other activities that collect personal information about patrons in compliance with privacy legislation. They also need to uphold any private agreements with those involved.
The National Museum of the American Indian, Sutherland, Maryland, offers private tours of its artifact collection. However, it only displays artifacts that have been approved by Native American tribes to allow the museum’s storage of their people’s past.
Valeonti stated, “A decentralized storage solution that would automatically make images and assets available to all would not work for the vast majority museums, which have restrictive copiesright policies either because other entities, e.g. artist estates, hold copyright onto their artifacts, or because they cannot afford to make their artifacts open access — e.g. can’t afford to lose image licensing revenues.”
A blockchain-based, decentralized storage system has another issue that crypto hodlers can relate too: the protection of private keys. Valeonti stated that the “critical barrier” to using a blockchain-based decentralized storage system is the inflexibility inherent in blockchain technology.
“If someone loses their passphrase without a central custodial platform all of their assets will be lost forever unless they use one.”
Who will control the seed phrase? Who will ensure that the seed phrase is in the correct hands? Valeonti also mentioned that there has been research suggesting potential solutions. However, it could be some time before we see such inventions live on the leading blockchains.
How to make this better
Regardless of how difficult an application may be, there are concrete ways that blockchain, DLT, and NFTs can be used to protect data, archives, and other information.
Valeonti said, “What museums are able to do is take part in these conversations and help shape Web3’s future.” She also suggested that cultural organizations must be at the forefront for the future, as technology changes rapidly, so must the world of museum records and archive storage.
Valeoti, along with her colleagues from UCL, are exploring the challenges of “robustness decentralized storage metadata consolidation and offchain metadata permanence” together with a UK national museum. This is a wonderful example of blockchain and museums working together to improve the way they use and utilize archives.
