In this series, we look at what we mean by showstoppers in the context of blockchain implementation. Showstoppers are simply obstacles to the development and widespread adoption of blockchain technology. They are also risks to the decentralised control and openness of blockchain. Many critics have attributed the showstoppers as the elements that can justify the halt in the widespread adoption of blockchain technology.

If we look back at the history of disruptive technology, we see many examples of innovations gone bad. Their inventors were attempting to solve a problem plaguing humankind. But innovations like big ideas can be twisted or applied in ways their inventors never intended. New technology can be used for good and for evil. You probably heard such warnings about the Bitcoin blockchain too. People would say beware as it is used for drug trafficking, money laundering and Ponzi schemes. Sure, these are real concerns. So, how do we keep dark forces from co-opting or crushing blockchain's potential? Many publications on NODO have already looked at the numerous promises of this technology. In the coming series of articles, we will shine the spotlight on 10 showstoppers:

The technology is not ready for prime-time
The energy consumed is unsustainable
Governments will stifle or twist it
Powerful incumbents of the old paradigm will usurp it
The incentives are inadequate
Blockchain is a job killer
Governing the protocols
Distributed autonomous agents
Privacy
Criminals will use it

Understanding them is half the battle. As you follow along, you may even be tempted to dismiss blockchain because of these showstoppers. But are these really reasons that blockchain is a bad idea? Or should we see them as implementation challenges to be overcome? I think it is the latter.

As you go through the series of articles, I encourage you to reframe the showstoppers as important problems to solve, and you can help solve them. You can collaborate and put your ingenuity to work here as we transition into the second era of the Internet.

Up next, we look at the first showstopper, the sheer difficulty of using blockchain right now.