Blockchain technology could allow developers a simple way of outsourcing security. For example, instead of creating secure IoT devices and networks, much of the heavy lifting could be effectively offloaded to the blockchain, freeing up resources on the clients side and speeding up development.

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So what on earth arePaul from IBMandDominic from Boschdoing in the saloon, dressed like Marty McFly in Back to the Future III?

Both, Bosch and IBM, are looking into ways of harnessing blockchain technology as part of their Internet-of-Things (IoT) development programs. They are not alone either remember Microsoft? A few days after Microsoft made itsoriginal bitcoin announcement, the company said it was also interested in the technology behind bitcoin for distributed, connected devices (or IoT devices).

Blockchain technology works, plainly and simply, even in its bitcoin incarnation.

While it is usually described as a cryptocurrency, digital currency, or virtual currency with no intrinsic value, Bitcoin is a little more than that.

While it is theoretically possible to compromise or hijack the network through a so-called51% attackthe sheer size of the network and resources needed to pull off such an attack make it practically unfeasible. Unlike many bitcoin-based businesses, the blockchain network has proven very resilient. This is the result of a number of factors, mainly including a large investment in the bitcoin mining industry.

So what about that potential? Is anyone taking blockchain technology seriously?

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Bitcoin and blockchain technology are certainly out there, and some developers view them as the next frontier. Developing a use case for bitcoin and blockchain technology applications could prove profitable in the long run, and many are eager to enter the space.

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All confirmed transactions are embedded in the bitcoin blockchain. Use of SHA-256 cryptography ensures the integrity of the blockchain applications all transactions must be signed using a private key or seed, which prevents third parties from tampering with it. Transactions are confirmed by the network within 10 minutes or so and this process is handled by bitcoin miners. Mining is used to confirm transactions through a shared consensus system, and usually requires several independent confirmations for the transaction to go through. This process guarantees random distribution and makes tampering very difficult.

Bitcoin spent the next few years languishing, viewed as nothing more than another internet curiosity reserved for geeks and crypto-enthusiasts. Bitcoin eventually gained traction within several crowds. The different groups had little to nothing in common ranging from the gathering fans, to black hat hackers, anarchists, libertarians, and darknet drug dealers; and eventually became accepted by legitimate entrepreneurs and major brands like Dell, Microsoft, and Newegg.

Shutterstock – Stock illustration ID: 495741676 by By Zapp2Photo

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The elusive goal for all blockchain developers is to make the technology just as seamless and unobtrusive as internet protocols. For example, how many people realize they are using TCP/IP every time they start browsing the net? This is the ultimate goal to make the use of blockchain technology invisible to the end user. Blockchain technology can become yet another layer added to various products and services in order to provide more functionality and security, while saving resources and developer man-hours.

The technology is out there, it works, its free, and a lot of smart people are tinkering with it. However, so far these alternate blockchain applications have ranged from practical jokes to small experimental projects. The fledgling technology is still in its infancy, and this is to be expected.

The potential is more or less obvious. Decentralizing trust is a big thing, allowing the creation of vast, secure networks without a single point of failure. You can think of them as an additional layer of the internet, a layer that can be used for authentication, signage, secure communications and content distribution, financial transactions and much more.

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So what is blockchain?Bitcoin blockchainis the technology backbone of the network and provides a tamper-proof data structure, providing a shared public ledger open to all. The mathematics involved are impressive, and the use of specialized hardware to construct this vast chain of cryptographic data renders it practically impossible to replicate.

Forbesrecently looked into the matter and made a bold prediction the business magazine concluded that based on how blockchain technology works, it would likely break free from bitcoin to power distributed apps sometime this year.

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Samsung is on board as well, and the Korean consumer electronics giant showed off blockchain tech at CES 2015, alongside IBM.

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This is why we wont waste much time on the basics the bitcoin protocol, proof-of-work, the economics of bitcoin mining, or the way the bitcoin network functions. Plenty of resources are available online, and implementing support for bitcoin payments is easily within the realm of the smallest app developer, let alone heavyweights like Microsoft.

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Throw an unregulated, pseudo-anonymous currency into the mix and you have the qualifications for a proper gold rush, backed by speculators and venture capitalists. Selling shovels is the best way to make money in a gold rush, and the bitcoin mining industry has that aspect covered too. It all sounds a bit like a Wild West Boomtown, with trigger-happy whisky guzzling outlaws on the prowl for a quick buck certainly not an environment for the faint of heart.

There are already thousands of developers and dozens of companies experimenting with blockchain applications, but we have yet to see large scale projects built around blockchain technology that are not bitcoin or altcoin related. IoT could bring blockchain technology to the masses.Research firm IDCexpects the user base to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.5% this decade, with up to 28.1 billion IoT devices in the wild by 2020, and revenue passing the $7 trillion mark the same year.

Paul Brody (@pbrody)January 7, 2015

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Like most good stories, the bitcoin saga begins with a creation myth. The open-source cryptocurrency protocol was published in 2009 by Satoshi Nakamoto, an anonymous developer (or group ofbitcoin developers) hiding behind this alias. The true identity of Satoshi Nakamoto has not been revealed yet, although the concept traces its roots back to the cypher-punk movement; and theres no shortage of speculative theories across the web regarding Satoshis identity.

Its simple they are both getting a head start!

Blockchain technology works, plainly and simply, even in its bitcoin incarnation. A cryptographic blockchain could be used to digitally sign sensitive information, and decentralize trust; along with being used to develop smart contracts and escrow services, tokenization, authentication, and much more.Blockchain technologyhas countless potential applications, but thats the problem the potential has yet to be realized. Accepting bitcoin payments for Xbox in-game content or a notebook battery doesnt even come close.

Microsoft recently became the latest big name to officially associate with Bitcoin, thedecentralized virtual currency. However, the Redmond company did not go all out, and will only support bitcoin payments on certain content platforms, making up a tiny fraction of its business.

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Bitcoin is a technology, and therein lies its potential value.

In fact, many bitcoin developers are already working on so-called bitcoin 2.0 or bitcoin 3.0 projects. These often have little to do with the original concept, although they usually use some sort of token currency.Ethereumis one example it is built around blockchain technology, but the emphasis is on smart contracts rather than surrogate currencies. IBM and Samsung are employing Ethereum for their IoT projects. Some of the same people involved in Ethereum development are working on another project, dubbedStorj, a fully distributed peer-to-peer cloud storage network with end-to-end encryption.