Blockchain’s system of distributed ledgers for transactional data is becoming a platform technology for enabling continued innovation in the same way that consumer network routers did during the first internet boom. While blockchain technology applies to a wide range of applications including the “internet of things” — cryptocurrencies (digital assets) and initial coin offerings have been drawing a lot of attention as it lowers the barrier for entry to demographics otherwise challenged by traditional paths to business success.

“I believe that, especially for women that are looking to get into investment and get back in the earlier stage of things, I think ICOs … are a huge opportunity for them to really change up the venture world,” said Amanda Coolong (pictured), chief content officer and board co-chair of Women in Technology International, or WITI, a worldwide authority on women in STEM that advocates women’s contributions to the tech industry, inspires them to pursue STEM careers, and actively guides corporate partners to build workplace cultures of inclusiveness and equality

Coolong spoke with John Furrier (@furrier), host of theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s mobile livestreaming studio, during the Samsung Developers Conference in San Francisco, California. They discussed applications where Coolong thinks blockchain can add the most value.

Blockchain applications in IoT

The underlying blockchain technology enabling cryptocurrencies can be extended into a number industries, ranging from supply chain management to healthcare technology. Any IoT system with multiple connected devices generating transactional data would highly benefit from blockchain’s distributed ledger system, according to Coolong.

“I keep going back to [blockchain’s] marriage with IoT … the ledger-based technology and just being able to do anything transactional,” Coolong explained.

As the focus of the consumer technology shifts to IoT, a lot of emphasis has been placed securing the new devices being brought online. Blockchain-based security schemes may offer a solution to address these security challenges, Coolong added. 

“I think that’s a big question we’re going to see popping up a lot, because the security piece is going to be a very valuable piece to all of this, especially when you’re looking at edge computing too and data being passed back and forth between the edge,” Coolong concluded.

Watch the complete video interview below, and be sure to check out more of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s coverage of the Samsung Developer Conference.

Photo: SiliconANGLE