This common sense and practical framework is designed to assist executives in understanding whether blockchain is an appropriate and helpful tool for their business needs. It starts from the premise that blockchain is merely a technology – much like many others that are already used in society – and like other technologies it is as much about change management and careful attention to the economics and business models of industries and companies involved as it is about technology evangelism. For any organisation, blockchain technology should not be a goal in itself but a tool deployed to achieve specific purposes.

This toolkit is based on real-world experience of blockchain in a variety of projects across a variety of industries that have been analysed by Imperial College London to develop an initial framework. The framework has been reviewed and further developed by members of the 2017 World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Blockchain and has been trialled through a variety of means, including with global chief executive officers (CEOs) at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2018 in Davos-Klosters. Over the coming months, the World Economic Forum’s Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, in partnership with various institutions, will be releasing customized versions of this toolkit focused on specific sectors and use cases.

Report by the World Economic Forum