Blade Labs, May 22, 2024
Streamline, Automate, Innovate: Retail Businesses & Riding the Web3 Wave
When it comes to gaining a competitive advantage in Retail, early adoption of new and emerging technology can help propel your performance levels. In 2024 the rapid adoption and advancements in Web3 open up a whole new realm of possibilities for engagement, community building and customer loyalty rewards than ever! More areas of our lives than we ever would have imagined have truly seen the rise of AI. Discos on the moon, driverless cars, and robot maids don’t seem so far-fetched anymore, do they?
Web3 is the relatively new kid on the technology block, emphasising decentralisation, security, and total user control, it’s triggered a paradigm shift in how we use the internet for business. It’s not only about NFTs, cryptocurrencies, and the sometimes-flappable “bro culture” that surrounds them; it’s about using cutting edge technology to transform a wide range of businesses globally.
From corporate finance to sell out gigs, Web3 has the potential to streamline processes, automate tasks, and solve age-old problems in all parts of society. So what exactly is Web3, and why should we care?
Say you need to transfer money to a colleague or partner overseas, a daily occurrence for many business owners and stakeholders. Gone are the days of dusty old banks that take weeks to process things and a bank teller that would rather just not be there. Instead, you use a decentralised finance (DeFi) platform powered by Web3. Through smart contracts, your transaction is executed instantly and securely, cutting out the middlemen and reducing fees. That is just scratching the surface though. With programmable money, you can automate recurring payments, manage investments, and even create custom financial instruments tailored to your business needs. Web3 doesn’t just change how we handle money; it redefines what money can do.
Supply Chain Management, regardless of your area of expertise, is a delicate balance of chaos and coordination, where one wrong move can lead to a domino effect of disaster. In the world of SCM, transparency and traceability are paramount. Enter Web3. By utilising this new technology, companies can create water tight records of every step in the supply chain, from raw materials to finished products. This not only helps prevent fraud and counterfeiting, which is at an all time high, but also allows for real-time tracking and authentication.
Farming & Food supply: Imagine scanning a QR code on a product and instantly accessing its entire journey, from the farm it was grown on, or factory it was built in, straight to your hands. With Web3, supply chains become more efficient, trustworthy, and eco-friendly, and all controlled from the palm of your hand.
Healthcare is another industry ripe for disruption. With Web3, patient data can be stored securely on, giving individuals full control over who accesses their information, as well as that all important anonymity. Your healthcare data is so sensitive and it is completely fair that you would want to keep it from prying eyes or simply someone you’ve just met knowing your life history. Using Web3 not only ensures privacy, but also facilitates interoperability between different healthcare providers. So for example the age old disconnect between Healthcare providers nationally and internationally simply no longer exists.
Insurance: Web3 can automate insurance claims, reducing administrative overhead and preventing fraud. Additionally, decentralised clinical trials powered by Web3 enable researchers to gather data more efficiently while ensuring patient confidentiality. The result? Faster, more reliable healthcare for everyone and a far easier life for doctors, nurses, admin departments and everyone in between.
Property: Buying, selling, and renting property can be a complex and bureaucratic process. Web3 aims to change that too. Through tokenization, real estate assets can be divided into digital shares and traded on decentralised marketplaces. This opens up investment opportunities to a wider audience while reducing barriers to entry on to the property ladder. We can also automate rental agreements, ensuring that payments are made on time and disputes are resolved fairly. And with Web3-based property records, the risk of fraud and title disputes is greatly reduced. Web3 makes real estate transactions faster, more transparent, and more accessible.
Sports: The sporting world is also being taken by storm. Karate Combat is kicking its way into the limelight as a combat sport sensation, reaching audiences in over 100 countries through streaming and broadcasting. And, with the Blade web3-powered Karate Combat app, as a sporting example, the excitement goes through the roof. Fans can tune in to live-streaming matches, cast their votes for their favourite fighters, and even get in on the action themselves by joining fantasy karate leagues organised by Karate Combat’s licensees. It’s like stepping into the ring without breaking a sweat!
Fighters themselves can get compensated for their performances in tokens, ensuring a secure and transparent system. Plus, sponsors can show some love to fans by using tokens to reward their loyalty and dedication to Karate Combat. It’s a win-win for everyone involved and there’s no reason this couldn’t work in any sport on earth. It creates loyalty that in some sports doesn’t exist whilst building a community, and that is something that is hard to find in such a fast-moving society.
Live Events: Ticket touting is a problem the music industry faces everyday, and one in which is becoming somewhat of a thorn in the side of promoters, musicians and fans alike. Take the most recent Taylor Swift/Ticketmaster saga, where parents woke up to find their kids had been charged well into the thousands, in some cases for just one ticket!
With Web 3 technology, we could kiss those inflated prices goodbye. Picture a decentralised ticketing system powered by Blade Labs, where tickets are securely issued and verified. Sounds too good to be true, but it’s more than possible! No more sleepless nights before general sale, worrying about bots snatching up all the tickets or scalpers reselling them at outrageous prices. Smart contracts could ensure fair pricing, keeping tickets affordable for all and ensuring the money goes to where it’s supposed to – the artist. It’s like a dream come true for every fan who just wants to enjoy the show without breaking the bank. Say goodbye to ticket touting and hello to stress-free ticket buying.
Or take Glastonbury in the UK, where festival goers complain about needing to input their life history and share sensitive information in order to be even considered for tickets. Decentralised identity solutions could enable Glastonbury to verify ticket holders without compromising their privacy, further enhancing the security and efficiency of ticketing systems and all the while remaining sustainable as no paper changes hands.
Overall, leveraging Web 3 technology could revolutionise the ticketing industry generally, not just in music, making it more transparent, secure, and accessible for everyone. At a time where we all truly appreciate the thrill of live entertainment due to losing it for some time, we can ensure you’re front row and stress free.
In conclusion, Web3 is not just a passing buzzword; it’s a game-changer. By incorporating this technology into various industries, businesses can streamline processes, automate tasks, and solve problems that have plagued them for years and, in turn, revolutionise the way their industry works in a way which makes life easier, while also being more productive. From finance to healthcare to entertainment, the possibilities really are endless. It might be a daunting first step into this new world, but one that will see you at the forefront of where all industries are headed.
So, whether you’re a startup looking to disrupt the status quo or an established company seeking to stay ahead of the curve, now is the time to embrace the power of Web3 with Blade, and ride the wave. It’s the future after all.
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