This sounds like the type of social impact that the blockchain pioneers were talking about when they designed the technology. Just as Syria has gotten the world’s attention for a suspected horrific chemical attack on its citizens, refugees who have fled the war-torn nation for refuge in bordering Jordan have stumbled upon a humanitarian program using cutting-edge blockchain technology to keep their data private. It’s dubbed Building Blocks, and it’s been developed by the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) alongside some industry partners.
The story is told by MIT Technology Review, which spotlights the Azraq Refugee camp comprised of tens of thousands of fleeing Syrians who have made a Jordanian settlement home just miles from the Syrian border where they left their fear-filled lives behind. The refugees are part of a project involving a “private fork of the Ethereum blockchain” in which they “redeem their WFP-provided assistance” for daily transactions at retailers with blockchain technology and their personal data is being kept secure.
For example, the MIT Tech story gives the example of one refugee who visits the local Jordanian supermarket, where he pays for his transaction basically by providing a selfie with the camera at checkout. It’s called “EyePay” because the i mage of his eyes identify him.