Being a typically busy student there is nothing worse than making time for a visit at the ‘Kreisverwaltungsreferat’ – the German townhall. Which I had to do this week. Opening hours from 8 – 12 am, a booking system with no free time slots for the next four weeks and long queues at the desks await you.
1. What is the Pain Point?
- The job that I had to get done is quite simple: Getting a copy of my passport, an English test and my Bachelor’s certificate certified for an application which doesn’t accept simple copies. At the townhall a service employee copied the original documents and stamped them with an official seal and signed it. This counts as proof to the other party that these copies are authentic and legitimate. Just to give you a number: a standard certification costs the citizen about 5 €, not speaking of the immense cost on personnel at the townhall. However, English documents can’t be certified at a German townhall, meaning they must be translated by an official institution which is authorised. But that’s a whole other story…
2. How could this Pain Point be reduced or eliminated in a blockchain-world?
- A blockchain solution could make the whole process redundant. Universities, institutions and public functions could issue verified certificates which could easily be accessed with a private key. There is no risk of counterfeit records as the blockchain operates tamper-proof; it is resistant to manipulation. What’s more, it does not require an intermediary (in this example the townhall) which reduces bureaucratic costs for all parties. Especially in Munich where capacities at city offices don’t meet the demand for services the blockchain solution would have an immense impact.
Worldwide availability without notary certification and without expensive shipping of original documents would be made possible.
Do you like the idea? #upvote
Looking forward to your votes and comments!
#LifewithBlockchain #Blockchain #TUM #Future #Technology
Thanks to Benjamin Pabst von Ohain (@benpvo) and Pascal Mehrwald (@pascalmehrwald) for the intro!