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Blockchain and the Historical Studies
 
PIIS278240120019373-3-1
DOI10.31696/S278240120019373-3
Publication type Article
Status Published
Authors
Nikolay Bystritskiy 
Occupation: Senior researcher; Head of the laboratory
Affiliation:
Department of history Lomonosov Moscow State University
Institute of Oriental Studies RAS
Address: Russian Federation,
Journal nameDigital Orientalia
EditionVolume 1 № 2
Pages33-47
Abstract

In our memory, last five years was inextricably linked with a boom in digital cryptocurrencies, based on blockchain concept. Such a socio-economic impact shows the role of emergent technologies in the contemporary social life. The potential of blockchain applications in the development of historical tools is discussed in the present study. Perspective options for using blockchain applications for various areas of historical research, such as historiography and source studies, archival and museum practice, history of science and archeology, are considered.

Keywordshistorical methodology, historical philosophy, historical applications, instumenta studiorum, Digital History, blockchain, token, trusted repository
Received25.03.2022
Publication date22.04.2022
Number of characters35977
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1 “History is a lantern to the future, which shines to us from the past”
2 Vasily Klyuchevskiy (1841–1911)
3 Introduction1 1. This article is a revised and expanded version of the 2016 study “Blockchain and History”, posted on Academia.edu [56].
4 Information technologies, which were rapidly developed in the second half of the 20th century and underlie basis of the third industrial revolution, continues changing the landscape of human civilization, transforming it into an information society [1; 2]. Today we can no longer operate without information resources; they have become our helpers, tools and toys. Moreover, every year their influence on human society becomes more obvious. In the elaboration of the topic, it would be useful to reflect on the impact of modern technological trends, not only on the course of history and the transformation of historical knowledge, but also on the emergence of inevitable innovations in historiography.
5 At present, “off-springs” of information society are beginning to penetrate even deeper into various spheres of our life, including such innovation as a blockchain. The concept of blockchain that appeared in 2008 was simply the base technology for servicing transactions of the Bitcoin cryptocurrency payment system; nevertheless today, it symbolizes a revolution in data storage and processing systems. By the degree of influence on public life, the implementation of the conceptual principles of the blockchain may prove to be no less crucial than the development of the Internet or the grass-roots usage of mobile communication, and lately smartphones [3]. “In the world of information technology, there have been five revolutions – the creation of computers, the creation of personal computers, the Internet, social networks services and blockchain” said German Gref, Head of Sberbank2. He is confident that the blockchain “will turn all industries without exception from agriculture, to banks, and ... also the state bodies”. What is so attractive about blockchain? 2. Such opinion shared Herman Gref, CEO, Chairman of the Executive Board of largest bank Sberbank in his speech on Business Breakfast named “Governments in the 4th Industrial Revolution: Ready, Willing and Able?” during annual session at the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 22, 2016 [57].
6 Blockchain concept
7 In the modern sense, “blockchain” (a chain of blocks) is a distributed information environment, which is per se storage of public data-records of all transactions made by its users. It is clear that it exists and operates purely in digital form. Information here is stored as a chain of data blocks, each of which contains information about a certain number of operations (interactions, transactions and communications). The main features of the blockchain are distribution, public transparency and mathematical authenticity.
8 The technological basis of the blockchain is an entirely new kind of database, which distributed store data in a network on digital devices of users. The principle of its operation is similar to peer-to-peer networks (familiar examples are torrents, Usenet, DC, Napster). Blocks registry is stored simultaneously on all system users’ devices and automatically updated to the current version with each new operation made [4, pp. 41–90]. Each user device not only has access to information about any operation that has ever occurred in the system, but also altogether acts as a collective notary, which confirms the verity of information in the database [5; 6]. According to the established strict mathematical rules, when a new public transaction data appears (the completion and confirmation of any operation or series of operations), at this moment a new block is added into the chain, which includes the necessary accounting information for this data. Each block is identified by a cryptographic signature (hash sum), which contains the time stamp and the signature of the previous block. It comes out that all the blocks in the chain are linked back, i.e. each block refers to the signature of the previous block, and thus, from any block it is possible to trace back the whole operation history is the entire chain towards the first block. Each block contains information about the entire previous network as a whole [7; 8].
9 This important effect of historicity has ensured that the technology of the blockchain is the initial guarantee of reliability, in view of the fact that any practical possibility of unauthorized add a fake block or replace an existing one is excluded, since it will immediately be seen in the entire distributed network. At the same time, the blockchain actualizes an immediate response to the change in its structure and protects information more reliably than any technology that was used before, accurately fixing the operation time and its authenticity [9, p. 95]. So, it turns out that fraud, attempts of external intervention or even pirates are practically excluded. Accessible to everyone and constantly – and in this sense, eternal – distributed ledger, provides the highest reliability of information storage and its transparency [10, p. 13].
10 According to experts, the blockchain seems to be a practical solution to the long-standing task of Byzantine generals, which was aimed to resolve the issue how a group of generals commanding the Byzantine army, could agree on a general offensive plan in case there would be some traitors among them [11]. In essence, such solution should resolve the problem of establishing trust between various parties connected through unreliable networks, such as the Internet. In this instance blockchain will actually become a technology of trust on the Internet [12]. Over time, blockchain can become a basic technology for ensuring a digital (informational) ecology [13], and especially one of its key elements – Internet of trust. Modern Internet resources for the most part contain unreliable or unverifiable data; the purpose of the reliable Internet is the prevalence of verified data related to their primary source. The close integration of the semantic web, implemented on the principles of Authority control, Linked Open Data (LOD), Hyperdata, with the services of the distributed registry of the blockchain will ensure future Internet of trust. “Blockchain allows you to build relationships with people and organizations that you do not trust, but remain confident that it is protected from any deception” pointed Marina Gureva, CEO in cyberFund and Deputy Director of the Innovation Center in the Higher School of Economics [14]. Such blockchain ability to eliminate the necessity for mutual trust between the parties and attracting the warrantor of the transaction as a trusted third party, has made it an indispensable technological basis for the implementation of Smart contracts – network procedures for automated execution of agreements reached3. Ultimately, the increasing decentralization of trust, inculcated by Blockchain, will lead to a transformation of the role of traditional institutions that have concentrated public trust – states and large trusts. The specialists figuratively compare the blockchain with a glass safe, say, of heavy-duty glass, in which every registered user can put anything. Any other users can see exactly what is there. But only the owner of an object or the person to whom such rights are delegated, i.e. owner of certain access rights, can take something from the safe or change it. More precisely, a certain key is known only to those for whom it is intended. Of course, it is impossible to crack or break the safe. An alternative analog is a unified but locally kept by each user log or diary, where he makes his notes that immediately appear in the diaries of others. However, this “magic diary” is written in some incomprehensible language, resembling the Voynich Manuscript4, and has magic (mathematical) medium that allow users to see all the text, but read the lines only for which they are intended. All the others, including the magicians (service owners and administrators) can not add or change anything there. 3. Smart contract is a contract that exists in the form of a program code that ensures the autonomy and self-fulfilment of the terms of such a contract upon the occurrence of conditions specified in it. The implementation of smart contracts requires a decentralized digital environment of the blockchain, which provides trust and completely excludes the human factor; also for the transfer of value in a smart contract it requires a cryptocurrency [58; 59]. This can be the executor of contracts of various kinds, from simple persuasion between friends, to large corporate deals. Because the smart contract is tied to fulfilment of a condition, it is automatically carried out with the transaction and eliminates the need for a third party to verify – notary, lawyer or financier.

4. The Voynich manuscript – an illuminated codex, composed on 240 pages of fine parchment and written, presumably in the first half of the 15th century by an unknown author, once belonged to the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II. The manuscript contains illustrations and coded text, in an unknown language, which is still not possible to decipher.

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