Crypto Coffee

Blockchains have more to offer the world than trade in cryptocurrencies – the technology may even be able to help the world’s poorest coffee farmers get a better deal

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There is little about the coffee supply chain that could be described as technologically advanced. From hand-picking coffee cherries in the field to roasting coffee in “large tumble dryers” (as Matt Perger described roasters at a recent talk in London), coffee has been slow on the digital uptake. But we are now at the edge of a revolution that could change the lives of everyone, from farmers to consumers, and it’s all built on blockchains.

You may have heard of blockchains thanks to the rise of cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin. A blockchain is a secure ledger based that helps decentralise trade and allows for direct transactions without the need for banks. Each computer on a network holds a constantly updating ledger that is validated by all the other computers and their ledgers, guaranteeing any and all transactions are legitimate. All of this is held together with high levels of cryptography.