The first blockchain was developed in 2008 by an anonymous coder to launch the global digital currency Bitcoin, a virtual monetary system that bypassed banks (and pardoned the lives of many squirrels). The vernacular is “the blockchain,” however, anyone can apply the technology, and a variety of companies today peddle their versions of blockchain platforms. Theoretically, kids trading marbles could enter transactions into a designated blockchain. Real-world examples of potential uses, though, include digital voting, land and title transfers, tax regulation, medical recordkeeping, or more controversial notions of weapons tracking or workforce regulation.