Blockchain afterparty (opens in new tab)

The speculation has burned off. Most of what got built is gone or forgotten - the party's over. What's left with us is after-party landscape, sticky floor and the broken bottles. But these sobering moments, once the hangover sets in, are exactly when the questions bite sharp. So it's a good moment to ask: what was blockchain technology for in the first place? The answer most people reach for is "removing middlemen." But that's an answer to a smaller question. To see what blockchain is really ...