Netherlands is moving towards blockchain technology at governmental level. According to the Dutch Blockchain Coalition, the Netherlands presents its first national blockchain research agenda. Dutch Blockchain Coalition Ambassador, Rob van Gijzel was the one in charge of presenting the agenda.

Dutch Blockchain Agenda

Even when blockchain is just being developed, and there is yet a lot to do with the technology, the Netherlands is a leader country in Europe when its going about distributed ledger technology (DLT).

There are three key areas that have been outlined in the research agenda:

Trust in the institutions and civil society embracing blockchain technology and in the technological dependability.

Sustainability due to the energy costs related with the implementation of DLT.

Governance related on how to manage the technology evolution.

The document presented explains that relevant parties in the Netherlands, including science colleges, universities and other research institutions, can schedule their research activities regarding blockchain issues. The agenda will serve as source of inspiration for those who are investing in DLT – including the government.

Prof. dr. J.C. van de Pol commented:

“This research agenda for blockchain is unique in taking its starting point in responsible science and aims at designing a technology for society, based on shared public values. The overarching concerns – trust, sustainability, governance – lead to a wide variety of research questions, which are now put on the agenda in a single coherent vision.”

Dutch Blockchain Pilots

This is not the first time that we hear about Netherlands investing in Blockchain technology. Back in January, we heard that the Dutch government was exploring different blockchain solutions for different governmental areas.

As of November 2017, there were more than 30 active projects in many institutions around the country.

During a Blockchain Symposium in Singapore, Koen Lukas Hartog, Manager of the Program Blockchain Pilots, commented: