The Blocksafe project aims to create blockchain-based network managing smart guns, to make sure the gun will be used only by its owner, and to monitor weapons in real time, while maintaining owner’s privacy.

A Blocksafe-powered smart gun, according to the project, will be equipped with smartlocks and devices enabling gun owners to monitor their weapons and control their use. Only the owner or an authorised person will be able to fire the gun after a Bluetooth authentication through a Blocksafe app. If another person tries to use the gun, the network would notify the owner of this attempt. The location of the gun will also be shown. Besides, after any such attempt or after each shot the gun will encrypt all relevant information on a blockchain.

Kevin Barnes, a military veteran and leader of the project, believes that Blocksafe-powered smart guns will have plenty of uses. First of all, they would greatly reduce risks of a gun being stolen or being used against the gun owner. Such guns can also be used by police chiefs and security companies to monitor the activity of their employees and by instructors in training centres and firing ranges to analyse shooting patterns and firing history. The police would arrive quicker since a smart gun can notify them in real time that a shot occurred.

However, the main goal of the network is, acсording to Barnes, to preempt the creation of a government-run centralised network of smart guns. According to him, the governments are tempted to use new technologies to control people, and the only way to protect ourselves is to create a decentralised network, less likely to be hacked than a centralised one, and storing no personal data but only the information chosen by the owners themselves.

Blocksafe aims to collect $55,000 in crowdfunding before 15 July. One can contribute dollars or bitcoins. Every contributor is promised a reward: listing on the website for $10, a Blocksafe T-shirt for $25 and so on. However, at the press time, only $3,950 were assembled. In his Twitter feed, Barnes claimed to have investors at the door but preferring contributions from people.

Alexey Tereshchenko