China Launches 20 Blockchain Projects to Help Contain Coronavirus in First Half of February

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China is turning to blockchain technology to abet efforts to contain the impacts of the coronavirus outbreak.

Data from Interchain Pulse (互链脉搏观察) indicates that during the period from 1 – 14 February a total of 20 blockchain projects came online for helping efforts to prevent and control the spread of the coronavirus.

Most of these applications involve the use of blockchain for the management of personal information, and include:

  • The “Novel Coronavirus Risk Filtering System” (新冠风险筛查系统) launched by Xi’an Communications University;
  • A blockchain-driven “entry-exit corridor” (出入通) that can be applied to an entire city, and was developed by Hangzhou-based Vastchain (宇链科技);
  • The “Blockchain Disease Gathering and Monitoring System” (区块链疫情采集监测系统) developed by AliCloud in collaboration with the Shandong University of Finance and Economics.

“In terms of the applications of blockchain to disease containment, at present people are mainly discussing management of personal information and charity,” said Chen Wen (陈文), vice-chair of the Financial Inclusion and Smart Finance Research Centre of the Southwestern University of Finance and Economics.

“Personal information management is to help track flows of people, while with regard to charity, the blockchain is mainly used to increase the transparency of the use of funds.”

Interchain Pulse figures further indicate that a total of 29 blockchain projects in all categories were launched in the first month of 2020.

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