Blockchain technology and distributed ledgers are attracting massive attention and trigger multiple projects in different industries. However, the financial industry is seen as a primary user of the blockchain concept. This is not only due to the fact that the most well-known application of this technology is the crypto-currency Bitcoin, but it is also driven by substantial process inefficiencies and a massive cost base issue specifically in this industry. On top of this, the financial crisis revealed that even in financial services it is not always possible to identify the correct present owner of an asset. While the problem of tracing back ownership in long transaction chains is already a critical aspect in financial markets, it is also important for physical goods, e.g., (blood) diamonds or broccoli. US retailer Wal-Mart with more than 260 million customers per week is in search for a technology that helps to identify precisely those batches of vegetables that in a given case, e.g., are infected by coliform bacteria.

Assume you are conducting research regarding implementing Blockchain technology for your business.

1. Critically discuss how Blockchain technology is implemented in a business.

2. Analyse and report on the challenges that would arise from Blockchain technology being adopted by a business.

3. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and blockchain technology are two of the most innovative technologies that have emerged in the last decade. Review the concepts of artificial intelligence and Blockchain, critically discuss how Blockchain can improve artificial intelligence.

4. Just like any other type of technology, Blockchain is also susceptible to security threats. Critically evaluate the security threats affecting Blockchain technology, include in your evaluation the security measures to curb the security threats in Blockchain technology.