Characteristic

Differences from current technology

Applications for CPAs

Decentralized

Yes, fundamentally different from centralized technology, financial, and data management systems

No central oversight or resolution authority for disputes or possible fraud activity

Consensus

No central approver or verifier of information, instead network members verify data as it is uploaded

As data is uploaded, members of the network it is verified continuously by other network members

Encrypted

The encryption is a integral component of blockchain technology, specifically the 256 bit protocol of the Bitcoin blockchain

To date, the encryption associated with the blockchain has yet to be hacked

New technologies

Flexibility of blockchain allows for different applications and iterations to leverage this technology

Traditional technology tools operate in siloed environment, and are not compatible with other platforms