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In a 2016 peace agreement ending Colombia’s long-running conflict, the government promised to formalize property titles that could prevent ownership disputes and help farmers get loans and invest in land. This year, the Colombian government’s National Land Agency launched a national land registry on the blockchain, a decentralized digital ledger of transactions that supports transparency and security. Developed with software developer Peersyst and blockchain company Ripple Labs, the registry recorded its first property in July, just a few weeks before a new administration took over the national government. While the project appears to have stalled, it remains a unique example of blockchain’s potential value in the public realm.
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