Qu'est-ce que l'Email Blockchain ?
Oiseau
8 juil. 2019
1 min read
Points Clés
Purpose : Cet article explique comment la blockchain — la technologie de registre décentralisé derrière la cryptomonnaie — pourrait remodeler la façon dont l'email est stocké, vérifié et sécurisé.
Idée principale : En reliant chaque message comme un "block" dans une chaîne immuable, l'email basé sur la blockchain pourrait créer des enregistrements de communication infalsifiables et vérifier l'authenticité de l'expéditeur.
Avantages :
Sécurité améliorée : La vérification décentralisée rend le piratage à grande échelle ou le phishing presque impossible.
Preuve de consentement immuable : Une trace permanente et vérifiable simplifie la conformité avec les lois sur la confidentialité et le marketing.
Authentification par conception : Chaque message est validé par le réseau, réduisant le spam et l'usurpation.
Confidentialité de l'utilisateur : La décentralisation empêche un fournisseur unique de scanner, vendre ou verrouiller l'accès aux données utilisateur.
Résilience : Le stockage distribué signifie aucun email perdu ou corrompu et une livraison directe de pair à pair.
Marketing plus intelligent : Les données utilisateur authentifiées pourraient permettre un ciblage précis et sécurisé pour la confidentialité.
Défis : Exigences de stockage massives, limites de scalabilité, garanties de confidentialité incertaines de projets à source fermée, problèmes d'interopérabilité de "closed garden", et limites de taille des pièces jointes.
Perspectives : Bien que l'adoption généralisée reste éloignée, la vérification hybride basée sur la blockchain (comme le brevet de Salesforce pour la validation d'expéditeurs) pourrait compléter — mais pas remplacer — l'infrastructure existante de l'email.
Points forts des Q&A
Qu'est-ce que le blockchain email en termes simples ?
C'est un système qui stocke chaque transaction par e-mail sur un registre partagé et infalsifiable, garantissant authenticité, transparence, et sécurité.
Pourquoi quelqu'un aurait-il besoin de blockchain pour l'email ?
Éliminer le spoofing, le phishing et le contrôle des données par des tiers tout en créant des traces de communication vérifiables pour les expéditeurs et les destinataires.
Comment cela diffère-t-il des outils de sécurité email d’aujourd’hui (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)?
Ces outils vérifient les expéditeurs au moment de la livraison, tandis que la blockchain pourrait vérifier chaque message de manière permanente sur un réseau décentralisé.
Qu'est-ce qui rend le courriel blockchain difficile à mettre à l'échelle ?
Le volume mondial d'emails — plus de 100 000 milliards de messages par an — exigerait un stockage et une bande passante prohibitifs si chaque email était enregistré sur la chaîne.
La blockchain remplacera-t-elle l'email conventionnel ?
Improbable à court terme. Il est plus probable que la blockchain complétera les systèmes existants en améliorant la vérification et le suivi des consentements plutôt que de reconstruire l'email à partir de zéro.
Comme le cloud il y a plusieurs années, la cryptomonnaie est le nouveau mot à la mode technologique qui génère beaucoup de discussions tout en laissant beaucoup se demander si c’est beaucoup de bruit pour rien. Le terme "blockchain" est souvent associé aux discussions sur la cryptomonnaie, mais il a des applications au-delà de cela, y compris le courrier électronique.
La blockchain est une méthode décentralisée de collecte et de stockage des enregistrements de communication. Chaque ajout au fil, ou bloc, est lié aux autres dans la même conversation. Lorsque le processus s'applique au courrier électronique, c'est un moyen de créer une forme permanente de communication résistante à l'altération et à la falsification.
Comme le cloud il y a plusieurs années, la cryptomonnaie est le nouveau mot à la mode technologique qui génère beaucoup de discussions tout en laissant beaucoup se demander si c’est beaucoup de bruit pour rien. Le terme "blockchain" est souvent associé aux discussions sur la cryptomonnaie, mais il a des applications au-delà de cela, y compris le courrier électronique.
La blockchain est une méthode décentralisée de collecte et de stockage des enregistrements de communication. Chaque ajout au fil, ou bloc, est lié aux autres dans la même conversation. Lorsque le processus s'applique au courrier électronique, c'est un moyen de créer une forme permanente de communication résistante à l'altération et à la falsification.
Comme le cloud il y a plusieurs années, la cryptomonnaie est le nouveau mot à la mode technologique qui génère beaucoup de discussions tout en laissant beaucoup se demander si c’est beaucoup de bruit pour rien. Le terme "blockchain" est souvent associé aux discussions sur la cryptomonnaie, mais il a des applications au-delà de cela, y compris le courrier électronique.
La blockchain est une méthode décentralisée de collecte et de stockage des enregistrements de communication. Chaque ajout au fil, ou bloc, est lié aux autres dans la même conversation. Lorsque le processus s'applique au courrier électronique, c'est un moyen de créer une forme permanente de communication résistante à l'altération et à la falsification.
Un Bref Historique du Blockchain
La blockchain a fait sa première apparition lors de la récession économique mondiale de 2009 en tant que partenaire de Bitcoin. Un entrepreneur japonais non identifié a vu des inconvénients potentiels dans le système monétaire existant dans le monde et a créé Bitcoin en réponse. En même temps, il a commencé à concevoir un plan pour sécuriser et protéger les registres et les transactions Bitcoin pour des enregistrements précis, et la blockchain était sa solution.
La blockchain a fait sa première apparition lors de la récession économique mondiale de 2009 en tant que partenaire de Bitcoin. Un entrepreneur japonais non identifié a vu des inconvénients potentiels dans le système monétaire existant dans le monde et a créé Bitcoin en réponse. En même temps, il a commencé à concevoir un plan pour sécuriser et protéger les registres et les transactions Bitcoin pour des enregistrements précis, et la blockchain était sa solution.
La blockchain a fait sa première apparition lors de la récession économique mondiale de 2009 en tant que partenaire de Bitcoin. Un entrepreneur japonais non identifié a vu des inconvénients potentiels dans le système monétaire existant dans le monde et a créé Bitcoin en réponse. En même temps, il a commencé à concevoir un plan pour sécuriser et protéger les registres et les transactions Bitcoin pour des enregistrements précis, et la blockchain était sa solution.
Industries typiques utilisant actuellement la technologie Blockchain
Les méthodes blockchain apparaissent dans plusieurs de nos secteurs d'activité les plus en vue, y compris :
Retail : La blockchain a de nombreuses applications, de la vérification de l'authenticité à la prévention des achats et ventes frauduleux.
Santé : Avec ses fonctionnalités de sécurité améliorées et son interopérabilité, la blockchain améliore la confidentialité et la fonctionnalité de l'information.
Services financiers : La protection des transactions et les règlements rapides offrent des réductions de coûts et des gains d'efficacité opérationnelle.
Les méthodes blockchain apparaissent dans plusieurs de nos secteurs d'activité les plus en vue, y compris :
Retail : La blockchain a de nombreuses applications, de la vérification de l'authenticité à la prévention des achats et ventes frauduleux.
Santé : Avec ses fonctionnalités de sécurité améliorées et son interopérabilité, la blockchain améliore la confidentialité et la fonctionnalité de l'information.
Services financiers : La protection des transactions et les règlements rapides offrent des réductions de coûts et des gains d'efficacité opérationnelle.
Les méthodes blockchain apparaissent dans plusieurs de nos secteurs d'activité les plus en vue, y compris :
Retail : La blockchain a de nombreuses applications, de la vérification de l'authenticité à la prévention des achats et ventes frauduleux.
Santé : Avec ses fonctionnalités de sécurité améliorées et son interopérabilité, la blockchain améliore la confidentialité et la fonctionnalité de l'information.
Services financiers : La protection des transactions et les règlements rapides offrent des réductions de coûts et des gains d'efficacité opérationnelle.
Les avantages et les inconvénients de Blockchain Email
It might seem surprising, but blockchain email is a thing, and there are a few projects in development that want to use it to disrupt traditional email systems. Because a blockchain is an open, distributed ledger that’s replicated across many computers and has no centralized point of access, it’s seen as immune to attacks by bad actors. Those features make it attractive for email, which has many weaknesses that can be exploited.
Figuring out a way to make email more secure is key because it’s not going away any time soon. According to OptinMonster, people send a staggering 102.6 trillion emails annually, and in the U.S., it’s used by more than 90% of everyone over the age of 15 (yes, even those who have never known a world without social media).
In addition, 60% of consumers join email lists to get promotional offers, compared to 20% of consumers who follow brands on social media for the same reason. And with a potential return on investment of up to 4400%, email marketing remains a strong growth driver for many businesses.
Blockchain email has benefits that make it attractive to email marketers, but it has drawbacks too, as we’ll explain.
It might seem surprising, but blockchain email is a thing, and there are a few projects in development that want to use it to disrupt traditional email systems. Because a blockchain is an open, distributed ledger that’s replicated across many computers and has no centralized point of access, it’s seen as immune to attacks by bad actors. Those features make it attractive for email, which has many weaknesses that can be exploited.
Figuring out a way to make email more secure is key because it’s not going away any time soon. According to OptinMonster, people send a staggering 102.6 trillion emails annually, and in the U.S., it’s used by more than 90% of everyone over the age of 15 (yes, even those who have never known a world without social media).
In addition, 60% of consumers join email lists to get promotional offers, compared to 20% of consumers who follow brands on social media for the same reason. And with a potential return on investment of up to 4400%, email marketing remains a strong growth driver for many businesses.
Blockchain email has benefits that make it attractive to email marketers, but it has drawbacks too, as we’ll explain.
It might seem surprising, but blockchain email is a thing, and there are a few projects in development that want to use it to disrupt traditional email systems. Because a blockchain is an open, distributed ledger that’s replicated across many computers and has no centralized point of access, it’s seen as immune to attacks by bad actors. Those features make it attractive for email, which has many weaknesses that can be exploited.
Figuring out a way to make email more secure is key because it’s not going away any time soon. According to OptinMonster, people send a staggering 102.6 trillion emails annually, and in the U.S., it’s used by more than 90% of everyone over the age of 15 (yes, even those who have never known a world without social media).
In addition, 60% of consumers join email lists to get promotional offers, compared to 20% of consumers who follow brands on social media for the same reason. And with a potential return on investment of up to 4400%, email marketing remains a strong growth driver for many businesses.
Blockchain email has benefits that make it attractive to email marketers, but it has drawbacks too, as we’ll explain.
Les avantages du Blockchain Email
There are several reasons why blockchain email is an attractive prospect for anyone who wants to disrupt the status quo, including:
Benefit | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
Enhanced Security | Hard to hack due to decentralized verification |
Contract Management & Consent | Permanent proof simplifies compliance |
Authenticated Messages | Eliminates spoofing and sender impersonation |
User Privacy | No central provider scanning or storing data |
Direct Communication | Peer-to-peer messaging without gatekeepers |
Resilience | No single point of failure; messages preserved |
Better Targeting | Verifiable data improves campaign precision |
Enhanced Security
The number of nodes involved in a blockchain network makes hacking improbable. A cybercriminal would have to take over 51% of existing nodes to control the entire blockchain. With nodes numbering in the billions, that’s no small feat. This increased protection significantly reduces the potential for spam, spoofing and phishing.
Contract Management and Proof of Consent Ease
Blockchain email technology is beneficial for negotiating and finalizing contracts since it relies upon a ledger and consensus. Once the parties concur, the blockchain provides an immutable record of the terms of the agreement.
With the permanent record, it’s also quick and easy for a business to prove a user consented to receive marketing emails. Rapidly producing those records saves a business time and money and prevents infractions of privacy and promotion regulations.
Each Message Would Be Authenticated
Because a blockchain is an immutable set of records that are authenticated by each of the computers that store copies of it, a blockchain email system would feature a message database that accurately reflects the sending and receiving activity of everyone using it. Despite the development of such security tools as SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, spam continues to plague our inboxes, and nearly all of us have been the recipients of phishing and spearphishing attempts by the bad guys.
However, blockchain email would provide a single source of truth for each message sent and received, allowing users to easily verify that everything they receive came from a trusted sender. Bad actors couldn’t impersonate others, and they would have a hard time sending spam, since their messages would need to be verified.
Users Would (Likely) Have Privacy
Putting email on a decentralized blockchain means that no single party would have control over users’ accounts and their messages. Today, many people “pay” for free email services by letting companies parse their messages for signals that feed advertising machines. Blockchain email would let them keep their messages free from prying eyes, even if those doing the snooping are silicon-based.
In addition, if someone wanted to shut down their blockchain email account, they could easily do so without worrying that their information won’t be completely deleted, unlike many free services that essentially put accounts in hibernation when users attempt to shut them down. If a single third party has control over the data, they can do what they want with it, but if a blockchain email database is copied across many computers, only users will be able to dictate how their information is handled.
Direct Communication With Another
Blockchain technology permits two different nodes to communicate directly with each other. This process eliminates the need for a third-party provider in some cases and also prevents someone else from maintaining control over your business data.
No One Would Ever Lose an Email Again (Hopefully)
A blockchain email system’s database couldn’t become corrupt because there would be no central email server that could be damaged or experience a failure. Even deleted messages could be saved via a mechanism such as an off-chain node, allowing the creation of an archive that users could access when needed.
Email Marketers Could Send More Precisely Targeted Campaigns
Blockchain email could, in theory, result in a wealth of data about its users. Since each person’s identity would be authenticated and the blockchain would contain an immutable source of truth about their email history, email marketers could use artificial intelligence to sift through that data and more precisely target the right people for their campaigns.
While many people might groan at such a concept, it could provide a way to pay for a blockchain email platform. In addition, if people are going to see ads, isn’t it better for them to see ones that are targeted to their interests?
There are several reasons why blockchain email is an attractive prospect for anyone who wants to disrupt the status quo, including:
Benefit | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
Enhanced Security | Hard to hack due to decentralized verification |
Contract Management & Consent | Permanent proof simplifies compliance |
Authenticated Messages | Eliminates spoofing and sender impersonation |
User Privacy | No central provider scanning or storing data |
Direct Communication | Peer-to-peer messaging without gatekeepers |
Resilience | No single point of failure; messages preserved |
Better Targeting | Verifiable data improves campaign precision |
Enhanced Security
The number of nodes involved in a blockchain network makes hacking improbable. A cybercriminal would have to take over 51% of existing nodes to control the entire blockchain. With nodes numbering in the billions, that’s no small feat. This increased protection significantly reduces the potential for spam, spoofing and phishing.
Contract Management and Proof of Consent Ease
Blockchain email technology is beneficial for negotiating and finalizing contracts since it relies upon a ledger and consensus. Once the parties concur, the blockchain provides an immutable record of the terms of the agreement.
With the permanent record, it’s also quick and easy for a business to prove a user consented to receive marketing emails. Rapidly producing those records saves a business time and money and prevents infractions of privacy and promotion regulations.
Each Message Would Be Authenticated
Because a blockchain is an immutable set of records that are authenticated by each of the computers that store copies of it, a blockchain email system would feature a message database that accurately reflects the sending and receiving activity of everyone using it. Despite the development of such security tools as SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, spam continues to plague our inboxes, and nearly all of us have been the recipients of phishing and spearphishing attempts by the bad guys.
However, blockchain email would provide a single source of truth for each message sent and received, allowing users to easily verify that everything they receive came from a trusted sender. Bad actors couldn’t impersonate others, and they would have a hard time sending spam, since their messages would need to be verified.
Users Would (Likely) Have Privacy
Putting email on a decentralized blockchain means that no single party would have control over users’ accounts and their messages. Today, many people “pay” for free email services by letting companies parse their messages for signals that feed advertising machines. Blockchain email would let them keep their messages free from prying eyes, even if those doing the snooping are silicon-based.
In addition, if someone wanted to shut down their blockchain email account, they could easily do so without worrying that their information won’t be completely deleted, unlike many free services that essentially put accounts in hibernation when users attempt to shut them down. If a single third party has control over the data, they can do what they want with it, but if a blockchain email database is copied across many computers, only users will be able to dictate how their information is handled.
Direct Communication With Another
Blockchain technology permits two different nodes to communicate directly with each other. This process eliminates the need for a third-party provider in some cases and also prevents someone else from maintaining control over your business data.
No One Would Ever Lose an Email Again (Hopefully)
A blockchain email system’s database couldn’t become corrupt because there would be no central email server that could be damaged or experience a failure. Even deleted messages could be saved via a mechanism such as an off-chain node, allowing the creation of an archive that users could access when needed.
Email Marketers Could Send More Precisely Targeted Campaigns
Blockchain email could, in theory, result in a wealth of data about its users. Since each person’s identity would be authenticated and the blockchain would contain an immutable source of truth about their email history, email marketers could use artificial intelligence to sift through that data and more precisely target the right people for their campaigns.
While many people might groan at such a concept, it could provide a way to pay for a blockchain email platform. In addition, if people are going to see ads, isn’t it better for them to see ones that are targeted to their interests?
There are several reasons why blockchain email is an attractive prospect for anyone who wants to disrupt the status quo, including:
Benefit | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
Enhanced Security | Hard to hack due to decentralized verification |
Contract Management & Consent | Permanent proof simplifies compliance |
Authenticated Messages | Eliminates spoofing and sender impersonation |
User Privacy | No central provider scanning or storing data |
Direct Communication | Peer-to-peer messaging without gatekeepers |
Resilience | No single point of failure; messages preserved |
Better Targeting | Verifiable data improves campaign precision |
Enhanced Security
The number of nodes involved in a blockchain network makes hacking improbable. A cybercriminal would have to take over 51% of existing nodes to control the entire blockchain. With nodes numbering in the billions, that’s no small feat. This increased protection significantly reduces the potential for spam, spoofing and phishing.
Contract Management and Proof of Consent Ease
Blockchain email technology is beneficial for negotiating and finalizing contracts since it relies upon a ledger and consensus. Once the parties concur, the blockchain provides an immutable record of the terms of the agreement.
With the permanent record, it’s also quick and easy for a business to prove a user consented to receive marketing emails. Rapidly producing those records saves a business time and money and prevents infractions of privacy and promotion regulations.
Each Message Would Be Authenticated
Because a blockchain is an immutable set of records that are authenticated by each of the computers that store copies of it, a blockchain email system would feature a message database that accurately reflects the sending and receiving activity of everyone using it. Despite the development of such security tools as SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, spam continues to plague our inboxes, and nearly all of us have been the recipients of phishing and spearphishing attempts by the bad guys.
However, blockchain email would provide a single source of truth for each message sent and received, allowing users to easily verify that everything they receive came from a trusted sender. Bad actors couldn’t impersonate others, and they would have a hard time sending spam, since their messages would need to be verified.
Users Would (Likely) Have Privacy
Putting email on a decentralized blockchain means that no single party would have control over users’ accounts and their messages. Today, many people “pay” for free email services by letting companies parse their messages for signals that feed advertising machines. Blockchain email would let them keep their messages free from prying eyes, even if those doing the snooping are silicon-based.
In addition, if someone wanted to shut down their blockchain email account, they could easily do so without worrying that their information won’t be completely deleted, unlike many free services that essentially put accounts in hibernation when users attempt to shut them down. If a single third party has control over the data, they can do what they want with it, but if a blockchain email database is copied across many computers, only users will be able to dictate how their information is handled.
Direct Communication With Another
Blockchain technology permits two different nodes to communicate directly with each other. This process eliminates the need for a third-party provider in some cases and also prevents someone else from maintaining control over your business data.
No One Would Ever Lose an Email Again (Hopefully)
A blockchain email system’s database couldn’t become corrupt because there would be no central email server that could be damaged or experience a failure. Even deleted messages could be saved via a mechanism such as an off-chain node, allowing the creation of an archive that users could access when needed.
Email Marketers Could Send More Precisely Targeted Campaigns
Blockchain email could, in theory, result in a wealth of data about its users. Since each person’s identity would be authenticated and the blockchain would contain an immutable source of truth about their email history, email marketers could use artificial intelligence to sift through that data and more precisely target the right people for their campaigns.
While many people might groan at such a concept, it could provide a way to pay for a blockchain email platform. In addition, if people are going to see ads, isn’t it better for them to see ones that are targeted to their interests?
Les Inconvénients de Blockchain Email
However, there are some reasons why you don’t hear a lot of talk about blockchain email these days, including:
Downside | Impact |
|---|---|
Storage Requirements | Massive data footprint makes scaling difficult |
Unclear Privacy Guarantees | Closed-source projects undermine trust |
Walled Gardens | Limited interoperability between platforms |
File Transfer Limits | Reduced attachment capability for businesses |
The Staggering Storage Requirements
Bitcoin, the largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, uses a blockchain that was 210GB as of April 2019. While that’s a big database, it’s still not much compared to the amount of space emails typically take up. The average email is 75KB – multiply that by the 102.6 trillion emails sent every year and you’ll see that a blockchain email platform with even a modest number of users would quickly have sizable storage requirements. These massive email volumes represent just one aspect of email's incredible reach and impact. For more surprising statistics and entertaining facts about email, explore our 13 fun email facts you might not know.
Since a copy of the blockchain needs to reside on each computer in the network (5 million of them, in the case of Bitcoin), that means a blockchain email platform could easily dwarf the storage requirements for cryptocurrencies. That’s a scalability problem that would intimidate even the most seasoned IT professionals, although a clever developer could potentially solve that problem by, for example, storing messages off the blockchain and only using it to verify senders and receivers.
In fact, Salesforce recently won a patent for a blockchain-based platform that would store only part of an email, so that the sender and recipient’s copies could be compared to determine whether a message is authentic. A discrepancy would result in the email being marked as spam.
The Need for Guaranteed User Privacy
There are a few companies developing blockchain email, but it’s not clear that any of them are going to make their code open source. Any company that can’t make their code available can’t necessarily guarantee user privacy, which would be a deal-breaker for something as sensitive as email.
The Possibility of Creating “Walled Gardens”
At least one blockchain email service currently in development only lets its users email each other, leaving anyone on another platform out in the cold. It’s reminiscent of the old days, before the web became dominant, when people on AOL and CompuServe couldn’t send messages between the two services.
However, this limitation doesn’t seem to be in place for every blockchain email platform that’s in the works, so it’s possible that this problem could end up being nonexistent.
File Transfer Limits
Many of today’s blockchain providers limit the sizes of attachments you can transmit or store, potentially washing out the benefits of using the technology for some businesses.
A company can use a file hosting system or web applications that are compatible with their email programs to counteract transfer and storage limits.
However, there are some reasons why you don’t hear a lot of talk about blockchain email these days, including:
Downside | Impact |
|---|---|
Storage Requirements | Massive data footprint makes scaling difficult |
Unclear Privacy Guarantees | Closed-source projects undermine trust |
Walled Gardens | Limited interoperability between platforms |
File Transfer Limits | Reduced attachment capability for businesses |
The Staggering Storage Requirements
Bitcoin, the largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, uses a blockchain that was 210GB as of April 2019. While that’s a big database, it’s still not much compared to the amount of space emails typically take up. The average email is 75KB – multiply that by the 102.6 trillion emails sent every year and you’ll see that a blockchain email platform with even a modest number of users would quickly have sizable storage requirements. These massive email volumes represent just one aspect of email's incredible reach and impact. For more surprising statistics and entertaining facts about email, explore our 13 fun email facts you might not know.
Since a copy of the blockchain needs to reside on each computer in the network (5 million of them, in the case of Bitcoin), that means a blockchain email platform could easily dwarf the storage requirements for cryptocurrencies. That’s a scalability problem that would intimidate even the most seasoned IT professionals, although a clever developer could potentially solve that problem by, for example, storing messages off the blockchain and only using it to verify senders and receivers.
In fact, Salesforce recently won a patent for a blockchain-based platform that would store only part of an email, so that the sender and recipient’s copies could be compared to determine whether a message is authentic. A discrepancy would result in the email being marked as spam.
The Need for Guaranteed User Privacy
There are a few companies developing blockchain email, but it’s not clear that any of them are going to make their code open source. Any company that can’t make their code available can’t necessarily guarantee user privacy, which would be a deal-breaker for something as sensitive as email.
The Possibility of Creating “Walled Gardens”
At least one blockchain email service currently in development only lets its users email each other, leaving anyone on another platform out in the cold. It’s reminiscent of the old days, before the web became dominant, when people on AOL and CompuServe couldn’t send messages between the two services.
However, this limitation doesn’t seem to be in place for every blockchain email platform that’s in the works, so it’s possible that this problem could end up being nonexistent.
File Transfer Limits
Many of today’s blockchain providers limit the sizes of attachments you can transmit or store, potentially washing out the benefits of using the technology for some businesses.
A company can use a file hosting system or web applications that are compatible with their email programs to counteract transfer and storage limits.
However, there are some reasons why you don’t hear a lot of talk about blockchain email these days, including:
Downside | Impact |
|---|---|
Storage Requirements | Massive data footprint makes scaling difficult |
Unclear Privacy Guarantees | Closed-source projects undermine trust |
Walled Gardens | Limited interoperability between platforms |
File Transfer Limits | Reduced attachment capability for businesses |
The Staggering Storage Requirements
Bitcoin, the largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, uses a blockchain that was 210GB as of April 2019. While that’s a big database, it’s still not much compared to the amount of space emails typically take up. The average email is 75KB – multiply that by the 102.6 trillion emails sent every year and you’ll see that a blockchain email platform with even a modest number of users would quickly have sizable storage requirements. These massive email volumes represent just one aspect of email's incredible reach and impact. For more surprising statistics and entertaining facts about email, explore our 13 fun email facts you might not know.
Since a copy of the blockchain needs to reside on each computer in the network (5 million of them, in the case of Bitcoin), that means a blockchain email platform could easily dwarf the storage requirements for cryptocurrencies. That’s a scalability problem that would intimidate even the most seasoned IT professionals, although a clever developer could potentially solve that problem by, for example, storing messages off the blockchain and only using it to verify senders and receivers.
In fact, Salesforce recently won a patent for a blockchain-based platform that would store only part of an email, so that the sender and recipient’s copies could be compared to determine whether a message is authentic. A discrepancy would result in the email being marked as spam.
The Need for Guaranteed User Privacy
There are a few companies developing blockchain email, but it’s not clear that any of them are going to make their code open source. Any company that can’t make their code available can’t necessarily guarantee user privacy, which would be a deal-breaker for something as sensitive as email.
The Possibility of Creating “Walled Gardens”
At least one blockchain email service currently in development only lets its users email each other, leaving anyone on another platform out in the cold. It’s reminiscent of the old days, before the web became dominant, when people on AOL and CompuServe couldn’t send messages between the two services.
However, this limitation doesn’t seem to be in place for every blockchain email platform that’s in the works, so it’s possible that this problem could end up being nonexistent.
File Transfer Limits
Many of today’s blockchain providers limit the sizes of attachments you can transmit or store, potentially washing out the benefits of using the technology for some businesses.
A company can use a file hosting system or web applications that are compatible with their email programs to counteract transfer and storage limits.
Les perspectives pour Blockchain Email
Blockchain email est actuellement loin derrière la cryptomonnaie en termes d'adoption et d'intérêt pour les perspectives à long terme de la technologie. Il semble également avoir moins de succès que la messagerie, les paiements in-app, la création de contrats, et d'autres cas d'utilisation.
Cependant, la possibilité de l'utiliser pour lutter contre toutes sortes de fraudes est très attrayante pour les entreprises, il est donc probable que les solutions basées sur la blockchain comme celle que Salesforce développe pourraient l'emporter à long terme. Même si la blockchain ne peut pas fournir une solution email de bout en bout et tout-en-un, elle peut probablement compléter l'environnement actuel.
Blockchain email est actuellement loin derrière la cryptomonnaie en termes d'adoption et d'intérêt pour les perspectives à long terme de la technologie. Il semble également avoir moins de succès que la messagerie, les paiements in-app, la création de contrats, et d'autres cas d'utilisation.
Cependant, la possibilité de l'utiliser pour lutter contre toutes sortes de fraudes est très attrayante pour les entreprises, il est donc probable que les solutions basées sur la blockchain comme celle que Salesforce développe pourraient l'emporter à long terme. Même si la blockchain ne peut pas fournir une solution email de bout en bout et tout-en-un, elle peut probablement compléter l'environnement actuel.
Blockchain email est actuellement loin derrière la cryptomonnaie en termes d'adoption et d'intérêt pour les perspectives à long terme de la technologie. Il semble également avoir moins de succès que la messagerie, les paiements in-app, la création de contrats, et d'autres cas d'utilisation.
Cependant, la possibilité de l'utiliser pour lutter contre toutes sortes de fraudes est très attrayante pour les entreprises, il est donc probable que les solutions basées sur la blockchain comme celle que Salesforce développe pourraient l'emporter à long terme. Même si la blockchain ne peut pas fournir une solution email de bout en bout et tout-en-un, elle peut probablement compléter l'environnement actuel.
