## 6 Applications of Blockchain in Distributed Decision-Making
### Case Studies and Real-World Examples  
When examining the influence of blockchain on decentralized decision-making, several practical instances emerge, showcasing the technology's revolutionary capacity in different industries. These case studies showcase both successful implementations and offer significant insights into the difficulties and advantages of incorporating blockchain into intricate systems. An excellent example is the utilization of blockchain technology in the financial industry by the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX). ASX is undertaking a bold initiative to replace its current system for handling equities transactions with a system based on blockchain technology. The objective is to save expenses, improve transparency, and optimize post-trade procedures. This technology, created in partnership with Digital Asset Holdings, utilizes the unchangeable and transparent nature of blockchain to offer immediate data access to all market players. It also guarantees the reliability and protection of financial records. This move signifies an early and significant implementation of blockchaintechnology by a national securities exchange, establishing a model for other entities in the financial sector. Figure 16 visualizes ASX's architecture. Another demonstration of the vast potential of blockchain technology, which is to increase the ability to track and assure responsibility in the flow of commodities, is provided by the partnership between Walmart and IBM on the Food Trust Blockchain project, which has its roots in the field of supply chain management. The purpose of this initiative is to track the provenance of food products from the point of origin all the way to the point of sale. The project makes it possible to have a clear and unobstructed awareness of the supply chain, which in turn makes it possible to quickly identify things that may be contaminated. This results in a significant decrease in the amount of time and money that is required to carry out food safety inspections and recalls. The utilization of blockchain technology not only improves the safety of customers, but it also maximizes the effectiveness of supply chain operations by reducing waste and improving product management across the board everywhere. Figure 17 shows the way Walmart's and IBM's Food Trust Blockchain Project works. The Brooklyn Microgrid Project is a fascinating example of a case study in the field of energy distribution. This project makes use of blockchain technology to monitor and  
Figure 16: Architecture of Australian Securities Exchange (ASX). Figure 17: Walmart’s and IBM’s Food Trust Blockchain Project. record energy transactions that take place within a localized microgrid. As a result, it gives communities the ability to buy and sell green energy through direct transactions with one another. The implementation makes use of blockchain technology to provide a platform for energy transactions that is both extremely secure and decentralized. This eliminates the need for a traditional utility company to act as a middleman in the transaction process. This not only provides clients with increased control, but it also encourages the usage of renewable energy sources by making energy trading widely accessible and financially practical for smaller producers. Figure 18 depicts, in a simple way, the architecture behind the Brooklyn Microgrid Project. In order to guarantee the distributed and safe administration of patient health records, Estonia has been a leading example in using blockchain technologies in healthcare. Working with Guardtime, Estonia has effectively used blockchain technology to protect around a million health records. Every incident involving accessing patient data is permanently recorded by the system, therefore producing an unambiguous record of events that discourages illegal data access and improves the consistency and accuracy of the data.