One of the common criticisms of cryptocurrencies and blockchains is the perceived lack of applications. What is it actually for and how does it make the world a better place? For many people, cryptocurrencies appear to be just a way to make money. A new project will protect cultural heritage with the help of blockchain, a beautiful and revolutionary application of technology.
Revolutionary blockchain and NFT application
Adel Khelifi of Abu Dhabi University and archaeologist Mark Altaweel of University College London are developing a unique Web3 model. The project, called Salsal, can establish and record the authenticity and history of cultural artifacts. In doing so, the project creates a link between the archaeological world and the blockchain.
The archaeological world is generally poorly organized. For example, there is no general record system for the countless historical artifacts that are excavated or preserved each year. Also, valuable artefacts are regularly lost. Salsal offers a solution for this: the protocol identifies, values ​​and records information from specific archaeological finds. In this process, the project applies NFTs in a unique way.
“Once legitimacy is established, the collector can convert (the artifact) into an NFT. We use NFTs because the data is stored on the blockchain and is immutable. This allows you to accurately identify the owner.
Mass adoption of cryptocurrencies in archaeology
Salsal will be offered to organizations that protect cultural heritage. Ultimately, Khelifi and Altaweel hope the protocol will be widely adopted in the archaeological world. For example, it could also be used by museums or collectors to evaluate or verify certain collections. In the same way that some projects currently evaluate and verify rare pokémon cards or comics.
Although there are already digital databases with information from historical artifacts, blockchain technology is not yet applied here. The project can therefore be described as revolutionary. If Salsal can achieve what he aspires to, it could solve countless problems in the archaeological sector.