Key Takeaways
- Dubai Police will employ Cardano blockchain technology for criminal investigations.
- The project enables secure sharing of bullet scan data with international law enforcement bodies such as Interpol.
- Using the blockchain ensures the integrity of data, what other use cases can it offer?
Dubai law enforcement is harnessing blockchain technology in the latest leap as the UAE aims to become a crypto hub. Dubai Police has announced a use-based partnership with Cardano at the World Police Summit in Dubai, held from March 5 to March 7.
The police will adopt Cardano blockchain technology to securely share data from criminal investigations.
Criminal Investigations with Blockchain
Web3 advisor Alexander E. Brunner revealed that the authorities have decided to employ the Cardano blockchain. The pilot project wants to ensure the integrity of sensitive data from criminal investigations remains unaltered.
Moreover, it would ensure that some evidence, specifically bullet scans, can be shared with other law enforcement agencies worldwide, including Interpol. The initiative is a step forward in integrating blockchain technology into mainstream policing efforts.
According to a 2023 report by the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC), the emirate is increasingly becoming known for attracting high-value services, including those in the crypto, gaming, and Web3 industries. In 2023, DMCC saw the addition of 2,692 new companies, with significant investment interest in crypto, gold, and real estate sectors.
At the core of this initiative is the use of blockchain technology to safeguard sensitive information.
Role of Cardano
By implementing the Cardano blockchain, the Dubai Police aim to securely distribute information. This move is a novel step for several reasons. Firstly, blockchain’s inherent security features ensure that, once information is logged, it cannot be altered or tampered. Secondly, it facilitates a level of transparency and traceability previously unattainable, because every transaction on the blockchain is recorded and can be viewed by authorized parties.
CCN has reached out to the Dubai police to understand their choice of the blockchain but received no response at the time of writing. Cardano is among the top 10 cryptos by market capitalization. However, as of March 12, Token Terminal data indicates a significant contraction in development activity over the past month.
In the last 30 days, the core developer team experienced a decrease of around 16%, totaling 112 members. In addition, code commits also saw a reduction, dropping by 26% to 904 commits.
That said, authorities are increasingly using blockchain for administration.
In 2022, the state government of Maharashtra, India, introduced a blockchain-based system for verification process of caste certificates. Traditionally, verifying these documents has been a manual and tedious process. The new approach aims to make verification more secure and efficient.
Blockchain in Administration
The Dubai Police’s initiative to utilize blockchain represents a significant advance in the technology’s application. The project also reiterates Dubai’s commitment to becoming a global hub. As blockchain technology continues to evolve, it can provide potential use cases in administrative sectors, including law enforcement.
Meanwhile, Dubai could serve as a model for other jurisdictions that want to harness the blockchain for tamperproof exchange of data.