Deloitte Uses Facebook to Build Warranties on Bitcoin Blockchain

Deloitte has hacked together a product that uses Facebook Messenger to upload warranties to a blockchain and buy insurance after the purchase.

AccessTimeIconApr 29, 2016 at 6:50 p.m. UTC
Updated Aug 18, 2021 at 4:48 p.m. UTC

Presented By Icon

Election 2024 coverage presented by

Stand with crypto

Deloitte has used Facebook's recently released Messenger API to build an early version of a product capable of storing warranties on a blockchain and allowing users to buy insurance for items even after they've been purchased.

The minimum viable product (MVP), announced today, could serve as a bridge between distributed ledgers and the Internet of Things, but importantly, do so without users having to download any new applications.

  • Bitcoin Mining in the U.S. Will Become 'a Lot More Decentralized': Core Scientific CEO
    13:18
    Bitcoin Mining in the U.S. Will Become 'a Lot More Decentralized': Core Scientific CEO
  • Binance to Discontinue Its Nigerian Naira Services After Government Scrutiny
    05:10
    Binance to Discontinue Its Nigerian Naira Services After Government Scrutiny
  • The first video of the year 2024
    04:07
    The first video of the year 2024
  • The last regression video of the year 3.67.0
    40:07
    The last regression video of the year 3.67.0
  • Deloitte service designer, Frank van de Ven, wrote of the MVP on the company’s site:

    "It allows users to add information regarding their purchases and associated warranty information on the blockchain, by using a Facebook Messenger bot."

    As of June 2015 there were 1 billion Facebook Messenger users. To let innovators build products for those users, Facebook expanded its Messenger support at its annual F8 conference in April by offering a new send and receive API that allows for the construction of custom Messenger bots.

    Van de Ven explained the importance of that access by indicating that app fatigue is now high among consumers, who he says now use only around five apps on average.

    "By offering our service through an existing channel we are taking away a huge hurdle in engaging new users," van de Ven said.

    How the MVP works

    The result of a three-day internal hackathon, the "warranty bot" lets users send an image of a specially designed receipt via Facebook Messenger. Built on the bitcoin blockchain using the Colu blockchain toolbox, Deloitte's product "unwraps" a QR code on the receipt and stores the product information on a blockchain.

    Multiple warranties can then be stored in a profile accessible via a link also transmitted via Facebook Messenger. The MVP provides users the opportunity to buy insurance for the product even after he or she has left the point of sale.

    By uploading the warranty to a blockchain, van de Ven says the warrant bot will let product owners transfer the warranty if the item is resold. The new owners can in-turn track the entire history of the blockchain-logged warranty.

    "The ability to store assets in a safe and secure, tamper-proof way, opens up a whole new world for financial institutes, retailers, governments and other industries," wrote van de Ven, adding:

    "What we’ve learned from our hackathon only underlines this belief."

    Business applications

    The MVP is currently a white-labelled offering which means it doesn’t include Deloitte’s branding and could theoretically be employed by third-party companies once it's ready for use.

    As for the Facebook Messenger interface, that feature is interchangeable, enabling use with WhatsApp or banking and insurance applications in the future should the company continue to iterate the idea.

    While the MVP announced today is still in its early phases, other possible uses include making it easier for insurers to calculate the estimated total value of goods; letting insurers and banks offer the option via a widget; and letting retailers offer automated services such as product updates without a dedicated app.

    Disclosure

    Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information have been updated.

    CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk has adopted a set of principles aimed at ensuring the integrity, editorial independence and freedom from bias of its publications. CoinDesk is part of the Bullish group, which owns and invests in digital asset businesses and digital assets. CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive Bullish group equity-based compensation. Bullish was incubated by technology investor Block.one.


    Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk's longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.