UK Land Registry Plans to Test Blockchain in Digital Push

HM Land Registry has revealed it is looking to test blockchain as part of a digitization effort called 'Digital Street'.

AccessTimeIconMay 12, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. UTC
Updated Aug 18, 2021 at 6:08 p.m. UTC

Presented By Icon

Election 2024 coverage presented by

Stand with crypto

The UK’s national land registry is looking to test blockchain technology as part of a wide-ranging digitization effort.

Last month, HM Land Registry began searching for new board members and, in a notice published to its website, also detailed its plans for a so-called 'Digital Street' – an upcoming scheme the office hopes will improve the speed and efficiency by which titles change hands.

  • 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
  • It's for this purpose that the Land Registry is eyeing blockchain as a possible solution.

    What they’re doing: While the document itself is decidedly short on details, here's what the office said in its note, which touches on some of objectives of the project (and hints at where blockchain may fit in):

    "In order to meet Government commitments, Land Registry will need to become more digitized and customer-centric. In the near future, we expect Land Registry will begin a live test of a 'Digital Street' which would enable the ownership of property to be changed close to instantaneously. The Digital Street would also allow Land Registry to hold more granular data than is possible at present. Blockchain is one of the underlying technologies that will be trialled."

    The big picture: While it remains unclear when the tests will take place (or what potential platforms the Land Registry will experiment with), the development nonetheless represents the latest example of a public agency looking to blockchain tech as a mechanism for cataloging changes in land ownership.

    Several countries have moved to test the tech for this purpose. Sweden, for example, initiated the second phase of a test as recently as March. Regulatory hurdles, however, could hamper any attempts to bring that project to commercial scale, its organisers said.

    Similar undertakings are being pursued by the government in Brazil, and the state of Illinois, too, is working on a land registry project as part of a wide-ranging blockchain initiative.

    HM Land Registry image via Shutterstock

    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.