Blockchain: The Bullseye Analogy

Originally published on LinkedIn - August 21, 2025

"No pressure Ty, you have as long as it takes for the board to revolve to explain Blockchain.. take your time.. take your time.. "

Whenever I hear someone explain blockchain, most of the time it feels like I’ve accidentally walked into a PhD lecture in computer science.

A casual glance at LinkedIn, you will see it discussed murkily as the 'future' with many pundits trying to grab your attention.

What does it mean, and more importantly, for my business and stakeholders?

Imagine you and your friends are keeping score in a game of darts down the pub.

Instead of one person writing the score on a chalkboard (where, let’s be honest, someone might “accidentally” rub off the triple-20)...

..everyone in the pub writes the score in their own notebook at the same time.

Expand that logic to an episode of the classic ITV TV quiz Bullseye..

Not only do you have Scoremaster Tony Green keeping a tally, but also every person watching the show.. at its height.. 17 million..

So you have Mr Green and 17 million people keeping score..

Now, if someone tries to cheat later and say they hit a bullseye instead of the wall, everyone else can look down and say, “Hang on, that’s not what we’ve got written here.”

The cheaters outnumbered, and the truth wins.

The cheater goes home with a tankard, and the winner goes on to the next round for a chance at the Teasmaid and possibly the Atari 2600 with Pac-Man.

That’s blockchain in a nutshell:

lots of people keeping the same record at once, so it’s hard to cheat or tamper with.

The term associated with it is immutable record.

An immutable record is a data entry that, once created, cannot be altered or deleted

Why does it matter?

Trust without the middleman:

You don’t need a bank, referee, or “guy with a clipboard” to say what’s true. Governance is inherent in the system, thereby removing designated authority from the process as its very being its own validation and authority.

Transparency:

Everyone can see the same thing (like the dart score… and yes, your mate’s dreadful aim).

Security:

Because it’s shared across many ledgers, it’s like having hundreds of copies of a book.

Harder to fake, harder to burn or destroy.

But isn’t it just Bitcoin?

Nope. Bitcoin uses blockchain, but blockchain itself is just the “record book.” It can be used for supply chains, digital identity, contracts, and even tracking where your morning coffee beans came from (Not the local Tesco, but the actual crop location).

Indeed, the first thing most people would say about Blockchain is Finance, but it's far more capable and varied for that single use.

1. Money & Finance (The Obvious One)

• Cross-border payments: Sending money abroad without waiting three days and losing half of it to “mystery fees.” Blockchain lets transactions happen in minutes.

• Smart contracts: Imagine an agreement that enforces itself—like a vending machine for legal promises. If the terms are met, it pays out automatically. No middlemen, no faffing.

• Stablecoins: Digital money pegged to real currencies, avoiding the rollercoaster of Bitcoin.

2. Supply Chains (From Beans to Burgers)

• Companies like IBM and Maersk use blockchain to track shipping containers. No more "your package is somewhere between Shanghai and Swansea" nonsense.

• Food retailers (Walmart, Carrefour) use it to trace produce from farm to shelf. So if there’s a food recall, they can pinpoint the dodgy lettuce in seconds instead of weeks.

3. Healthcare (Keeping Records Clean)

• Blockchain can secure patient records, making them accessible across hospitals without endless paper files or “fax machines from 1987.”

• Pharmaceutical companies use it to stop counterfeit drugs from entering the market — lifesaving and money-saving.

4. Digital Identity (Who Are You Really?)

• Imagine proving your identity online without needing 37 passwords and your mother’s maiden name. Blockchain-based IDs let you share only what’s necessary (e.g., “Yes, I’m over 18” without handing over your entire life story).

5. Voting (No Hanging Chads)

• Some countries and local councils are experimenting with blockchain voting systems to reduce fraud and increase transparency. (No guarantees it will stop politicians arguing, though.)

6. Property & Land Registries (Bye Bye Paper Trails)

• Land titles can be stored on blockchain, cutting down disputes and fraud. Countries like Georgia (the country, not the US state) already use it for the national land registry.

7. Creative Industries (Not Just NFTs of Pixelated Monkeys)

• Musicians can track royalties in real time. Imagine getting paid every time your song plays, instead of waiting six months for the record label to remember you exist.

• Digital art and IP protection: beyond the silly side of NFTs, blockchain does give creators proof of ownership and the ability to sell directly to audiences.

8. Energy & Sustainability

• Local communities are using blockchain to trade solar energy peer-to-peer. Neighbourhood microgrids can balance power without big corporate energy companies holding the switch.

My take

The genius of blockchain isn’t that it’s complicated. It’s that it makes something simple —trust — work at a global scale without needing a middleman.

And in a world where trust can be hard to come by, that feels rather useful.

So, the next time someone drops “blockchain” into a conversation with enough jargon to fill a Scrabble board, just picture Tony Green keeping score on Bullseye and millions like him.

It won’t make you an expert—but you’ll understand the heart of it.

Now let's see what you could have won..

If this has been helpful to you, I would like to hear from you. Please comment and share.

Mention Bullseye and of course, I had to mention the speedboat..

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