Japanese Technical conglomerate Hitachi, in collaboration with a telecommunication giant KDDI, tests a system, based on blockchain, that allow to make retail payments using customers’ fingerprints. At the moment, the pilot project is being implemented in the KDDI store in Tokyo’s Shinjuku district, as well as in the local donut store. The system has been developed by Hitachi on Hyperledger Fabric platform and integrated with Hitachi biometric verification technology as well as KDDI coupon system. If the clients agree to use the system, they will have to register their coupon credits and biometric information, which will then be converted into a string of encrypted data stored on the blockchain. Members of the system will use special devices for reading fingerprints, when making a purchase. The request will be sent to the network, and transaction will be completed. The ultimate goal of Hitachi is to create a protected from unauthorized access blockchain, updating information about the use of coupons in the entire store network simultaneously. This initiative is the last pilot project of Hitachi on the use of blockchain technology at the moment. Last year, the company announced the development of a blockchain-based platform for supply chain management. |
