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The music industry has evolved significantly over the last few decades, from cassette to compact disk to MP3 and now to subscription-based streaming. Simultaneously, there has been a return to analogue, especially to vinyl records. In 2021, a major record label will introduce a new kind of vinyl. From the original master tapes, one-of-a-kind copies will be made. These will be manufactured in very limited quantities and sold exclusively as collectors' items. In a world where purchasing these collectibles is as simple as tapping the screen and where there are also numerous trading markets between private individuals, new creative ways to protect consumers and digitally protected analogue collectibles must be found. This relates to both the product's authenticity and the legitimate possession of the valuable vinyl. This work in progress paper aims to determine whether digital identities of suppliers, distributors, and consumers on the one hand, and decentralized encrypted data storage on the other, can be potentially the future technology to safeguard collectibles that the creative industry should be more than just looking at., peer-reviewed

In addition to the general intentional scattering of fake news and its conscious or unconscious sharing on social media networks, the problem of checking the origin of source material from the perspective of the consumer is evident. This is especially the case if the original material was not created and registered with great care by established and trustworthy media companies. In the fast-paced world of real-time reporting, even professional media houses have to rely on cell phone videos or other user-created material. Furthermore, it is also possible that source material only appears to have been produced by an established media company, but instead journalists who work with this material fall victim to well-crafted forgery. The aim of this research study is to discuss Blockchain technologies and their adoption to store a verification hash of source material, the proof of authorship and sources used in a forgery-proof way. Furthermore, the authors investigate whether journalists and media producers see a need in this technology. The discussion centres around the consumers’ perception of such possible verification as an improvement and something they recognize as a “trust amplifier” if embedded in the newspaper, journal, blog, social media platform, or messenger tool of their choice. Finally, the sociological and ethical dimensions are briefly discussed - whether and how verified material can ultimately be fake news once again, and if the perception of what one believes, does not depend at the end on the recipient's basic attitude and perception. This work in progress paper describes the current status of the research work and outlines the envisaged further procedure., peer-reviewed

Once information is stored on the Blockchain, it cannot be altered retroactively. This immutability makes Blockchain technology an ideal candidate to secure learning achievements and educational credentials. Keeping data trustworthy, secure and manipulation-proof has become an increasing issue in education due to the rise of digital learning environments, which often combine learning experiences, testing procedures and educational credential management. Currently, most digital learning environments safeguard their data using traditional safety systems (e.g. password protection), which in turn are not Blockchain-based, but controlled by a centralized authority. While these centralized systems provide a certain level of security against unauthorized access from outside the system, manipulation from within the system cannot be excluded. Users with high enough access rights (teachers, administrators, system managers) can still add, change or delete entries. This becomes an even greater problem when learning achievements are to be reflected in fair and transparent credit systems, and especially when these educational credits are to be valid across different institutions or even countries. Due to their ability to store data in a decentralized, transparent and manipulation-proof way, Blockchain-based technologies can provide solutions to this problem. The aim of this paper is to describe the status quo of Blockchain technologies in the educational sector, including the expected merits and drawbacks., peer-reviewed