Sumatra to Pilot Blockchain App for 'Decentralised Decision-Making'

An Australian startup is launching a blockchain application in Indonesia that could eventually allow citizens to vote in elections.

The pilot project from Horizon State is expected to launch on the island of Sumatra in July, with the roll-out expected to continue till December, the platform's co-founder, Nimo Naamani, told CoinDesk via email.

The blockchain-based platform will be made available to locals via a mobile app and is initially aimed to help provide "decentralised decision making and community engagement," according to Naamani.

Ultimately, the startup hopes the app could extend to voting to counter fraud and address local electoral challenges, as well as other services.

Naamani said:

"Through the platform, we can provide communities with tools to increase engagement and discussions. Through our partners, we can provide the constituency with additional benefits such as access to financial services on a micro-level – something that’s not so easy with existing banking infrastructure."

Should the Sumatra pilot prove successful, Horizon State is hoping to expand the project across the country.

"Once this is done, I believe additional expansions into more provinces and communities will happen throughout 2019," he said.

While the Indonesian government is not involved in the effort as yet, he noted that the company would be in a position to approach the authorities over a variety of use cases, including elections, after the Sumatra roll-out.

"We’re seeing a surge of interest from organisations that want to use blockchain-based community engagement to drive progress forward," Naamani said.

For the pilot, Horizon State will be partnering with cryptocurrency finance startup MCV-CAP, as well as another partner to be announced in the next few weeks, according to the co-founder.

Sumatran town image via Shutterstock