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Talent development is the key to keeping the blockchain bubble from bursting.
With an ICO frenzy and Bitcoin’s plunging valuation (and Bitcoin Cash’s soaring rates), attention on blockchain technology is growing increasingly fervent. Blockchain ledgers are (seemingly) on the precipice of moving into mainstream territory and facilitating the daily distribution of every type of data file, from financial contracts to individual records. But before blockchain has the opportunity to propel us into a decentralized data revolution, it has to first prove that it is not just hype.

Yes, despite blockchain technology’s superior efficiencies, there are skeptics who see all of this blockchain buzz as little more than a tech bubble. One of the most prominent factors driving persistent skepticism is the temptation to associate blockchain and Bitcoin into one entity. They are not one and the same (blockchain is a decentralized ledger that facilitates the uploading and sharing of smart contracts,  including the distribution of cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin). But Bitcoin’s reputation preceeds blockchain, and as long as there is doubt swirling around the coin’s long-term viability to offer more than just speculation, some investors may prefer to stay at an arm’s length, away from anything associated with either blockchain or Bitcoin.

Blockchain’s inherent association with Bitcoin may be hindering its public perception, but that is not the only challenge that the blockchain arena, as a whole, must overcome; an even bigger issue for blockchain may be its inability to sustain momentum or support the scalability of blockchain-designed initiatives. A recent Deloitte report found that of the 26,000 new blockchain projects introduced in the last year on Github, only 8 percent are still active. Project abandonment is not a new concept; it’s easy to get excited by an idea and a new technology, but maintaining that drive and excitement during the grueling middle stages of a project is challenging.