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VChain Startup to Solve Long Queues at the Airport

Everyone experience that day in the airport where the line has devolved into a long, tedious crawl. And security measures are usually among the culprits of these headache-inducing standstill.

So what if there was a way to instantly and accurately identify a traveler on a consistent basis by airport security to eliminate this waiting? That’s exactly what Irra Ariella Khi asked when she had nothing to do during her maternity leave back in 2014.

That question has led to the development of a blockchain-based service called VChain, a shortened version of verification chain. What the service does is to instantly check travel document of an individual using a distributed database without sharing personal information with an outside party.

The gist of it is that when an airport needs to check the travel documents of a person, they would refer to VChain to verify whether or not they’re dealing with a security threat. If VChain pings back with a green light that they, and other airports, have seen that specific documents multiple times and has constantly passed, it makes it easier for airport security to make accurate assumptions.

It’s a brilliant idea and that is why it was given a Royal seal of approval by the Duke of York and the Queen’s second son, Prince Andrew. VChain was the winner among the 42 start-up participants who competed in developing a system focusing on blockchain and cybersecurity. The award was given last month during the ceremony conducted at St. James’ Palace.

British Airways’ parent company IAG have already invested in VChain. The investment is part of IAG’s Hangar 51 startup accelerator and has stated they will be conducting live tests that will eventually roll out as a full commercial product.

Despite the trust and accolades VChain received, Khi said that their service isn’t going to be a “silver bullet” that’ll solve long lines at the airport. But she did go on to say that they’re going to be part of the solution that'll eventually eliminate it.

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