Blockchain has the potential to change the world – but that doesn't mean it will work in every scenario. In some cases, technologies already exist to solve problems the online ledger is being touted for. Still, blockchain – best know as the tool that underpins digital currency bitcoin – has the potential to greatly improve banking processes, and can be applied outside of the financial world as well. In time, commentators expect a Steve Jobs-esque figure to dream up a blockchain application that will truly revolutionise the way we live, in the same way the internet has shaped life in the last 20 years.