Vermont City Pilots Land Registry Record With Blockchain Startup

The City of South Burlington in Vermont is partnering with a blockchain startup to pilot a land registry ledger based on the tech.

AccessTimeIconJan 23, 2018 at 7:00 a.m. UTC
Updated Sep 13, 2021 at 7:24 a.m. UTC
10 Years of Decentralizing the Future
May 29-31, 2024 - Austin, TexasThe biggest and most established global hub for everything crypto, blockchain and Web3.Register Now

The city of South Burlington, Vermont, is trialing a land registration system which uses blockchain as part of a system for recording ownership.

The City Clerk's Office announced Monday that it was partnering with blockchain startup Propy to store land record management data, according to a press release. The pilot’s aim is to develop a more efficient and secure ledger for real estate transactions with an additional goal of evaluating how well using a blockchain-based platform will reduce the costs of storing land management data when compared to traditional systems.

South Burlington's City Clerk, Donna Kinville, said the city "is always interested in taking advantage of technology that enhances its delivery of services to residents. We are ready to learn from this Propy pilot."

The law firm Gravel & Shea, which focuses on the legal aspects of blockchain technology use cases, will also work with South Burlington and Propy on the pilot.

South Burlington is the latest government to look into using a blockchain for land registration. Previously, the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and the country of Sweden have both announced pilot projects with blockchain startups to trial their own land registration efforts.

The state of Vermont has launched several blockchain initiatives in the past, most recently with a bill proposing the regulation of companies operating or trading in cryptocurrencies. If passed, the bill would have these companies pay a tax of one cent per dollar on every transaction executed by the company.

Last year, the state created a working group to analyze the impact blockchain could have on government operations, with an initial report due last November.

Representatives from South Burlington and Vermont's Agency for Commerce and Community Development did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

South Burlington map image via Shutterstock

Disclosure

Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated.

CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. In November 2023, CoinDesk was acquired by the Bullish group, owner of Bullish, a regulated, digital assets exchange. The Bullish group is majority-owned by Block.one; both companies have interests in a variety of blockchain and digital asset businesses and significant holdings of digital assets, including bitcoin. CoinDesk operates as an independent subsidiary with an editorial committee to protect journalistic independence. CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive options in the Bullish group as part of their compensation.


Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk's longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.