Blockchain Immortalizes Cultural Heritage Through Ownership and Trust

Although blockchains are most often associated with cryptocurrencies, their transparency and immutability have enabled their use in various other areas. The development of technology is often much faster than its adoption by traditional institutions, including galleries, libraries, archives, and museums, or GLAMs. They are catching up; the British Museum and Uffizi Gallery have designed NFT art collections and similar applications.

Blockchain plays a commendable role in the secure, long-term storage of digital documents. Blockchain architecture ensures availability and security in an efficient, decentralized, and cost-effective manner, and its application also contributes to the rapid delivery and high reliability of archived data. Distributed ledger technology ensures the immutability, provenance, and integrity of archived documents. Blockchain technology is also used to create digital signatures of originally digital or scanned physical documents, preserving them in their complete form over an extended period of time. Museums and libraries can apply it for related tasks, such as authenticating and sharing digital materials and objects.

The transition from access to ownership

A more recent example of blockchain's role in cultural preservation is Gleec's launch of Raphael Coin (RAPH), founded in early 2025 to liberalize ownership of historically significant fine art. Founded a decade ago, Gleec is a comprehensive platform that integrates blockchain infrastructure, secure chat, crypto cards, centralized and decentralized exchanges, and banking solutions with full regulatory compliance. RAPH was created following the recent rediscovery and authentication of "Recto: Study for the Battle of the Milvian Bridge" by Renaissance master Raphael, enabling public participation in world cultural heritage through blockchain technology.

Those interested in fractional art ownership can visit the RAPH website, register on Mandala or Gleec BTC Exchange, and purchase RAPH tokens representing ownership of "Recto." Gleec's blockchain maintains secure, transparent ownership records and supports custody of the physical artwork. Users can trade or hold their tokenized cultural assets.

One motivation people have to own cultural heritage involves the fact that it's deteriorating faster than the measures taken to restore it. These measures are failing to halt the fall into dilapidation due to a lack of resources. Tourism, rapid urbanization due to overpopulation, and climate change are the causes. Venice is visibly decaying at a rate far exceeding the government's investments in conservation. Excessive tourism, rising sea levels, and sinking piles are exacerbating the situation. In Pompeii, acid rain poses a threat to wooden artifacts, mosaics, frescoes, and stone structures.

Certain masonry works are being removed from properties due to financial pressure. In a process known as archival preservation, authorities subject the cultural property to "controlled removal" on condition that its current state be documented in compliance with cultural conservation agreements and that operators preserve all structural and decorative elements that the stonemasons produced.

Blockchains protect and encourage contribution to heritage projects

Blockchain technology gives casino players in the Western Canadian province of Saskatchewan access to detailed online casino reviews, drawing attention to platforms that contribute to community heritage and emphasize responsible gambling. The reviews highlight sites that use transparent software and support local charitable efforts. Many cultural landmarks and historic sites rely on donations or government funding for restoration and maintenance, and blockchains provide a transparent way to track donations, guaranteeing the efficient and appropriate use of funds. This transparency builds trust, encouraging more people to support and preserve their cultural heritage.

Cultural organizations can utilize a blockchain to establish a decentralized platform where companies or individuals donate directly to heritage projects. They will see how their funds are being used because each transaction is recorded on the blockchain, offering a level of accountability to aspire to. Many online casinos are already using blockchains to secure transactions, and they can deploy them for preservation or charitable initiatives.

"Recto" isn't the only piece of Italian heritage a blockchain is helping preserve. Government administrations require digital archives, but they are typically maintained as centralized databases or repositories, which poses a security risk and creates a single point of failure in terms of trust. These issues arose during the digitization of Italy's General Catalog for Cultural Heritage, a process designed to protect the country's cultural heritage. Blockchain-based architecture guarantees the archive's efficient and cost-effective availability and security.

The cases of Kyoto's Ninna-ji temple and Rio's Escadaria Selarón

Many of the temples in Kyoto, Japan, are in need of renovation or reconstruction due to age. One effort in this direction involved a recent blockchain-based project to reconstruct the Ninna-ji temple through donations. All expenses were recorded on-chain, which not only ensured transparency but also provided a unique privilege to users who supported the project's aims. The utility proposed was the right to stay in a special room in the temple where an emperor once slept.

The Museum of Astronomy and Related Sciences in Rio de Janeiro is considering adopting blockchain technology to tokenize its cultural heritage. The specific focus of this effort is the Escadaria Selarón, also known as Selarón's Steps. The initiative enables fractional ownership of the monument, opening up possibilities for new financing models and negotiation methods on crypto platforms. Over 500 people were involved in the funding, and the local government approved the management plan for the Steps. The project may become the flagship tokenization of a Brazilian public monument, testing the viability of financing models that combine cultural heritage preservation, crowdfunding, and the secondary market. 

Addressing technological barriers to cultural access

The use of blockchain should not create technological barriers to cultural access. The user experience must be intuitive and straightforward. Democratizing access also involves low or even the absence of transaction costs, ensuring that blockchains don't hinder the end-user experience. Finally, prioritizing open and interoperable standards is essential to ensure that cultural masterpieces, monuments, and collections remain freely accessible rather than siloed by proprietary technologies.

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