TCLK: Blockchain-Powered Information Platform

In February 2020, an entrepreneur and his team in China created a mobile application called Tong Cheng Lian Kang (TCLK), which crowdsourced information on publicly known cases of COVID-19, enabling users to find out if they might have been exposed to an infected individual. The application leveraged blockchain technology to record and validate user submissions of COVID-19 cases to ensure that submission and validation data were immutable, transparent, and decentralized. Users could volunteer to submit publicly recorded cases of COVID-19 or to validate the submissions of others in exchange for digital tokens on the blockchain platform, which they could use to redeem small gifts. As the number of new COVID-19 cases decreased, the entrepreneur wondered how to expand the blockchain concept to build a more sustainable business model. He was considering three options: expanding internationally, which would require building trust with users who lacked familiarity with Chinese applications; diversifying within the healthcare industry by expanding to a business-to-business model, possibly by linking prospective patients to hospitals and health care; and applying the blockchain concept to address issues in industries outside of healthcare. How could he best ensure the sustainability of TCLK?

This case is suitable for undergraduate- and graduate-level courses on strategy, innovation, and disruptive technologies. After completion of the case and assignment questions, students will be able to:<ul><li>Understand the challenges of efficiently disseminating information during a pandemic.</li><li>Assess the key features and benefits of blockchain.</li><li>Evaluate the ability of blockchain features to increase the efficiency of information sharing.</li><li>Consider the challenges and considerations of implementing disruptive technology in a crisis environment.</li><ul>

• covid19
• blockchain