The traditional model of communication networks is based on a centralized infrastructure where a single entity controls the entire network. This approach has several disadvantages, including vulnerabilities to attacks and information censorship. From a business standpoint, most enterprises rely on external entities for their communication infrastructure because of high construction and maintenance costs. However, this results in siloed communication networks lacking interoperability and having inefficiencies. Moreover, with the increasing use of email scraping tools, employees spend around two hours daily weeding out spam from essential emails. Considering such bombardment of organizational inboxes with unsolicited communications, giving individuals more control over who can message them is necessary. Leveraging blockchain technology and cryptography, innovative messaging platforms like TokLok address the above issues, as discussed in this article. Permissioned Networks, Private Communications A permissioned communication network is where the participant’s identity is duly verified, even if publicly undisclosed. Creating such networks is possible using blockchains where users can have a unique and cryptographically verifiable digital identity. One can use this identity to access services available only to authorized users. By enabling users to host private communication channels cost-effectively, blockchain also enhances data ...
