The Future of Blockchain and Healthcare with Dr. Alex Cahana

Today’s guest believes strongly that healthcare needs blockchain and blockchain needs healthcare. In this episode, Dr. Alex Cahana returns to the show to discuss how blockchain can be the impetus for societal change in the healthcare industry. Dr. Cahana is a medical doctor, an ambassador to the UN for blockchain, and a theme developer for ARK Invest. He is on a mission to “block change healthcare and healthify the crypto space”. In our discussion, Dr. Cahana explains how he has seen the world change over the past two years in terms of healthcare and blockchain technology. He talks about why healthcare needs blockchain, the benefits and vast potential of tokenizing health data, and his three steps to addressing the current problems in healthcare with decentralization. Dr. Cahana also sheds light on his work in Sub-Saharan Africa and why the general adoption of crypto across Africa is much higher than of the rest of the world, as well as what it means for El Salvador to be the first country that has adopted Bitcoin as legal tender, before discussing the difference between “lean and obese” economies and the adoption of blockchain. To find out where Dr. Cahana sees healthcare, blockchain, and the world at large going in the next two to five years, as well as the three things that he’s most excited about in the near future, don’t miss this episode! “This financial freedom, which I think a lot of people here in the United States don’t have, is going to unleash something that perhaps central governments are not interested in it be[ing] unleashed.” — Alex Cahana Key Points From This Episode: An introduction to today’s guest Dr. Alex Cahana and his career in healthcare and blockchain. How Dr. Cahana has seen the world change over the past two years in terms of healthcare and blockchain technology. Why healthcare needs blockchain and why just rebuilding the existing technology system on centralized infrastructure isn’t enough. Why Dr. Cahana believes that the real benefits of blockchain to healthcare can be found in the idea of tokenization. Thoughts on how we can tokenize health data in a privacy preserving manner. The problem of data ownership. The three steps to addressing the current problems in healthcare with decentralization starting with: educating people and making them aware that their data is their own. Step two: addressing the problems that each stakeholder is experiencing in healthcare now. Step three: deriving sustainable business models from this and how this will look very different in each market. How the Global Blockchain Business Council is ‘healthifying’ the crypto space. Insight into Dr. Cahana’s work in Sub-Saharan Africa and what he learned from the way Africa dealt with COVID. Why general crypto adoption across Africa is much higher than that of the rest of the world, according to Dr. Cahana. The difference between “lean and obese” economies and how this relates to a nation’s willingness to adopt blockchain. What it means for El Salvador to be the first country that has adopted Bitcoin as legal tender. How Latin America’s adoption of blockchain differs from that of Africa. Dr. Cahana’s thoughts on how leaders need to transition from being omnipresent leaders to facilitators and educators as the world transitions from Web 2.0 to Web 3.0. Predictions on whether or not global bodies like the IMF and the UN will continue to be resistant to the adoption of Bitcoin as legal tender. Where Dr. Cahana sees healthcare, blockchain, and the world at large going in the next two to five years, and the three things that he’s most excited about.