The City of Reno has launched Biggest Little Blockchain, a blockchain-based platform that will create and store records related to Reno’s Register of Historic Places. It will be the first city-run and resident-based blockchain platform in the United States, according to the city officials.

Biggest Little Blockchain will use a blockchain platform called STRATO created by New York-based company BlocApps. It will be free for the city, according to a press release, and not a notable source of energy consumption or greenhouse gas emissions.
"I'm excited that the Biggest Little Blockchain showcases the usefulness of blockchain technology for all Reno residents," Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve said in the release. "Citizens deserve transparency and accountability from their government, and this new pilot project empowers every Reno resident with easy access to information, and how fitting that we are starting with the historic buildings that are the heart and soul of our community."

Jeff Powell, Vice President of Sales of BlockApps, added: “BlockApps is happy to partner with the City of Reno on the first of its kind city-run blockchain project. BlockApps has always been a pioneer in blockchain implementations, and it is a great opportunity to work with the City of Reno on their own groundbreaking initiative.”
In addition to exploring the more well-known applications of the blockchain, some U.S. cities are using the technology for what it is at its core – a ledger.

Blockchains may be most commonly associated with cryptocurrency and other innovations often thought to be flashy or novel, but a growing number of municipalities are embracing projects that use the technology for more basic needs.
BlockApps, a New York-based blockchain software company, is building Reno’s system free of charge given its interest in the project, according to BlockApps Vice President of Sales Jeff Powell. It’s the company’s first time working with a municipality.
Reno’s Register of Historic Places, a list administered by the city’s Development Services Department, will be the first record system to use the technology, according to the city.

Reno hopes to expand the system to encompass other city records, such as maintenance work, permitting, and licensing, according to the city press release.
The blockchain application, built by BlockApps, creates a single ledger, documenting consecutive transactions in a designated process. This project is unrelated to Bitcoin or any other cryptocurrency.

Over the course of the 2023, the City will continue to work with BlockApps to build out and expand the records kept on the blockchain, but for now the focus will be on adding visuals and giving residents a better idea of what changes have been made to each of the properties on the City’s historic registry.

The public and all relevant City departments can now access the same records through an online platform, providing clarity and transparency. Additionally, blockchain technology creates and stores records that cannot be lost or changed, providing increased government accountability to the public.