A recent survey conducted by the Hanseatic Blockchain Institute, drawing on data from the Ifo economic survey, paints a stark picture of technological adoption in Germany.

While artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly becoming a cornerstone of business operations, blockchain technology struggles to gain a foothold.

The data shows minimal adoption of blockchain technology in German companies. In 2023, only 3.2% of surveyed companies reported using blockchain, a figure that slightly decreased to 3.1% in 2024.

While there was a slight uptick in companies planning to adopt blockchain, rising from 3.7% in 2023 to 4.1% in 2024, this modest increase does little to offset the overwhelming majority of businesses that consider the technology irrelevant. 72.6% of companies in 2024 declared blockchain “no topic,” a figure only marginally lower than the 74.5% recorded in 2023.

Das #W3NOW Projekt, gefördert vom @BMWK, hatte das Ziel, die #Blockchain-Adoption in Deutschland zu erforschen. Im Zentrum stand die Frage, wie stark Blockchain-Technologien tatsächlich in der Wirtschaft genutzt werden?
Mehr Info: https://t.co/9A3tLcTn6E pic.twitter.com/llV0McEiDh

— Hanseatic Blockchain Institute (HBI) (@Blockchain_HH) March 20, 2025

Financial Services Leads Blockchain Adoption

Sector-specific analysis reveals similar trends. In the service sector, 76% of companies found blockchain irrelevant in 2024, while in retail, the figure reached over 80%.

Conversely, the financial services sector stands out as a key adopter, with 57% of blockchain-using companies implementing the technology (n=111).

Digital identities also show promise, with 30% of blockchain users having implemented related solutions.

AI and Cloud Computing Adoption Rates Show Notable Growth in Germany

In stark contrast to blockchain, the adoption of AI has seen explosive growth.

The percentage of companies implementing AI doubled within a year, surging from 13.3% in 2023 to 27% in 2024. Similarly, the proportion of businesses planning to integrate AI rose dramatically from 9.2% to 18%.

Perhaps most telling is the sharp decline in companies dismissing AI as irrelevant, dropping from 40.8% to 21.2%.

Meanwhile, cloud computing remains the most pervasive technology, with 46.5% of companies utilizing it in 2023, far outpacing both blockchain and AI.

The Complexities of Blockchain Adoption

The survey findings also pointed to several factors hindering wider blockchain adoption.

The complexity and perceived uncertainty of the technology, coupled with a risk-averse business culture, contribute to its slow uptake.

Public perception, often tainted by associations with volatile cryptocurrencies, further complicates matters.

The blockchain oracle problem – the inability of blockchains to access external data, the difficulty of authenticating data on the blockchain, and the lack of skilled workers are also significant hurdles.

Despite these challenges, the survey identifies promising areas for blockchain application. The financial services sector, with its already established use of the technology, shows its maturity and potential.

Digital identities, driven by the need for secure identity management, also offer a growth opportunity.

The Hanseatic Blockchain Institute sees the need for targeted education and training, collaborative partnerships, and government support to accelerate blockchain adoption.

In addition, the study calls for Germany and Europe to prioritize data sovereignty and to continue researching the long-term implications of the technology, especially in light of new EU regulations such as the Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) regulation.

According to Moritz Schildt, chairman of the Hanseatic Blockchain Institute, technological innovation does not guarantee automatic adoption. He stated that “the advantages and potentials of a new technology do not spread automatically,” adding:

“The replacement of proven processes with something new is not a given, and in many cases, with the emergence of new technical possibilities, it is not yet foreseeable when exactly and how exactly the new technology will be adopted, in which areas and for which tasks it will prove useful, and in what form a ‘mass adoption,’ i.e., widespread use, will develop.”

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A former sound engineer for Eminem was charged Wednesday with stealing, leaking, and selling the rapper’s unreleased music for about $50,000 in Bitcoin (BTC).

The US authorities have charged Joseph Strange (46) of Michigan, USA, with criminal infringement of a copyright and interstate transportation of stolen goods, according to a press release by the US Department of Justice (DOJ).

The charge was announced by the Acting United States Attorney Julie Beck and Special Agent in Charge at the FBI Detroit Field Office in Michigan, Cheyvoryea Gibson.

If convicted, Strange faces up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

According to the New York Times, which claims to have seen the court records, Strange sold about 25 songs that Eminem wrote between 1999 and 2018 for $50,000 in BTC.

Furthermore, per DOJ, the FBI was able to identify and locate several individuals who bought the unreleased music. Importantly, these people identified Strange as the seller.

A couple of fans told the FBI they bought songs directly from Strange. One said he had paid about $1,000 for two songs, presumably in BTC. These people were reportedly not charged.

‘We Will Find You’

Strange worked for Eminem between 2007 and 2021. He was one of only four employees with access to this studio’s password-protected hard drives of Eminem music.

Employees of the rapper’s studio in Michigan contacted the FBI in mid-January 2025. They found unreleased music – still in the development process – online and for sale on various sites.

People also played this music on sites including YouTube and Reddit, court records show.

In a now-deleted post, Fredwreck, a longtime producer and associate of Eminem and Dr. Dre, threatened the leaker that they would find him and punish him according to “street law.” However, a tipster contacted Fredwreck, opening the door to solving the case.

Per the records, the tipster was an Eminem fan who used the screen name Doja Rat. The 31-year-old man from Canada told the FBI that he was the buyer and had made the purchases beginning in the summer of 2024.

Doja Rat raised the $50,000 from a group of Eminem fans.

Furthermore, in a search of Strange’s home, the FBI reportedly found thousands of music files, a number of Eminem’s handwritten lyric sheets in a safe, and a VHS tape of an unreleased music video.

Presumably, Strange intended to make more sales in exchange for BTC.

In a statement to The Detroit Free Press, the rapper’s representative described the leak as “significant damage caused by a trusted employee to Eminem’s artistic legacy and creative integrity.” The incident caused “enormous financial losses” to many creators and collaborators.

Furthermore, these songs were “experiments.” They were “studio efforts never meant for public consumption,” a representative said when the songs leaked in January.

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