Poland's Pekao Bank uses blockchain to preserve art in Arctic vault

Poland's second largest bank, Bank Pekao, is using blockchain technology to preserve the country's cultural heritage.

According to a Pekao Press releaseThe bank partnered with Aleph Zero to launch Archiv3, a project aimed at tokenizing Polish works of art and storing them securely for future generations.

Tokenization is the process of converting physical assets, such as art, into digital tokens on a blockchain, making them easier to store and track.

For this project, Bank Pekao digitizes famous Polish works of art, such as those by Jan Matejko and Stanisław Wyspiański, using advanced 3D scanning technology. These digital versions are then stored as non-fungible tokens on the green Aleph Zero blockchain, ensuring their long-term preservation.

World Arctic Archive

The tokenized artwork will also be archived at the Arctic World Archive, a facility in Svalbard, Norway, designed to protect important data from threats such as cyberattacks and natural disasters. The AWA is known for storing cultural and scientific data from organizations such as UNESCO and the Vatican, according to a version of Archiv3.

The bank hopes that by using a decentralized ledger, works of art will remain secure and accessible to future generations, even in the event of a global catastrophe.

This initiative reflects a broader trend of integrating traditional banking with modern technologies such as blockchain, opening new avenues for digital asset management.

Previously, on October 2, Christie's announced plans to use blockchain technology to issue blockchain-based certificates of ownership for works of art sold at auction.