According to a new report from Scottish Enterprise, blockchain technology could attract around £4.5bn (about $6bn) of investment into the Scottish economy by the end of the decade.

A report from Scottish National Economic Development Agency Scottish Enterprise says that there are now about 60 “blockchain-oriented” companies in Scotland, 78 institutional investors, and approximately 120 centers for studying blockchain technologies.

The greatest economic expectations and interest in the implementation of the blockchain are recorded in six sectors of the economy: agriculture, industrial production, healthcare, consumer goods (FMCG), space, energy, finance and education. The study emphasizes that blockchain technology has prospects for implementation in the entertainment industry, as well as in solutions related to the management of digital property rights or contracts.

“The main challenges hindering the wider adoption and use of blockchain technology in Scotland include regulatory uncertainty and a lack of technical knowledge. As well as public opinion, where blockchain is often associated with cryptocurrency and can cause negative perception due to its association with fraudulent or illegal activities,” the agency said in a report.

At the end of 2022, a British court permanently banned Liverpool resident Curtis Warren, known as the “British Pablo Escobar”, from owning bitcoins and using the WhatsApp messenger.