Vatican Library adopts blockchain technology to safeguard manuscripts and involve benefactors
The Vatican Library has joined forces with NTT DATA Italia to utilize blockchain technology in order to safeguard its extensive collection of manuscripts. The “Vatican Library Web3 Support Project,” unveiled on June 17, aims to expand the library’s online community and involve supporters through modern technology.
The Vatican Library, which houses approximately 180,000 manuscripts and over 1.5 million printed books, will be issuing non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to donors and social media users. At present, the experimental project is only available to residents of Italy, although a trial run was initially introduced in Japan in February 2023.
Individuals who shared the NFT project on their social media accounts by July 16 were rewarded with a “Silver NFT,” granting them access to a special collection of high-resolution images of 15 manuscripts. Financial supporters of the project received a “Gold NFT,” providing them access to high-resolution images of all 21 manuscripts in the collection.
According to an OpenSea proof-of-concept, 419 users have received Polygon-based NFTs, demonstrating the functionality of blockchain technology in preserving cultural heritage. These NFTs are soulbound, meaning they are non-transferable and permanently linked to the recipient’s digital wallet.
The Vatican Library, an ancient and significant repository of historical texts dating back to the 14th century (the Catholic Church has maintained a library and archive since the 300s), aims to make ancient documents more accessible to the public through this web3 project.
In 2020, the Vatican Library introduced a new website with improved search functions and easier access to digital reproductions of manuscripts, inventories, and archival materials. The campaign seeks to safeguard cultural heritage, with future plans potentially including immersive extended reality (XR) experiences, such as augmented or virtual reality.
Since 2014, NTT DATA Italia has been working with the Vatican Library using its digital archive service AMLAD, which contains over 2 million assets, to preserve historic documents. The company has invested heavily in web3 infrastructure and is also preparing to launch a crypto wallet later this year, underscoring its dedication to the digital future.
