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Sorry if this is a dumb question but I'm a newbie regarding the blockchain.

Currently, I have a centralized database to manage a gamification system (handling badges, points, votes, reputation, etc.). However, I'd like to decentralize it and I thought about using the Ethereum platform. So, I have two questions:

  1. Is it possible to convert a centralized database into one based on the blockchain?

  2. Is it financially viable? I mean, I don't fully get how this works. We have to pay every contract, right? Does that mean I'd pay for every new user or for every action made by users (e.g. every time their badges/reputation/etc. are updated)?

If the latter, it seems to be that the costs would be pretty high as the number of transactions would be huge. I'd appreciate if someone could clarify those points for me. Thanks!

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1) Yes, in many cases 2) No, in most cases

The Ethereum blockchain isn't a good place to store large amounts of frequently updated data. You'll pay for every state-altering transaction.

What benefits are you expecting to reap in order to justify a move to blockchain? It'll be both significantly slower and more expensive than your existing system. If your concern is data integrity, I'd suggest looking at backup/replication services and tightening up your firewalls.

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  • Thanks, @AndyK. My main goal would be to decentralize the verification process of badges and reputation as I'd intend to use them to reward tokens (money). Taking StackExchange as an example, reward tokens when you receive upvotes.
    – brians69
    Dec 18, 2017 at 18:31

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