Blockchain is practically tailor-made for business, and not just because it's a cornerstone of Bitcoin. Its decentralized, speedy approach to secure transactions is more convenient for tracking cargo around the world or providing digital IDs to those who'd otherwise have nothing. And Microsoft knows it -- it's partnering with Intel to introduce a framework, Coco, that promises to make blockchain accessible to virtually any large business where it might help. It draws on Intel's Software Guard Extensions to provide blockchain's distributed tech with speed (up to 1,600 transactions per second) and security that scales to just about any kind of business with relative ease. You don't need to spend as much time crafting a custom blockchain system, or pay through the nose for computing power as your demands grow.