The County has signed a five -year association with the Balcony real estate infrastructure firm to digitize and token its entire real estate system in the avalanche block chain. This initiative will migrate around 370,000 properties, approximately $ 240 billion in real estate, in the chain, marking what Avalanche describes as the largest blockchain token project in the history of the United States.
Historic $240B Blockchain Deed Project Launches in New Jersey
In a groundbreaking move, Bergen County, New Jersey, has partnered with real estate infrastructure firm Balcony to digitize and tokenize its entire real estate deed system on the Avalanche blockchain. This five-year initiative aims to migrate over 370,000 property records—representing approximately $240 billion in real estate—onto a secure, immutable digital ledger, marking the largest blockchain-based deed tokenization project in U.S. history.
Transforming Property Records with Blockchain
The project’s primary goal is to modernize Bergen County’s property record management by leveraging blockchain technology. By bringing records on-chain, the county anticipates reducing deed settlement times from the traditional 90 days to just one day. Additionally, the system will make documents instantly accessible, digitally searchable, and tamper-proof, thereby reducing fraud and improving transparency.
“This initiative is about improving the lives of our residents,” said John Hogan, County Clerk of Bergen County. “By digitizing property records, we are making the process simpler, faster, and more secure for homeowners, businesses, and future generations.”
Addressing Systemic Vulnerabilities
The move comes as municipalities across New Jersey seek to modernize outdated systems vulnerable to ransomware and data loss. In 2023 alone, 23 municipalities in the state were hit by ransomware attacks, with some towns paying up to $1 million per breach to restore systems. Tokenizing property records not only hardens public infrastructure against such threats but also streamlines public service delivery.
Balcony’s platform, powered by Avalanche’s high-speed, low-cost, and customizable technology stack, will provide a tamper-proof, fully digitized, and searchable chain of title across all 70 municipalities in Bergen County. The integration is expected to cut deed processing times by over 90% while reducing the risk of fraud, title disputes, and administrative errors.
Expanding the Blockchain Footprint
Beyond Bergen County, other New Jersey municipalities, including Camden, Orange, Morristown, and Fort Lee, are in discussions with Balcony to adopt similar blockchain-based systems. In Orange, the platform has already helped recover nearly $1 million in previously uncollected tax revenue, highlighting the potential financial benefits of such initiatives.
“Property records form the foundation of trust between governments and the communities they serve,” said Gregg Lester, President of Balcony. “By bringing this critical infrastructure on-chain, we’re not only streamlining operations but also safeguarding public trust.”
The Bergen County project brings the total number of tokenized property deeds in New Jersey to approximately 460,000, signaling a broader trend toward the adoption of blockchain technology in public record management.(
As blockchain continues to demonstrate its utility in real-world applications, initiatives like Bergen County’s may serve as a model for other jurisdictions seeking to modernize their systems, enhance transparency, and improve service delivery to residents.
Sources: Inman, Cointelegraph, Banking Dive, CoinDesk, NJBIZ, Altcoin Buzz, Ledger Insights, AInvest, Avalanche, Cryptonews, CoinTrust, PR Newswire, Yahoo Finance
