Blockchain technology for small and medium business under the conditions of instability of the twenties of the 21st century

This study is aimed at studying the possibility and necessity of using blockchain technology for payments by small and medium–sized businesses for various realistic scenarios in the context of instability associated with the consequences of the 2020–2021 pandemic, geopolitical changes and sanctions pressure on companies in the Russian Federation. Blockchain as a technology has been gaining interest in the last few years. A lot of research has been conducted to understand how technologies for payment can be used for large projects, and to determine if this technology is suitable for various realistic scenarios. When it comes to implementing blockchain technology for payments, companies and businesses find themselves at a crossroads due to the lack of a clear vision. This leads to serious doubts about whether such blockchain technology is suitable for payments by companies that intend to use it. There are real examples of the implementation of blockchain technology in large international companies as they have both financial and technical support for the development and implementation of the technology. However, when it comes to small and medium–sized businesses, it must be said that they often suffer from a lack of resources, especially when it comes to the introduction of new technologies. The purpose of this study is to consider the features to apply blockchain technology by small and medium enterprises for payments in unstable environments, define the opportunities to introduce and use this technology by small and medium enterprises, and also potential problems that may arise while using the blockchain technology to process the payments.