A Practical Analysis of Techniques for Minting Genetic Information as NFTs in Blockchain Technology

Abstract

In this paper we perform a practical analysis of techniques for minting genetic information, in particular genomic data, as non-fungible tokens (NFTs) in supporting blockchains, and perform a wide-range analysis of the best and most efficient tools to ensure such data’s privacy, non-repudiation and storage efficiency. We analyze the demands of the NFT-driven blockchain ecosystem today, and discuss how we can apply common approaches in storing and accessing genomic data, such as compression methods and encryption techniques for it, to the NFT world. We perform a practical experiment of our assessment, and compare the publicly available tools and libraries for achieving the aforementioned goal, in order to determine which one provides the best results in terms of speed and storage efficiency, and draw relevant conclusions as to which approach is more beneficial to NFT-driven ecosystems where genomic data could be safely preserved and actively traded.