Pub Date : 2019-10-25DOI: 10.3389/fbloc.2019.00013
Nadia Fabrizio, E. Rossi, Andrea Martini, Dimitar Anastasovski, P. Cappello, Lorenzo Candeago, B. Lepri
Invoice discounting is a market with a double-digit potential growth rate in Europe and worldwide in the next years. The main benefit of invoice discounting is the acceleration of cash flow from customers to suppliers: suppliers get advance payments from the bank, rather than waiting for the customers to pay. Hence, thanks to the quick availability of capital, businesses can invest in expansion and growth. More specifically, one of the most relevant problems today is how to provide better and faster invoice discounting services while preventing the double spending and maintaining the risk low. The blockchain frameworks have the potential to provide the right solution and thus to revolutionize the invoice discounting process. The benefits for suppliers, customers and financial institutions are related to the increased transparency added to the whole discounting process and the following risk reduction for the banks due to the capability to enhance the entire process and to reduce the double spending. In our paper, we introduce a blockchain-based invoice discounting system, called Distributed Ledger Invoice, and we propose a novel assessment method for evaluating currently available blockchain solutions for the invoice discounting scenario. Moreover, we also discuss two main issues regarding the information accessibility and the interoperability. In particular, since blockchain is still an emerging technology interoperability is a key factor for the blockchain adoption in inter-banking processes, where different blockchains solutions might be used. In this work we propose a decoupling layer, based on the Attribute-Based Access Control language, to unify the access control to reserved information across heterogeneous blockchains.
{"title":"Invoice Discounting: A Blockchain-Based Approach","authors":"Nadia Fabrizio, E. Rossi, Andrea Martini, Dimitar Anastasovski, P. Cappello, Lorenzo Candeago, B. Lepri","doi":"10.3389/fbloc.2019.00013","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fbloc.2019.00013","url":null,"abstract":"Invoice discounting is a market with a double-digit potential growth rate in Europe and worldwide in the next years. The main benefit of invoice discounting is the acceleration of cash flow from customers to suppliers: suppliers get advance payments from the bank, rather than waiting for the customers to pay. Hence, thanks to the quick availability of capital, businesses can invest in expansion and growth. More specifically, one of the most relevant problems today is how to provide better and faster invoice discounting services while preventing the double spending and maintaining the risk low. The blockchain frameworks have the potential to provide the right solution and thus to revolutionize the invoice discounting process. The benefits for suppliers, customers and financial institutions are related to the increased transparency added to the whole discounting process and the following risk reduction for the banks due to the capability to enhance the entire process and to reduce the double spending. In our paper, we introduce a blockchain-based invoice discounting system, called Distributed Ledger Invoice, and we propose a novel assessment method for evaluating currently available blockchain solutions for the invoice discounting scenario. Moreover, we also discuss two main issues regarding the information accessibility and the interoperability. In particular, since blockchain is still an emerging technology interoperability is a key factor for the blockchain adoption in inter-banking processes, where different blockchains solutions might be used. In this work we propose a decoupling layer, based on the Attribute-Based Access Control language, to unify the access control to reserved information across heterogeneous blockchains.","PeriodicalId":158641,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers Blockchain","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-10-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"124778423","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2019-10-22DOI: 10.3389/fbloc.2019.00015
Aiste Rugeviciute, Afshin Mehrpouya
Citation: Rugeviciute A and Mehrpouya A (2019) Blockchain, a Panacea for Development Accountability? A Study of the Barriers and Enablers for Blockchain’s Adoption by Development Aid Organizations. Front. Blockchain 2:15. doi: 10.3389/fbloc.2019.00015 Blockchain, a Panacea for Development Accountability? A Study of the Barriers and Enablers for Blockchain’s Adoption by Development Aid Organizations
引用本文:Rugeviciute A和Mehrpouya A (2019) b区块链:发展问责制的灵丹妙药?发展援助组织采用区块链的障碍与推动因素研究。前面。区块链2:15。doi: 10.3389/fbloc.2019.00015区块链，发展问责制的灵丹妙药?发展援助组织采用区块链的障碍与推动因素研究
{"title":"Blockchain, a Panacea for Development Accountability? A Study of the Barriers and Enablers for Blockchain's Adoption by Development Aid Organizations","authors":"Aiste Rugeviciute, Afshin Mehrpouya","doi":"10.3389/fbloc.2019.00015","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fbloc.2019.00015","url":null,"abstract":"Citation: Rugeviciute A and Mehrpouya A (2019) Blockchain, a Panacea for Development Accountability? A Study of the Barriers and Enablers for Blockchain’s Adoption by Development Aid Organizations. Front. Blockchain 2:15. doi: 10.3389/fbloc.2019.00015 Blockchain, a Panacea for Development Accountability? A Study of the Barriers and Enablers for Blockchain’s Adoption by Development Aid Organizations","PeriodicalId":158641,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers Blockchain","volume":"21 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-10-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"116945467","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2019-10-17DOI: 10.3389/fbloc.2019.00014
Ludovico Rella
Since their emergence, blockchain technologies have shown potential for financial inclusion and the formalization of remittances. Recently, regulators and practitioners have studied the capabilities of blockchain technologies to streamline and, potentially, replace the infrastructure underpinning cross-border payments and remittances, i.e., correspondent banking. Correspondent Banking Relationships, also called “Nostro-Vostro accounts,” are continuous bilateral arrangements that enable banks to provide services in countries where they do not directly operate. After the Global Financial Crisis, this infrastructure has undergone “de-risking,” i.e., a reduction of correspondent accounts and their concentration in fewer financial institutions, with especially detrimental effects on costs and speed of retail cross-border remittances. The existing literature has mostly focused on the point of sale of remittances, often overlooking correspondent banking. This paper, in contrast, connects remittances, blockchain technologies, and correspondent banking with the growing interest of critical social science in the significance of payment infrastructures for the constitution and configuration of money, finance, and markets. By unpacking the critical case of Ripple, this paper shows that blockchain applications to remittances focus on profits, risks, costs, interoperability, “trapped liquidity,” and “idle capital” in correspondent banking accounts, rather than on financial inclusion per se. In so doing, this paper contributes to critical social studies literature on the formalization of remittances, understood as the transformation of remittances into a market frontier. Blockchain applications are shown to foster, rather than resist, remittances formalization, and they are presently being incorporated into existing infrastructures, business models, and regulatory structures. Rather than representing radically alternative monetary systems, blockchain technologies are the latest iteration of technologies heralding frictionless capitalism. Lastly, this paper shows the tensions and ambiguities inherent to interoperability and formalization. Blockchain technologies are dynamic in a way that problematizes dichotomies such formal-informal and mainstream-alternative. Hence, rather than providing a quantitative assessment of the impact of blockchain technologies, this paper investigates the ambiguities and tensions in the political economy and imaginaries inscribed in the materiality and design of blockchain-enabled payment systems.
{"title":"Blockchain Technologies and Remittances: From Financial Inclusion to Correspondent Banking","authors":"Ludovico Rella","doi":"10.3389/fbloc.2019.00014","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fbloc.2019.00014","url":null,"abstract":"Since their emergence, blockchain technologies have shown potential for financial inclusion and the formalization of remittances. Recently, regulators and practitioners have studied the capabilities of blockchain technologies to streamline and, potentially, replace the infrastructure underpinning cross-border payments and remittances, i.e., correspondent banking. Correspondent Banking Relationships, also called “Nostro-Vostro accounts,” are continuous bilateral arrangements that enable banks to provide services in countries where they do not directly operate. After the Global Financial Crisis, this infrastructure has undergone “de-risking,” i.e., a reduction of correspondent accounts and their concentration in fewer financial institutions, with especially detrimental effects on costs and speed of retail cross-border remittances. The existing literature has mostly focused on the point of sale of remittances, often overlooking correspondent banking. This paper, in contrast, connects remittances, blockchain technologies, and correspondent banking with the growing interest of critical social science in the significance of payment infrastructures for the constitution and configuration of money, finance, and markets. By unpacking the critical case of Ripple, this paper shows that blockchain applications to remittances focus on profits, risks, costs, interoperability, “trapped liquidity,” and “idle capital” in correspondent banking accounts, rather than on financial inclusion per se. In so doing, this paper contributes to critical social studies literature on the formalization of remittances, understood as the transformation of remittances into a market frontier. Blockchain applications are shown to foster, rather than resist, remittances formalization, and they are presently being incorporated into existing infrastructures, business models, and regulatory structures. Rather than representing radically alternative monetary systems, blockchain technologies are the latest iteration of technologies heralding frictionless capitalism. Lastly, this paper shows the tensions and ambiguities inherent to interoperability and formalization. Blockchain technologies are dynamic in a way that problematizes dichotomies such formal-informal and mainstream-alternative. Hence, rather than providing a quantitative assessment of the impact of blockchain technologies, this paper investigates the ambiguities and tensions in the political economy and imaginaries inscribed in the materiality and design of blockchain-enabled payment systems.","PeriodicalId":158641,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers Blockchain","volume":"31 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-10-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"124777945","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2019-09-06DOI: 10.3389/fbloc.2019.00011
Catherine Thompson
{"title":"Opportunities and Challenges in Applying Distributed Ledger Technologies in Global Supply Chains for Social Good","authors":"Catherine Thompson","doi":"10.3389/fbloc.2019.00011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fbloc.2019.00011","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":158641,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers Blockchain","volume":"11 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-09-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"132920185","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2019-08-28DOI: 10.3389/fbloc.2019.00009
Tae Wan Kim, Ariel Zetlin-Jones
An advantage of blockchain protocols is that a decentralized community of users may each update and maintain a public ledger without the need for a trusted third party. Such modifications introduce important economic and ethical considerations that we believe have been not been considered among the community of blockchain developers. We clarify the problem and provide one implementable ethical framework that such developers could use to determine which aspects should be immutable and which should not.
{"title":"The Ethics of Contentious Hard Forks in Blockchain Networks With Fixed Features","authors":"Tae Wan Kim, Ariel Zetlin-Jones","doi":"10.3389/fbloc.2019.00009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fbloc.2019.00009","url":null,"abstract":"An advantage of blockchain protocols is that a decentralized community of users may each update and maintain a public ledger without the need for a trusted third party. Such modifications introduce important economic and ethical considerations that we believe have been not been considered among the community of blockchain developers. We clarify the problem and provide one implementable ethical framework that such developers could use to determine which aspects should be immutable and which should not.","PeriodicalId":158641,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers Blockchain","volume":"11 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131929497","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2019-08-28DOI: 10.3389/fbloc.2019.00006
H. S. Jennath, S. Adarsh, Nikhil V. Chandran, R. Ananthan, A. Sabir, S. Asharaf
With the advances happening in the area of urbanization, with increased demand for dwellings and ever growing number of vehicles on road, finding a parking spot has become one of the major pain points for the citizens. This is mainly due to the limited parking spaces in the urban areas. To overcome this limitation, one solution is to create more parking spaces. In this work we propose a Blockchain based solution, where parking pools can be created by developing a transparent platform where individuals can rent out their unused land for a stipulated amount of time with little or no legal hassles. A non-fungible token system representing unique parking lots will be created for transparency of the entire system. This also has the added advantage of generating revenue from their otherwise unused property. Smart contracts over Blockchain enforces the contractual agreement between the participants ensuring financial transparency in the proposed system.
{"title":"Parkchain: A Blockchain Powered Parking Solution for Smart Cities","authors":"H. S. Jennath, S. Adarsh, Nikhil V. Chandran, R. Ananthan, A. Sabir, S. Asharaf","doi":"10.3389/fbloc.2019.00006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fbloc.2019.00006","url":null,"abstract":"With the advances happening in the area of urbanization, with increased demand for dwellings and ever growing number of vehicles on road, finding a parking spot has become one of the major pain points for the citizens. This is mainly due to the limited parking spaces in the urban areas. To overcome this limitation, one solution is to create more parking spaces. In this work we propose a Blockchain based solution, where parking pools can be created by developing a transparent platform where individuals can rent out their unused land for a stipulated amount of time with little or no legal hassles. A non-fungible token system representing unique parking lots will be created for transparency of the entire system. This also has the added advantage of generating revenue from their otherwise unused property. Smart contracts over Blockchain enforces the contractual agreement between the participants ensuring financial transparency in the proposed system.","PeriodicalId":158641,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers Blockchain","volume":"4 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"126360476","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2019-08-28DOI: 10.3389/fbloc.2019.00010
Joshua Hallwright, E. Carnaby
This paper describes one of Oxfam’s pilot projects exploring blockchain technology, focusing on the non-technological, institutional challenges faced by the organisation. There is an emerging literature on blockchain for social good, however, this predominantly focuses on the use cases and issues relating to applying the technology in international development projects. A gap in the literature exists regarding the non-technological aspects of blockchain projects both within the sector and more broadly. Addressing this gap is critically important as many of the promises of blockchain technology will only eventuate in their fullest when whole ecosystems are using the technology. To get there requires a transition period and it is this transition period that holds the key to success for organisations exploring the technology. This paper goes some way to addressing this gap. It does so by describing a specific case study and unpacking some of the organisational challenges associated with implementing a blockchain-based project in the international development and humanitarian sector. This has important implications for the sector as blockchain technology becomes ever more present as a tool capable of reducing inequality and addressing power imbalances. The Oxfam case study described in this paper highlights the difficulty many not-for-profits are having engaging with the technology. The lessons are drawn from a specific use case of a current pilot project using blockchain technology in a cash transfer preparedness project in a small island developing state. Although important and insightful, this paper does not focus on the specifics of the application of the technology but rather discusses the myriad non-technological challenges faced from Oxfam Australia’s perspective. These are categorised into three main areas: awareness and understanding of the technology, capacity constraints of in-house support services in providing relevant support for a nascent technology, and issues related to engaging in non-traditional partnerships. The paper concludes by recommending further areas of research and suggestions to develop practical tools and guidance to help the international development and humanitarian sector navigate this emerging technology.
{"title":"Complexities of Implementation: Oxfam Australia's Experience in Piloting Blockchain","authors":"Joshua Hallwright, E. Carnaby","doi":"10.3389/fbloc.2019.00010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fbloc.2019.00010","url":null,"abstract":"This paper describes one of Oxfam’s pilot projects exploring blockchain technology, focusing on the non-technological, institutional challenges faced by the organisation. There is an emerging literature on blockchain for social good, however, this predominantly focuses on the use cases and issues relating to applying the technology in international development projects. A gap in the literature exists regarding the non-technological aspects of blockchain projects both within the sector and more broadly. Addressing this gap is critically important as many of the promises of blockchain technology will only eventuate in their fullest when whole ecosystems are using the technology. To get there requires a transition period and it is this transition period that holds the key to success for organisations exploring the technology. This paper goes some way to addressing this gap. It does so by describing a specific case study and unpacking some of the organisational challenges associated with implementing a blockchain-based project in the international development and humanitarian sector. This has important implications for the sector as blockchain technology becomes ever more present as a tool capable of reducing inequality and addressing power imbalances. The Oxfam case study described in this paper highlights the difficulty many not-for-profits are having engaging with the technology. The lessons are drawn from a specific use case of a current pilot project using blockchain technology in a cash transfer preparedness project in a small island developing state. Although important and insightful, this paper does not focus on the specifics of the application of the technology but rather discusses the myriad non-technological challenges faced from Oxfam Australia’s perspective. These are categorised into three main areas: awareness and understanding of the technology, capacity constraints of in-house support services in providing relevant support for a nascent technology, and issues related to engaging in non-traditional partnerships. The paper concludes by recommending further areas of research and suggestions to develop practical tools and guidance to help the international development and humanitarian sector navigate this emerging technology.","PeriodicalId":158641,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers Blockchain","volume":"8 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"126395965","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2019-08-21DOI: 10.3389/fbloc.2019.00008
Massimo Bartoletti, R. Zunino
Although Bitcoin is mostly used as a decentralized application to transfer cryptocurrency, over the last ten years there have been several studies on how to exploit Bitcoin to execute smart contracts. These are computer protocols which allow users to exchange bitcoins according to complex pre-agreed rules. Some of these studies introduce formal models of Bitcoin contracts, which specify their behaviour in non-ambiguous terms, in some cases providing tools to automatically verify relevant contract properties. In this paper we survey the formal models proposed in the scientific literature, comparing their expressiveness and applicability in the wild.
{"title":"Formal Models of Bitcoin Contracts: A Survey","authors":"Massimo Bartoletti, R. Zunino","doi":"10.3389/fbloc.2019.00008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fbloc.2019.00008","url":null,"abstract":"Although Bitcoin is mostly used as a decentralized application to transfer cryptocurrency, over the last ten years there have been several studies on how to exploit Bitcoin to execute smart contracts. These are computer protocols which allow users to exchange bitcoins according to complex pre-agreed rules. Some of these studies introduce formal models of Bitcoin contracts, which specify their behaviour in non-ambiguous terms, in some cases providing tools to automatically verify relevant contract properties. In this paper we survey the formal models proposed in the scientific literature, comparing their expressiveness and applicability in the wild.","PeriodicalId":158641,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers Blockchain","volume":"104 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"117156431","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2019-08-13DOI: 10.3389/fbloc.2019.00007
Stefano Bistarelli, Ivan Mercanti, Francesco Santini
In Bitcoin, the most common kind of transactions is in the form “Bob pays Alice”, and it is based on the Pay to-Public Key Hash(P2PKH) script, which are resolved by sending the public key and a digital signature created by the corresponding private key. P2PKH transactions are just one among many standard classes: a transaction is standard if it passes Bitcoin Core’s IsStandard() and IsStandardTx() tests. However, the creation of ad-hoc scripts to lock (and unlock) transactions allows for also generating non-standard transactions, which can be nevertheless broadcast and mined as well. In this work, we explore the Bitcoin block-chain with the purpose to analyze and classify standard and non-standard transactions, understanding how much the standard behaviour is respected.
{"title":"An Analysis of Non-standard Transactions","authors":"Stefano Bistarelli, Ivan Mercanti, Francesco Santini","doi":"10.3389/fbloc.2019.00007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fbloc.2019.00007","url":null,"abstract":"In Bitcoin, the most common kind of transactions is in the form “Bob pays Alice”, and it is based on the Pay to-Public Key Hash(P2PKH) script, which are resolved by sending the public key and a digital signature created by the corresponding private key. P2PKH transactions are just one among many standard classes: a transaction is standard if it passes Bitcoin Core’s IsStandard() and IsStandardTx() tests. However, the creation of ad-hoc scripts to lock (and unlock) transactions allows for also generating non-standard transactions, which can be nevertheless broadcast and mined as well. In this work, we explore the Bitcoin block-chain with the purpose to analyze and classify standard and non-standard transactions, understanding how much the standard behaviour is respected.","PeriodicalId":158641,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers Blockchain","volume":"266 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"130358906","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2019-07-12DOI: 10.3389/fbloc.2019.00005
V. Lemieux
This paper discusses blockchain technology as a recordkeeping system, linking recordkeeping to power of authority, veneration (temples) and control (prisons) that configure and reconfigure social, economic and political relations. It discusses blockchain technology as being constructed as a mechanism to counter institutions and social actors that currently hold power, but whom are nowadays often viewed with mistrust. It explores claims for blockchain as a recordkeeping force of resistance to those powers. Using an archival theoretic analytic lens, the paper evaluates claims that blockchain technology can support the creation and preservation of trustworthy records able to serve as alternative sources of evidence of rights, entitlements and actions than that which is provided by centralized public repositories of records, such as archives and public registries. The analysis problematizes such claims, pointing to shortcomings in the design, implementation and governance of blockchain platforms that fall short of the ideal of trustworthy public recordkeeping, but suggesting that through unveiling these weaknesses, it may be possible for blockchain recordkeeping to address the ills of current, centralized approaches to public recordkeeping.
{"title":"Blockchain and Public Record Keeping: Of Temples, Prisons, and the (Re)Configuration of Power","authors":"V. Lemieux","doi":"10.3389/fbloc.2019.00005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fbloc.2019.00005","url":null,"abstract":"This paper discusses blockchain technology as a recordkeeping system, linking recordkeeping to power of authority, veneration (temples) and control (prisons) that configure and reconfigure social, economic and political relations. It discusses blockchain technology as being constructed as a mechanism to counter institutions and social actors that currently hold power, but whom are nowadays often viewed with mistrust. It explores claims for blockchain as a recordkeeping force of resistance to those powers. Using an archival theoretic analytic lens, the paper evaluates claims that blockchain technology can support the creation and preservation of trustworthy records able to serve as alternative sources of evidence of rights, entitlements and actions than that which is provided by centralized public repositories of records, such as archives and public registries. The analysis problematizes such claims, pointing to shortcomings in the design, implementation and governance of blockchain platforms that fall short of the ideal of trustworthy public recordkeeping, but suggesting that through unveiling these weaknesses, it may be possible for blockchain recordkeeping to address the ills of current, centralized approaches to public recordkeeping.","PeriodicalId":158641,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers Blockchain","volume":"30 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-07-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"133890171","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
京公网安备 11010802042870号
京ICP备2023020795号-1
扫码关注我们
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：