A Novel Blockchain-Based Model for Secure Genomic Data Management

Abstract

Advancements in personalized medicine require secure, transparent, and privacy-preserving genomic data management systems. This study proposes a novel hybrid blockchain-based genomic data model integrating Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI), Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs), Verifiable Credentials (VCs), and decentralized storage Interplanetary File System (IPFS) to enable secure, privacy-compliant, patient-controlled genomic data exchange. The model leverages Polygon Proof-of-Stake (PoS) blockchain by deploying a smart contract that enforces fully access control functions applied on 100 samples of synthetic genomic data, ensuring only authorized researchers with valid DIDs and VCs can retrieve genomic data. Later, we performed five tests to evaluate our model performance. Security evaluations confirmed 100% data integrity validation through SHA-256 hash validation on-chain, ensuring tamper-proof genomic data storage. Unauthorized access attempts resulted in zero successful breaches, demonstrating the robustness of SSI-based authentication by showing revoked access. Additionally, IPFS data availability testing confirmed reliable and decentralized data retrieval through the Content Identifier (CID) on-chain. The model's access revocation mechanism enabled real-time patient control over genomic data access, ensuring compliance with GDPR privacy regulations. The proposed model provides a scalable, secure, and privacy-compliant solution for genomic data sharing in precision medicine, empowering patients with full control over their genetic data while facilitating researchers to trustworthy, decentralized data useability for precision research.