A blockchain-based pattern for confidential and pseudo-anonymous\n contract enforcement

Abstract

Blockchain has been praised for its capacity to hold data in a decentralized\nand tamper-proof way. It also supports the execution of code through\nblockchain's smart contracts, adding automation of actions to the network with\nhigh trustability. However, as smart contracts are visible by anybody on the\nnetwork, the business data and logic may be at risk, thus companies could be\nreluctant to use such technology. This paper aims to propose a pattern that\nallows the execution of automatable legal contract clauses, where its execution\nstates are stored in an on-chain smart-contract and the logic needed to enforce\nit wraps it off-chain. An engine completes this pattern by running a business\nprocess that corresponds to the legal contract. We then propose a pattern-based\nsolution based on a real-life use case: transportation of refrigerated goods.\nWe argue that this pattern guarantees companies pseudonymity and data\nconfidentiality while ensuring that an audit trail can be reconstituted through\nthe blockchain smart-contract to identify misbehavior or errors. This paper\npaves the way for a future possible implementation of the solution described,\nas well as its evaluation.\n