Blockchain Papers

Eva Meyer, Isabell M. Welpe, Philipp Sandner

No abstract is available for this record.

Peter Howson

Abstract A blockchain is a smart electronic database, distributed to all users, immutably tracking every transaction that has ever taken place between nodes on a network. The technology is being used by some nonprofits to address various operational challenges, including attaching automated conditions to charitable donations facilitated by programmable “crypto‐giving” platforms. Drawing from analysis of technical documents provided by active crypto‐giving projects, this review considers how these platforms enable radical shifts in sectoral power relations through “surveillance philanthropy”. This algorithmic surveillance ensures project funding fully reflects the interests of donors, while potentially restricting nonprofits in meeting the dynamic and complex needs of project beneficiaries. The paper considers the benefit trade‐offs from crypto‐giving platforms in three areas of utilization: (a) new forms of donor engagement and fundraising, (b) new tools for organizational governance, and (c) novel provision of development assistance. Despite the possible efficiency and transparency benefits of crypto‐giving platforms, more research and practitioner engagement is required to ensure the sector's funding is secure and sustainable, without entailing significant risks for proposed beneficiaries.

Radostina Dimova

A way to enable full decentralisation in our P2P- oriented economy are ‘Smart Contracts’,a term coined by Nick Szabo.<br> These smart contracts enforce a set ofpredefined rules which are coded as logic to orchestrate agreement between different entities. .The current implementation makes the use of smart contracts deployed on the Ethereum blockchain that provides full-fledged car sharing functionalities along with various countermeasures to tackle malicious behaviour.

Julio C. Mendoza-Tello, Xavier Calderón-Hinojosa

No abstract is available for this record.

Inte Gloerich, Martijn de Waal, Gabriele Ferri, Nazlı Cila · 5 authors

Distributed ledger technologies (DLTs) such as blockchain have in recent years been presented as a new general-purpose technology that could underlie many aspects of social and economic life, including civics and urban governance. In an urban context, over the past few years, a number of actors have started to explore the application of distributed ledgers in amongst others smart city services as well as in blockchain for good and urban commons-projects. DLTs could become the administrative backbones of such projects, as the technology can be set-up as an administration, management and allocation tool for urban resources. With the addition of smart contracts, DLTs can further automate the processing of data and execution of decisions in urban resource management through algorithmic governance. This means that the technological set-up and design of such DLT based systems could have large implications for the ways urban resources are governed. Positive contributions are expected to be made toward (local) democracy, transparent governance, decentralization, and citizen empowerment. We argue that to fully scrutinize the implications for urban governance, a critical analysis of distributed ledger technologies is necessary. In this contribution, we explore the lens of “the city as a license” for such a critical analysis. Through this lens, the city is framed as a “rights-management-system,” operated through DLT technology. Building upon Lefebvrian a right to the city-discourses, such an approach allows to ask important questions about the implications of DLTs for the democratic governance of cities in an open, inclusive urban culture. Through a technological exploration combined with a speculative approach, and guided by our interest in the rights management and agency that blockchains have been claimed to provide to their users, we trace six important issues: quantification; blockchain as a normative apparatus; the complicated relationship between transparency and accountability; the centralizing forces that act on blockchains; the degrees to which algorithmic rules can embed democratic law-making and enforcing; and finally, the limits of blockchain's trustlessness.

Rui Xing, Zhou Su, Qichao Xu, Abderrahim Benslimane

The publish/subscribe system over the autonomous vehicular networks (AVNs) enables the content providers to obtain more profits from a flexible notification system. However, few of current works focus on flexible brokers suitable for AVNs. In this paper, we propose a truck platoon aided secure publish/subscribe system based on smart contract in AVNs. Firstly, the truck platoons are utilized to be the brokers of the publish/subscribe system to realize a more efficient and secure publish/subscribe system. Secondly, a vehicular blockchain is established for the publish/subscribe system to record the transactions between brokers and publishers/subscribers to guarantee the complete and safe implementation of the smart contracts. Next, a contract based on the principal-agent problem is designed between the publisher and broker to maximize their utilities and stimulate the broker to be more active in the contents subscribing service. Furthermore, a smart contract is also designed between the subscriber and broker by the cloud server to achieve higher utilities and match an appropriate broker for the subscriber by considering its type. Finally, we carry out extensive numerical results to evaluate the performances of the proposed contracts, while the results also demonstrate that the proposal outperforms the conventional schemes.

Iftikhar Ahmad, Mohammed A. Alqarni, Abdulwahab Ali Almazroi, Laiba Alam

Blockchain technology is one of the key technological breakthroughs of the last decade. It has the ability to revolutionize numerous aspects of society, including financial systems, healthcare, e-government and many others. One such area that is able to reap the benefits of blockchain technology is the real estate industry. Like many other industries, real estate faces major administrative problems such as high transaction fees, a lack of transparency, fraud and the effects of a middleman including undue influence and commissions. Blockchain enables supporting technologies to overcome the obstacles inherent within the real estate investment market. These technologies include smart contracts, immutable record management and time-stamped storage. We utilize these key properties of blockchain technology in our work by proposing a system that has the ability to record real estate transactions in a private blockchain, using smart contracts. The immutability of the blockchain ledger and transactions can provide a safe space for the real estate business. Blockchain technology can also assist the authentication process by hastening background checks. Personal digital keys are provided to parties that are involved in a contract, thus minimizing the risk of fraud. We also discuss the rationale behind the advantages of using a blockchain in this manner, and how we selected the consensus mechanism for our proposed system.

Elnaz Irannezhad, Renuka Mahadevan

Purpose Blockchain is a disruptive technology enabling distributed, encrypted, smart and secure peer-to-peer transactions. The fragmented nature of the tourism industry with a high number of contracts and transactions between several parties has security issues, disputes and delay. Although these motivate the use of blockchain, scholars have barely begun to systematically assess the value proposition of blockchain in the hospitality and tourism industry. The purpose of this paper is to examine the impacts, opportunities and challenges of blockchain in the tourism and hospitality sector. The authors present early use cases of blockchain in the tourism industry. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted a multiple case-study approach and grounded this study based on the technology acceptance management literature with context-specific variables that are pivotal to the study of this topic. Findings This paper outlines the useful features of blockchain in the tourism industry in seven major streams and raises four future research questions. This review will enable hypotheses to be set out for consumers and producers involved in tourism to uncover potential motives and barriers to embracing blockchain. Research limitations/implications Blockchain is a relatively new technology, and given that all use cases are limited to the proof of concept and have not been fully adopted by the industry, empirical assessment of case studies is not feasible yet. Originality/value As blockchain is becoming more known and used in the tourism industry, there is a need to identify challenges, issues and concerns relevant for this industry moving forward. This paper fulfils this need and provides directions for future research.

Mohammad Rokibul Kabir

Purpose The purpose of this research is to assess the tax stakeholders’ intention towards the adoption of blockchain technology (BT) for a transparent and effective taxing system in Bangladesh. It examines the factors influencing the behavioural intention of the users to adopt BT with a blended model built on the technology acceptance model (TAM) and self-determination theory (SDT). This research develops a prescriptive model to demonstrate how the stakeholders are interested in adopting BT for the taxing system. Design/methodology/approach Data were obtained through a structured questionnaire from the stakeholders of the taxing system, including tax policymakers, tax commissioners, tax officers, lawyers, tax consultants and the taxpayers. Statistical analyses were performed using partial least square-structural equation modelling. Findings Results reveal that out of the two primary TAM antecedents known as usefulness (PU) and ease of use (PEU), PU has a significant influence on the BT adoption intention. The only cognitive variable called autonomous motivation picked from SDT has a positive and significant impact on BT adoption for tax purpose as well. Finally, trust is found to be another important determinant for explaining stakeholders’ intention to adopt BT for an efficient taxing system where transparency can be ensured. Research limitations/implications The proposed model does not include any moderator though there might be a moderating effect in this regard. The variation described in the behavioural intention to adopt BT by the predictors is half of the total possible variations. Hence, the inclusion of variables such as social influence and controlled motivation could be interesting. Practical implications This study is expected to provide valuable insights into policymaking for tax administrations to enhance the tax collection net and maintain transparency and efficiency in the taxing system. Social implications This research has social consequences for a recently graduated developing economy such as Bangladesh, where transparency and efficiency are a matter of question. Because BT adoption can assure a convenient and favourable environment for the taxpayers upholding the principles of taxation, it can play a significant role by ensuring social justice and equity through a transparent and effective taxing system. Originality/value This research is among the first few studies to address the issue of implementing a modern technology such as BT for an efficient taxing system from a developing country perspective. Furthermore, it combined TAM and SDT to propose a hybrid model for explaining behavioural intention to adopt an emerging technology such as blockchain, which is a new phenomenon.

Prince Donkor Ameyaw, Walter Timo de Vries

Existing studies on blockchain within land administration have focused mainly on replacing or complementing the technology for land registration and titling. This study explores the potential of using blockchain technology to enhance the transparency of all land administration processes using an integrative review methodology coupled with a framework analysis. This study draws on the Ghanaian land administration perspective to make this insightful. It appears possible to apply a permissionless public blockchain across all land administration processes. This integrates all departments, processes, and stakeholders of land administration to enhance openness, improve availability and accessibility to information, and foster participation for transparency simultaneously. This can change the transparency variation in land administration to be more equal and homogenous regardless of land type. This, however, depends on the standardization of processes across the divisions, as well as negotiation and consensus amongst all stakeholders, especially with chiefs. Limitations include: limited storage and scalability, as well as huge electricity consumption for operation. This study’s policy implications are a review of all paper-based land transactions, a comprehensive digitization of land administration processes, public–private partnership on blockchain-based land administration, and professionals and stakeholder education on the technology.

Ludwig Trotter, Mike Harding, Peter Shaw, Nigel Davies · 9 authors

Recent work has questioned the largely unconditional nature of charitable donations and explored the value of conditional giving with contemporary donors. In this paper, we extend this work by exploring how to operationalise features of conditionality in charitable giving, situated in the context of large international non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Building on prior engagements with international aid organisations, we present design considerations and a conceptual architecture supporting real-time, conditional giving for individual and institutional donations. Our architecture leverages properties of distributed-ledger technologies (DLT) to empower donors to (i) attach conditions to their donation, (ii) store funds in a secure, decentralised escrow and (iii) automatically release funds once conditions are met. Unlike prior work that envisions radical disintermediation and the removal of intermediate NGOs using DLT, our work recognises the expertise of NGOs in tackling complex global problems and instead investigates compelling new way for charities to increase transparency and accountability by introducing dynamic pledge controls.

Inessa Tyan, Mariemma I. Yagüe, Antonio Jesús Guevara Plaza

This conceptual paper discusses the potential of blockchain technology for Smart Tourism Destinations. The main focus is placed on Smart Tourism Destinations’ four major goals that can be achieved by using blockchain technology, namely: enhancing tourism experience, rewarding sustainable behaviour, ensuring benefits for local communities, and reducing privacy concerns. The paper also outlines the major challenges that need to be overcome to successfully implement this innovative technology. This paper attempts to further advance the current knowledge about the possible implications of blockchain technology within the smart tourism domain, and especially Smart Tourism Destinations.

Steven A. Wright

Technology entrepreneurship has enabled the widespread commercial adoption of internet technologies. These internet technologies have reformed consumer commercial experiences towards an online environment. The pervasiveness of the online experience raises the importance of protecting the consumer in the online context. Online services are typically delivered under “Clik-Thru” terms of service developed by the service provider alone; and accepted by the consumer with a single click and little if any consideration. The successful adoption of new internet-based technologies and commercial practices has encouraged more technology entrepreneurship in a positive feedback cycle. Efforts at improved readability are insufficient to engage consumers with these “Clik-Thru” contracts. This paper argues that some efforts at increasing consumer engagement with the “Clik-Thru” terms of service may be a useful and tractable step towards improved consumer experiences. Blockchain smart contracts appear to provide promising capabilities to enable greater consumer engagement with “Clik-Thru” contracts.

Oskar Josef Gstrein, Dimitry Kochenov

Distributed Ledger Technology can be an effective tool for resource distribution. As individuals and organisations explore innovations which allow to redefine the rules of access, possession and sharing these developments also become important for the future of self-determination. Demonstrated through credit scoring and ‘social credit systems’, the identity of an individual is intertwined with resource access, possession and transferability. A key pre-requisite for participation is formal legal status, which translates to citizenship. However, many proponents of Distributed Ledger Technology focus predominantly on technological features and capabilities, which might enable the implementation of concepts such as decentralised governance, ‘self-sovereign identity’ management, and trust-less transactions based on ‘zero-knowledge proof’. Nevertheless, such narrow consideration overlooks existing legal and political realities. Considering the lessons learned from citizenship, it becomes questionable whether Blockchain as player in the area of identity management will ultimately increase human dignity, or further manifest traditional patterns of discrimination and inequality.

Daniel Trabucchi, Antonella Moretto, Tommaso Buganza, Alan MacCormack

The importance of platform‐based businesses in the modern economy is growing continuously and becoming increasingly relevant. Specifically, the deployment of digital technologies has enhanced the applicability of two‐sided business models, enabling companies to act not just as builders and owners of assets, but also as orchestrators of external resources. Management research has, therefore, focused increasingly on the unique aspects of this model. At the center of a two‐sided platform there is a platform provider that enables a transaction between the sides, reducing the relative transaction costs. However, in recent years, a new technology emerged that challenges some of the underlying assumptions of this model: the blockchain. Blockchain enables the creation of a peer‐to‐peer network that is able to authenticate transactions, upon which applications and services may be built. It allows users to conduct transactions without the need for a central platform. We explore how blockchain technology reshapes two‐sided platforms, focusing in particular on the role of the platform provider. The research is based upon multiple case studies, using an inductive approach to explore this emerging phenomenon. Our findings show there is a significant shift in the role of the central player that links the two sides of a transaction using blockchain. We frame this as a shift from a “platform provider” to a “service provider,” leveraging the blockchain as a Platform‐as‐a‐Service. Our work examines the peculiarities of this model, unveiling new dynamics in these businesses. Specifically, we show that different variables must be considered to classify two‐sided platforms using blockchain. Furthermore, the essential characteristics of two‐sided platforms must also be enlarged. For example, traditional platform theories emphasize the importance of cross‐side network externalities in creating value. In blockchain‐enabled platforms however, we show the use of “tokens” play a key role in creating different types of externalities between the two sides.

Marko Hribernik, Kathrin Zero, Sebastian Kummer, David M. Herold

The growth in e-commerce has led to increased pressure within the courier, express and parcel (CEP) sector to tackle the ‘last-mile’ issue and come up with solutions that not only satisfy the customers, but also other stakeholders such as city councils and other regulatory bodies. Scholars have highlighted micro-hubs and the associated horizontal collaboration as a possible solution, which might help alleviate problems associated with last-mile logistics in inner-city centers. However, trust and data exchange issues are considerable barriers to the introduction of horizontal collaboration, in particular between CEP carriers. To address the lack of trust and the issue of data exchange between carriers, the use of blockchain technology may present a solution, but existing research so far is limited concerning frameworks that specifically discuss blockchain technology in the context of micro-hubs and last-mile deliveries. In response, this paper presents a blockchain decision framework for a horizontal collaboration between CEP carriers based on key characteristics of existing blockchain decision models and relevant related research in the area of logistics and last-mile distribution. This is the first study that specifically addresses the use of blockchain technology for horizontal collaboration in the context of micro-hubs and last-mile deliveries.

Sergey Avdoshin, Elena Pesotskaya

No abstract is available for this record.

Ajay Kumar Shrestha, Julita Vassileva, Ralph Deters

We propose a new platform for user modelling with blockchains that allows users to share data without losing control and ownership of it and applied it to the domain of travel booking. Our platform provides solution to three important problems: ensuring privacy and user control, and incentives for sharing. It tracks who shared what, with whom, when, by what means and for what purposes in a verifiable fashion. The paper presents a case study of applying the framework for a hotel reservation system as one of the enterprise nodes of Multichain which collects users’ profile data and allows users to receive rewards while sharing their data with other travel service providers according to their privacy preferences expressed in smart contracts. The user data from the repository is converted into an open data format and shared via stream in the blockchain so that other nodes can efficiently process and use the data. The smart contract verifies and executes the agreed terms of use of the data and transfers digital tokens as a reward to the user. The smart contract imposes double deposit collateral to ensure that all participants act honestly. The paper also presents a performance evaluation of the platform by analyzing latency and memory consumption with selected three test-scenarios and measuring the transaction cost for smart contracts deployment. The results show that the node responded quickly in all our cases with a befitting transaction cost.

Michele Ferrari

No abstract is available for this record.

Giesela Rühl

No abstract is available for this record.

Bill Tomlinson, Jens Boberg, Jocelyn Cranefield, David Johnstone · 7 authors

Proponents of ‘Blockchain for Good’ – blockchain efforts seeking to enable benefits to humans and the environment – have suggested that the technology can support sustainability. However, while previous research has addressed aspects of the sustainability affordances of Blockchain for Good projects, the constraints that these projects impose have not faced equal consideration. Furthermore, the theoretical concepts of sustainability ‘problems’ and ‘solutions’ implicit in these projects have not been made clear. In this exploratory study, we evaluate the sustainability of 28 Blockchain for Good projects that use cryptocurrencies or tradable tokens with regard to the UN sustainability goals. These projects span a range of goals, such as supply chain tracking, transparent charity, and fairer voting. Despite their admirable goals, we find that current Blockchain for Good projects are unlikely to contribute to a sustainable future due to technical limitations and a conceptual framing that favors the status quo rather than transformative change.

Matheus Cunha Reis, Ivan da Silva Sendin

Smart Contracts bring a new set of possibilities in the secure protocol development: participants gain guarantees of the correct execution of the protocol steps. In contrast, current Smart Contract solutions do not provide data privacy, this scenario is particularly bad in the commerce of e-goods. In this work, we present a fair trade protocol based Smart Contract and Bloom Filter for the problem of e-goods trading where the involved parts do not trust each other.

Slamet Kristanto Tirto Utomo, Takeo HamadaNoboru Koshizuka, Noboru Koshizuka

Public trash bins have problems with lack of security and incentive design. In Japan, only a few number of bins can be found because of those reasons. In order to solve this problem, a strong security-featured incentive system is required. This research aims at encouraging more people to provide public trash bins by offering the benefit such as privacy, security and incentive scheme. We propose a blockchain-based incentive system which consists of a smart trash bin, a smartwatch as a wearable payment device, and an incentive scheme using ethereum smart contract.

Chetan Chawla

No abstract is available for this record.