Blockchain-based DNS and PKI to solve issues of trust, security and censorship in the context of the IoT

The domain name system (DNS) and public key infrastructure (PKI) provide the core services for the Internet. The use of these systems requires trust in institutions to provide proper services, which they can fail to provide. Centralized management allows these institutions to perform censorship. Additionally, these legacy systems have seen...

Towards trustworthy blockchains: normative reflections on blockchain-enabled virtual institutions

This paper proposes a novel way to understand trust in blockchain technology by analogy with trust placed in institutions. In support of the analysis, a detailed investigation of institutional trust is provided, which is then used as the basis for understanding the nature and ethical limits of blockchain trust. Two interrelated arguments are...

Opportunity of blockchain in certificate management: using value centric design

Recent developments in information technology such as artificial intelligence and machine learning allow the storage and processing of gigabytes of personal data allowing the possibility of a range of negative effects. Centralized digital solutions have proved to have massive data leaks in the past. Blockchain technology is proposed as a...

TrustChain: A Sybil-resistant scalable blockchain

TrustChain is capable of creating trusted transactions among strangers without central control. This enables new areas of blockchain use with a focus on building trust between individuals. Our innovative approach offers scalability, openness and Sybil-resistance while replacing proof-of-work with a mechanism to establish the validity and...

A framework for analysing blockchain technology adoption: Integrating institutional, market and technical factors

The adoption of blockchain technologies require the consideration of a broad range of factors, over and above the predominantly technology focus of most current work. Whilst scholarly literature on blockchain technology is only beginning to emerge, majority are focused on the technicalities of the technology and tend to ignore the...

Creating trust through verification of interaction records

Trust on the internet is largely facilitated by reputation systems on centralized online platforms. How- ever reports of data breaches and privacy issues on such platforms are getting more frequent. We argue that only a decentralized trust system can enable a privacy-driven and fair future of the online economy. This requires a scalable system...

The governance of blockchain systems from an institutional perspective, a matter of trust or control?

Blockchain Technology is considered as a general-purpose technology with far reaching effects. As can be seen from the discussions on blockchain applications, both practitioners and researchers struggle to get to the core of blockchain technology consequences. Especially practitioners in the governmental sector explore adequate responses to...

Consequences of the implementation of blockchain technology

Blockchain technology is increasingly being seen as a general purpose technology with far reaching (institutional) effects. However, the ongoing empirical blockchain discussions on these effects are unstructured, due to high complexities. Both practitioners and researchers therefore struggle to get to the core of blockchain technology...

Laws for Creating Trust in the Blockchain Age

Humanity’s notion of trust is shaped by new platforms operating in the emerging sharing economy, acting as intermediate matchmaker for ride sharing, housing facilities or freelance labour, effectively creating an environment where strangers trust each other. While millions of people worldwide rely on online sharing activities, such services are...

Blockchain in government: Benefits and implications of distributed ledger technology for information sharing

Blockchain refers to a range of general purpose technologies to exchange information and transact digital assets in distributed networks. The core question addressed in this paper is whether blockchain technology will lead to innovation and transformation of governmental processes. To address this question we present a critical assessment of...