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Blockchains and Smart Contracts – A Valuable Alternative for Distributed Data Bases?

  • Burkhard Stiller profile
    Burkhard Stiller
    17 November 2016 - updated 4 years ago
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Document(s): 
PDF icon Position Paper
Author(s): 
Burkhard Stiller, Thomas Bocek
Year of publication: 
2016

Blockchains have driven the distributed data base view into a new area of applications, since the inherent blockchain characteristics of persisted data from initially untrusted and even unidentified stakeholders has formed for the first time in decades a clear advance of technology. Thus, it was not surpriding to see blockchains being used to design and implement the first real cryptocurrency, which avoids the double spending problem across all stakeholders.

Nevertheless, blockchains face a multitude of technical, security, financial, legal, and societal challenges, which are not solved today yet, although a wider range of initial ideas dna very first steps become visible these days. Thus, this position paper outlines the key elements of concern as of today, and they are considered to be a very important step forward to a wider blockchain applicability in many application areas - once being solved. 

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David Overton's picture
David Overton,
29/11/2016 13:59

Blockchains are the answer?

Now that the interim report on the NGI consultation has come out, we can see that more than 70% of participants are focussed on citizens' soverignty over their data.

The majority are also focussed on distributed architectures and decentralised governance as important areas of technology to address with any intervention.

So it's great that colleagues from Zurich University have created this positioning paper specifically for this consultation.  Thanks Burkhard and colleatues!

Just what is a Blockchain?  What are the barriers to their adoption?  What is the relation to on-line currencies and how is public perception developing around these issues.

If you're going to join the debate, read this excellent paper by Burkard Stiller.

 

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