Blockchain-based Information Ecosystems

This study proposes a high-level architecture for deploying blockchain-based information ecosystems (BBIEs) by leveraging and expanding the Blockchain-as-a-Service (BaaS) concept. The proposed architecture integrates blockchain with the overall information ecosystem to enable trust management and coordination systems in inter-organizational contexts. An Identity Management System (IMS) ensures scalability and security. A case study is presented from the field of fiber cabling of urban centers involving building companies, a monitoring company, and a BaaS provider. The architecture offers a promising approach to prevent the risks of a "blockchain winter" by going beyond the limited scope of the traceability applications so far pursued in industrial deployments of the blockchain and to break the traditional domination scheme of a leading company in business consortia.