Blockchain in government: Benefits and implications of distributed ledger technology for information sharing
Open accessAbstract
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 the often exaggerated benefits of blockchain technology found in the literature and discuss their implications for governmental organizations and processes. We plea for a shift from a technology-driven to need-driven approach in which blockchain applications are customized to ensure a fit with requirements of administrative processes and in which the administrative processes are changed to benefit from the technology. Having sound governance models are found to be a condition for realizing benefits. Based on a critical assessment we offer directions for further research into the potential benefits of BC applications in e-government and the role of governance of BC architectures and applications to comply with societal needs and public values.
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In information sharing, traditional trusted third parties (TTPs) that use certificates to provide non-repudiation services are being replaced with distributed ledger or blockchain technology (DLT).
“In information sharing, traditional trusted third parties (TTPs) that use certificates to provide non-repudiation services, are being replaced with distributed ledger or blockchain technology (DLT) (Dunphy & Petitcolas, 2018;Ølnes, Ubacht, & Janssen, 2017).”
From Data governance: Organizing data for trustworthy Artificial Intelligence (2020) · cites this paper as Ølnes, Ubacht, & Janssen, 2017
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Self-citation
- Authors
- Ølnes, S., Ubacht, J., & Janssen, M.
- Affiliations
- Vestlandsforsking (NO)
- Delft University of Technology (NL)
- Corresponding author
- Janssen, Marijn
- Venue
- Government Information Quarterly
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2017-09
- Volume
- 34
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 355-364
- ISSN
- 0740-624X (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2766800499
- Cited by
- 1,107
- References
- 4
- Citations by year
- 2026: 66 · 2025: 99 · 2024: 118 · 2023: 154 · 2022: 176 · 2021: 190 · 2020: 152 · 2019: 108 · 2018: 40 · 2017: 4
- FWCI
- 155.04
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- public-domain
- www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
- Locations
- Government Information Quarterly (publishedVersion, public-domain)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion, public-domain)
- Research Repository (Delft University of Technology) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Information Systems › Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
- Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › E-Government and Public Services
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Information Systems › Blockchain Technology in Education and Learning
- Keywords
- blockchain, distributed ledger technology, e-government, government data sharing, technology governance, public value
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