scispace - formally typeset
Search or ask a question
Proceedings ArticleDOI

The Application of Blockchain Technology in E-Government in China

01 Jul 2017-pp 1-4
TL;DR: It is found that blockchain technology can bring the following benefits: improvements in the quality and quantity of government services, greater transparency and accessibility of government information, and development of information-sharing across different organizations, and assistance in building an individual credit system in China.
Abstract: The purpose of this article is to discuss the application of blockchain technology in e-government, particularly in the Chinese context. Chancheng District, part of Foshan City in Guangdong Province, China, has undertaken a project called "The Comprehensive Experimental Area of Big Data in Guangdong Province" since 2016. Promoting the application of blockchain technology in e-government is an essential part of this undertaking, which is the first use of blockchain in government in China. Taking Chancheng's project as a case study, this article analyzes the framework, difficulties and challenges of applying blockchain to e-government at present, and discusses how blockchain technology can contribute to the development of e-government and public services in China. This article considers the practical realities in China and discusses the application of blockchain technology in Chinese e-government, finding that blockchain technology can bring the following benefits: (1) improvements in the quality and quantity of government services, (2) greater transparency and accessibility of government information, (3) development of information-sharing across different organizations, and (4) assistance in building an individual credit system in China. However, information security, cost and reliability are still major problems in application. Thus, establishing a general application platform of blockchain technology and developing management standards are crucial for promoting and applying blockchain in e-government. Blockchain provides an effective way of making government services more efficient, but standardizing the management system, processes and responsibility for the application is necessary for its further promotion. This article, by providing an analysis of the practice of blockchain in e-government in China, could serve as a foundation for further practical work and theoretical research in government services.
Citations
More filters
Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A comprehensive classification of blockchain-enabled applications across diverse sectors such as supply chain, business, healthcare, IoT, privacy, and data management is presented, and key themes, trends and emerging areas for research are established.

1,310 citations


Cites background from "The Application of Blockchain Techn..."

  • ...Blockchain-enabled applications might change the way governments at local or state level operate by disintermediating transactions and record keeping (Reijers et al., 2016; Hou, 2017)....

    [...]

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The operating mechanism and mainstream platforms of blockchain-enabled smart contracts are introduced, and a research framework for smart contracts based on a novel six-layer architecture is proposed.
Abstract: In recent years, the rapid development of cryptocurrencies and their underlying blockchain technology has revived Szabo’s original idea of smart contracts, i.e., computer protocols that are designed to automatically facilitate, verify, and enforce the negotiation and implementation of digital contracts without central authorities. Smart contracts can find a wide spectrum of potential application scenarios in the digital economy and intelligent industries, including financial services, management, healthcare, and Internet of Things, among others, and also have been integrated into the mainstream blockchain-based development platforms, such as Ethereum and Hyperledger. However, smart contracts are still far from mature, and major technical challenges such as security and privacy issues are still awaiting further research efforts. For instance, the most notorious case might be “The DAO Attack” in June 2016, which led to more than $50 million Ether transferred into an adversary’s account. In this paper, we strive to present a systematic and comprehensive overview of blockchain-enabled smart contracts, aiming at stimulating further research toward this emerging research area. We first introduced the operating mechanism and mainstream platforms of blockchain-enabled smart contracts, and proposed a research framework for smart contracts based on a novel six-layer architecture. Second, both the technical and legal challenges, as well as the recent research progresses, are listed. Third, we presented several typical application scenarios. Toward the end, we discussed the future development trends of smart contracts. This paper is aimed at providing helpful guidance and reference for future research efforts.

589 citations


Cites background from "The Application of Blockchain Techn..."

  • ...system, strengthening the government’s credibility, and promoting the integration of resources [42]....

    [...]

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a comprehensive overview of barriers for adopting blockchain technology to manage sustainable supply chains is provided using technology, organizational, and environmental framework followed by inputs from academics and industry experts and then analyzed using the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL).

472 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A comprehensive survey on the literature involving blockchain technology applied to smart cities, from the perspectives of smart citizen, smart healthcare, smart grid, smart transportation, supply chain management, and others is provided.
Abstract: In recent years, the rapid urbanization of world’s population causes many economic, social, and environmental problems, which affect people’s living conditions and quality of life significantly. The concept of “smart city” brings opportunities to solve these urban problems. The objectives of smart cities are to make the best use of public resources, provide high-quality services to the citizens, and improve the people’s quality of life. Information and communication technology plays an important role in the implementation of smart cities. Blockchain as an emerging technology has many good features, such as trust-free, transparency, pseudonymity, democracy, automation, decentralization, and security. These features of blockchain are helpful to improve smart city services and promote the development of smart cities. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive survey on the literature involving blockchain technology applied to smart cities. First, the related works and background knowledge are introduced. Then, we review how blockchain technology is applied in the realm of smart cities, from the perspectives of smart citizen, smart healthcare, smart grid, smart transportation, supply chain management, and others. Finally, some challenges and broader perspectives are discussed.

472 citations


Cites background from "The Application of Blockchain Techn..."

  • ...credit system, strengthening the government’s credibility, and promoting the integration of resources [194]....

    [...]

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The EduCTX platform represents the basis of the Edu CTX initiative, which anticipates that various HEIs would join forces in order to create a globally efficient, simplified, and ubiquitous environment inorder to avoid language and administrative barriers.
Abstract: Blockchain technology enables the creation of a decentralized environment, where transactions and data are not under the control of any third party organization. Any transaction ever completed is recorded in a public ledger in a verifiable and permanent way. Based on the blockchain technology, we propose a global higher education credit platform, named EduCTX. This platform is based on the concept of the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS). It constitutes a globally trusted, decentralized higher education credit, and grading system that can offer a globally unified viewpoint for students and higher education institutions (HEIs), as well as for other potential stakeholders, such as companies, institutions, and organizations. As a proof of concept, we present a prototype implementation of the environment, based on the open-source Ark Blockchain Platform. Based on a globally distributed peer-to-peer network, EduCTX will process, manage, and control ECTX tokens, which represent credits that students gain for completed courses, such as ECTS. HEIs are the peers of the blockchain network. The platform is a first step toward a more transparent and technologically advanced form of higher education systems. The EduCTX platform represents the basis of the EduCTX initiative, which anticipates that various HEIs would join forces in order to create a globally efficient, simplified, and ubiquitous environment in order to avoid language and administrative barriers. Therefore, we invite and encourage HEIs to join the EduCTX initiative and the EduCTX blockchain network.

428 citations


Cites background from "The Application of Blockchain Techn..."

  • ...Due to the transparency of the technology, the domains of government and business also try to apply the technology and harvest its benefits [11]–[15]....

    [...]

  • ...The blockchain is applied in e-government scenarios [11], smart government [13], etc....

    [...]

References
More filters
Journal ArticleDOI
03 Oct 2016-PLOS ONE
TL;DR: The objective is to understand the current research topics, challenges and future directions regarding Blockchain technology from the technical perspective, and recommendations on future research directions are provided for researchers.
Abstract: Blockchain is a decentralized transaction and data management technology developed first for Bitcoin cryptocurrency. The interest in Blockchain technology has been increasing since the idea was coined in 2008. The reason for the interest in Blockchain is its central attributes that provide security, anonymity and data integrity without any third party organization in control of the transactions, and therefore it creates interesting research areas, especially from the perspective of technical challenges and limitations. In this research, we have conducted a systematic mapping study with the goal of collecting all relevant research on Blockchain technology. Our objective is to understand the current research topics, challenges and future directions regarding Blockchain technology from the technical perspective. We have extracted 41 primary papers from scientific databases. The results show that focus in over 80% of the papers is on Bitcoin system and less than 20% deals with other Blockchain applications including e.g. smart contracts and licensing. The majority of research is focusing on revealing and improving limitations of Blockchain from privacy and security perspectives, but many of the proposed solutions lack concrete evaluation on their effectiveness. Many other Blockchain scalability related challenges including throughput and latency have been left unstudied. On the basis of this study, recommendations on future research directions are provided for researchers.

1,528 citations


"The Application of Blockchain Techn..." refers background in this paper

  • ...Security and privacy are the main attributes of a decentralized transaction environment.([13]) The core goal of records management is to make sure records can be trusted....

    [...]

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The results of the analysis suggest that Blockchain technology can be used to address issues associated with information integrity in the present and near term, assuming proper security architecture and infrastructure management controls.
Abstract: Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the value of Blockchain technology as a solution to creating and preserving trustworthy digital records, presenting some of the limitations, risks and opportunities of the approach. Design/methodology/approach The methodological approach involves using the requirements embedded in records management and digital preservation standards, specifically ISO 15,489, ARMA’s Generally Accepted Recordkeeping Principles, ISO 14,721 and ISO 16,363, as a general evaluative framework for a risk-based assessment of a specific proposed implementation of Blockchain technology for a land registry system in a developing country. Findings The results of the analysis suggest that Blockchain technology can be used to address issues associated with information integrity in the present and near term, assuming proper security architecture and infrastructure management controls. It does not, however, guarantee reliability of information in the first place, and would have several limitations as a long-term solution for maintaining trustworthy digital records. Originality/value This paper contributes an original analysis of the application of Blockchain technology for recordkeeping.

375 citations


"The Application of Blockchain Techn..." refers background in this paper

  • ...While it has many exciting potential uses, it does not guarantee reliability of information and would have several limitations as a long-term solution for preserving trustworthy digital records.([10]) In a blockchain system, records as such (as opposed to their hashes) would have to either reside in the blockchain or should be moved to a separate environment or system for long-term preservation....

    [...]

Proceedings ArticleDOI
01 Oct 2015
TL;DR: A new protocol using the technology is described that makes it possible to confirm that contractor consent has been obtained and to archive the contractual document in the blockchain.
Abstract: A proposal is made to use blockchain technology for recording contracts. A new protocol using the technology is described that makes it possible to confirm that contractor consent has been obtained and to archive the contractual document in the blockchain.

161 citations


"The Application of Blockchain Techn..." refers background in this paper

  • ...The government sees blockchain as a potential solution to these challenges, because blockchain itself is secure against online attacks, can be verified by anyone, and is resistant to any attempt to tamper with its history.([7]) It is hoped that blockchain can be used to help to set up individual accounts to access government services and improve governance, an area of high need due to the large migrant population in Chancheng District....

    [...]

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This study examines current problems in the practice of equity crowdfunding in China and further explores its practical applications in equity crowdfunding with a focus on blockchain technology.
Abstract: Equity crowdfunding via the Internet is a new channel of raising money for startups. It features low barriers to entry, low cost, and high speed, and thus encourages innovation. In recent years, equity crowdfunding in China has experienced some developments. However, some problems remain unsolved in practice. Blockchain is a decentralized and distributed ledger technology to ensure data security, transparency, and integrity. Because it cannot be tampered with or forged, the technology is deemed to have great potential in the finance industry. This study examines current problems in the practice of equity crowdfunding in China. Based on the analysis of the characteristics of blockchain technology, this study further explores its practical applications in equity crowdfunding. 1) Blockchain technology may be a secure, efficient, low-cost solution for the registration of stocks and shares of a firm financed by crowdfunding; 2) Blockchain technology simplifies the transaction and transfer of crowdfunding equities, and thus facilitates their circulation; 3) Blockchain technology enables peer to peer transactions between investors and entrepreneurs, and solves the problems of regulatory compliance and security of fund management; Blockchain technology can be used to develop a voting system for crowdfunders, which enables them to be involved in corporate governance. This helps protect the rights and interests of small investors; 5) Blockchain technology helps regulators know about market conditions, and supports regulatory activities such as managing investors and fighting money laundering.

146 citations


"The Application of Blockchain Techn..." refers methods in this paper

  • ...It was originally used to record historical transactions of encrypted digital currencies such as Bitcoin.([4]) At present, the application of blockchain technology has been extended to the Internet of Things, intelligent manufacturing, supply chain management, digital asset transactions, and other fields....

    [...]

  • ...[3] It was originally used to record historical transactions of encrypted digital currencies such as Bitcoin....

    [...]

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This article analyzed the effect of decentralization on health outcomes in China using a panel data set with nationwide county-level fiscal data and found that more fiscally decentralized provinces have lower infant mortality rates than provinces that are the main spending authority, if certain conditions are met.

89 citations