Blockchain As a Service: Providers and Trust

16 Pages Posted: 21 Dec 2017 Last revised: 5 Nov 2018

See all articles by Jatinder Singh

Jatinder Singh

University of Cambridge -- Dept. Computer Science & Technology (Computer Laboratory)

Johan David Michels

Queen Mary University of London, School of Law - Centre for Commercial Law Studies

Date Written: December 20, 2017

Abstract

Distributed ledger technologies (DLTs) are receiving much attention. As discussion focuses on the potential applications of DLTs, Blockchain-as-a-Service (BaaS) offerings are emerging to provide the underlying supporting infrastructure. BaaS entails a provider supplying and managing aspects of a DLT infrastructure to facilitate and bring efficiencies regarding the development, experimentation, deployment, and the ongoing management of DLT applications. However, much of the interest in DLTs stems from their potential to decentralise, disintermediate, and enable ‘trustless’ interactions. At first sight, BaaS – being offered by a provider – appears to run counter to this. In practice, whether BaaS raises substantive trust concerns depends on the nature of the offering, the application’s specifics, and the participants’ goals and risk appetite. This paper elaborates the nature of BaaS offerings, exploring the role of the provider as part of a wider infrastructure, and related issues of trust.

JEL Classification: C88, C99, K20, K29, K39, K49, L22, L24, L81, L86, O33

Suggested Citation

Singh, Jatinder and Michels, Johan David, Blockchain As a Service: Providers and Trust (December 20, 2017). Queen Mary School of Law Legal Studies Research Paper No. 269/2017, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3091223

Jatinder Singh (Contact Author)

University of Cambridge -- Dept. Computer Science & Technology (Computer Laboratory) ( email )

15 JJ Thomson Avenue
William Gates Building
Cambridge, CB3 0FD
United Kingdom

Johan David Michels

Queen Mary University of London, School of Law - Centre for Commercial Law Studies ( email )

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