Comparison of existing blockchain technologies to safeguard responsible OS

This report examines the roles Blockchain technology 
(BCT)–based solutions may play to promote and support 
European and national responsible OS data 
infrastructures. The main argument is that blockchains 
can help implement legal and ethical requirements as 
well as the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, 
Interoperable and Reusable), and in particular security 
functions such as integrity, confidentiality and 
authentication of data as well as prevent falsification or 
misuse. Using encryption techniques, timestamping and 
hash functions (digital “fingerprint”), BCT offers various 
ways to protect and secure source data as well as 
program code that result from research. The use of BCT
can also be supported by different EU initiatives that aim 
at stimulating innovation in and diffusion of BCTs, e.g. the 
EU Blockchain Partnership and EU Blockchain 
Observatory and Forum. However, the use of BCT also 
implies a number of legal issues, not least to comply with 
the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). 
Accordingly, these issues need sufficient attention in the 
design as well as the use of BCT-based systems.