الفهرس | Only 14 pages are availabe for public view |
Abstract Blockchain, or ”Blockchains,” is a well-known technology recognized for building trust in a digital world filled with uncertainties. It relies on decentralized service and the replication of the distributed system since its launch in 2008. Blockchains have gained momentum in efficiently managing digital transactions and have revolutionized data preservation. They find applications in sectors that prioritize trust and security, with expectations from entrepreneurs and developers that they can disrupt industries and government operations, leading to increased initiatives focused on blockchain directed towards the government. However, challenges such as governance, regulation, compliance, and transaction efficiency hinder widespread adoption in the public sector, underscoring the importance of a strategic approach to effectively implement and organize blockchains in the government context. In light of this, an examination of the impact of blockchain technology in the public sector is presented as a vital task. Governance is identified as a key obstacle to adopting blockchain technology in the public sector. Therefore, the thesis proposes a structure that respects the needs of blockchain, functioning as an independent alliance composed of independent contracts hosting diverse public and private services. The primary goal of the proposed structure is to determine how to design, operate, and maintain government applications using blockchain technology. The proposed structure establishes a governance layer ”above” private blockchain networks. The thesis conducted an experiment to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of implementing blockchain technology for certificate issuance, specifically birth certificates. The experiment utilized a smart contract deployed on the Ethereum Sepolia testnet and involved two main parties: the citizen applicant and the service office. To reduce costs associated with data processing fees on Ethereum, the resident adopted the Interplanetary File System (IPFS) to create a dataset from the document, which was then uploaded to the blockchain. The service office, in turn, verified the citizen’s identity by decrypting the dataset on IPFS and subsequently issued the birth certificate. The experiment meticulously recorded key aspects, including scalability, encryption and decryption processes, deployment procedures, contract execution time, and overall blockchain technology performance. The results highlight the potential integration of blockchain technology into the certificate issuance process conducted by service offices. Objectives of the Thesis: 1. Analysis of Blockchain Impact in Public Administration: o Explore and examine the benefits and challenges associated with adopting blockchain technology in the context of public administration. 2. Identification of Governance as a Key Obstacle: o Identify governance as a critical factor hindering the adoption of blockchain technology in the public sector. 3. Proposal of a New Structure: o Propose a structure that respects the needs of blockchain technology, forming an independent alliance composed of separate contracts hosting both public and private services. 4. Design and Operation of Government Applications Using Blockchain: o Provide a framework to delineate how to design, operate, and maintain government applications using blockchain technology. 5. Feasibility Assessment of Blockchain for Certificate Issuance: o Conduct an experiment on implementing blockchain technology for certificate issuance, with a specific focus on birth certificates. 6. Analysis of Experiment Results: o Analyze the results and experiences gained from the experiment in certificate issuance using blockchain technology. Methodology: 1. Blockchain Analysis and History: o Understand the origins of blockchain and its evolution since its launch in 2008. 2. Analysis of Blockchain Applications: o Examine current applications of blockchain and understand how the management of digital transactions can be enhanced. 3. Analysis of Challenges in the Public Sector: o Explore challenges related to governance, regulation, compliance, and transaction efficiency when utilizing blockchain in the public sector. 4. Design of the Proposed Structure: o Develop an alliance structure respecting the needs of blockchain technology, composed of independent contracts hosting both public and private services. 5. Implementation of Blockchain Certificate Experiment: o Organize an experiment on the Ethereum Sepolia testnet to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of blockchain technology in certificate issuance. 6. Results Analysis: o Analyze experiment data, including scalability, encryption processes, and overall blockchain technology performance. 7. Proposal of Recommendations to Enhance Blockchain Adoption in Government: o Draw conclusions and provide recommendations to enhance the use of blockchain technology in the government context. Recommendations: 1. Hybrid Architecture Exploration: o Investigate the development of a hybrid architecture that combines Ethereum smart contracts and the Interplanetary File System (IPFS) to optimize government administrative efficiency. o Assess the potential of this hybrid approach in addressing data security concerns raised by government institutions while leveraging the advantages of blockchain technology. 2. Document Submission Optimization: o Encourage residents to securely submit documents for validation through the development of smart contracts on the Ethereum Sepolia testnet. o Explore the use of the Interplanetary File System (IPFS) for document upload and hash transmission to enhance cost-efficiency. 3. Off-Chain Storage Mechanism selection: o Recognize IPFS as the preferred off-chain storage mechanism, considering its superior encryption and decryption performance in comparison to alternatives such as StorJ. 4. Comprehensive Investigation Factors: o Emphasize the importance of considering factors like transaction processing rates, deployment and execution times, and overall blockchain performance in future experiments. o Take into account external influences like network congestion and hardware capabilities when assessing the viability of incorporating blockchain technology in government service administration. 5. Knowledge Transfer: o Share valuable insights gained from the comprehensive investigation on the potential incorporation of blockchain technology for improving government service administration, particularly in the context of certificate issuance. o Encourage knowledge transfer to facilitate similar endeavors in the realm of government service optimization. |