Design of protocol for dynamic governance of corporate blockchain ecosystems

The rise of blockchain technology has brought to light the need for a new governance approach that enables users to collaborate and act with each other in a decentralized and trusted way. This presents enterprises, especially large companies, with unprecedented opportunities but also challenges. One example is an international logistics supply chain that is integrating blockchain technology to ensure the traceability of their products from manufacturer to end user.

Birgitte van Haaren-van Duijn confronted these challenges in her PhD research. Her findings offer valuable recommendations for successful design of the governance for blockchain-based ecosystems. She also presents a protocol called GOBLET, based on the main characteristics of the blockchain and the growth phases of the ecosystem.

The research followed a design science approach, collecting data from more than 12 different blockchain ecosystems. This included in-depth analyses of
documentation, 27 interviews and more than 300 hours of participant
observations.

One of the most notable contributions of this research is the development of a dynamic protocol for the design of a governance code for blockchain technology. Given the decentralization and continuous evolution of this technology, flexible governance is essential for the successful growth of these ecosystems.

This research contributes to the implementation of blockchain governance for
enterprise networks. The GOBLET protocol can be a starting point for how
companies manage their blockchain ecosystems and an inspiration for future
developments in this area.

Birgitte van Haaren van Duijn will defend her PhD thesis on November 2, 2023.

Title of the PhD thesis: "A design of a protocol for the dynamic governance of
enterprise blockchain ecosystems. (Leveraging blockchain technology for
transparent, efficient and effective business operations)". Promoters: Mathieu Weggeman, Sjoerd Romme and Jaime Bonnin Roca.