Blockchain and Trust: A Practice-Based Inquiry

Abstract

Blockchain technologies, such as the distributed cryptocurrency Bitcoin, present us with a vast array of possible applications. They promise to fundamentally transform traditional systems of managing property, conducting governance, organising smart devices, and establishing online identities. At the same time, few large scale real-world applications of the technology exist apart from Bitcoin. This makes designing Blockchain systems difficult, since there are few guidelines and frameworks available for interaction designers. Furthermore, due to the allegedly disruptive nature of these systems, user studies and observations based on current data are of limited utility. In this paper, we propose and discuss a design methodology combining practice-based research methods with elements of speculative design. In so doing we focus on one key aspect of Blockchain systems: trust. We thus want to show how practice-based methods can inform blockchain designs while providing an elucidative conceptualisation of the key category of trust.