Decentralized Reputation System on a Permissioned Blockchain for E-Commerce Reviews

Abstract

E-commerce has experienced rapid growth and adoption over the decade and continues to do so. Customer reviews of products have been a driving force in making purchasing decisions but credibility of these reviews have been put into question as a result of influx of fraudulent reviews. Blockchain is a technology that promises a decentralized trust based environment where records are managed in an immutable manner. This paper presents a novel decentralized reputation system that utilizes smart contracts on a permissioned blockchain. We present a background on current reputation systems with a focus on the current limitations and security vulnerabilities. Our approach will address the centralization and credibility of E-commerce reviews in current reputation systems. We then discuss the limitations of such a system and highlight solutions to these limitations.