How do you make sure your blockchain works across domains?

1 What are domains?

Domains are the contexts or environments where blockchain applications operate. They can be defined by various factors, such as the purpose, scope, rules, participants, and protocols of the blockchain. For example, a domain could be a specific industry, such as healthcare, finance, or supply chain, or a specific organization, such as a company, a consortium, or a government agency. Different domains may have different requirements, standards, and regulations for their blockchain solutions.

2 Why do domains matter?

Domains matter because they affect how your blockchain interacts with other blockchains, systems, and users. If your blockchain is isolated or incompatible with other domains, you may miss out on the benefits of cross-domain collaboration, such as data sharing, value exchange, and network effects. Moreover, you may face challenges in scaling, security, and governance if your blockchain is not adaptable to changing domain conditions and needs.

3 What are the challenges of cross-domain blockchain?

Cross-domain blockchain is not a simple task, as it involves multiple technical and non-technical challenges. For example, different domains can use various data structures, formats, and meanings for their blockchain transactions and records, which can lead to confusion, inconsistency, and errors when exchanging information. Additionally, different domains may use distinct blockchain platforms, protocols, and standards for their network communication, consensus, and validation, leading to incompatibility, inefficiency, and conflicts when connecting blockchains. Moreover, different domains may have varying privacy and security policies, regulations, and preferences for their blockchain data and users; this can cause risks, breaches, and disputes when sharing data across domains. Lastly, different domains may have various governance models, rules, and authorities for their blockchain operations and decisions; this can cause issues, disagreements, and disputes when collaborating across domains.

4 What are the strategies for cross-domain blockchain?

To ensure your blockchain projects are interoperable and compatible across domains, you need to adopt strategies that enable cross-domain blockchain. Common strategies include data standardization and mapping, protocol adaptation and bridging, privacy and security enhancement, and governance and trust agreement. Data standardization and mapping involves using common data standards, such as JSON or XML, for transactions and records. Protocol adaptation and bridging includes using wrappers or adapters to make your blockchain compatible with other platforms, protocols, and standards. Privacy and security enhancement involves using encryption, hashing, or zero-knowledge proofs to protect data and users from unauthorized access or disclosure. Finally, governance and trust agreement involves using smart contracts, escrows, or arbitration to establish rules, roles, and responsibilities of blockchain collaboration.

5 What are some examples of cross-domain blockchain?

Cross-domain blockchain is no longer a theoretical concept, but is now a practical reality. TradeLens, Sovrin, and Corda are all examples of blockchain projects that operate across domains. TradeLens connects the global trade ecosystem, such as shippers, carriers, ports, and customs, to share data and documents. Sovrin enables self-sovereign identity, allowing users to create and control their own digital identities across different domains. Corda enables interoperable business networks that allow organizations to transact directly and securely across different domains. Cross-domain blockchain can improve efficiency and security while streamlining processes.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?