JETIA/
Articles/
2608005039
  • Open Access
  • Review

Blockchain for Next-Generation Digital Platforms: A Systematic Review of Decentralized Trust, Interoperability, and Governance

  • Yang Lu

Received: 12 May 2026 | Revised: 23 Jul 2026 | Accepted: 14 Sep 2026 | Published: 21 Sep 2026

Abstract

Blockchain technology is expanding beyond cryptocurrency into broader digital platform infrastructure. Existing scholarship remains highly fragmented: trust, interoperability, and governance occupy separate disciplinary traditions, with little integrative analysis across dimensions. This paper systematically reviews blockchain research in these three areas, identifies core findings, theoretical disagreements, and knowledge gaps, and proposes an integrative analytical framework for blockchain applications in next-generation digital platforms. Following PRISMA guidelines, we searched six academic databases and included 137 peer-reviewed studies after screening. In the trust dimension, blockchain relocates the basis of trust from credible institutions to verifiable protocols, yet it does not eliminate the need for trust itself. Algorithmic trust and institutional trust are complementary rather than substitutable. In the interoperability dimension, cross-chain solutions have diversified considerably, but governance arrangements lag substantially behind technical progress, and standardization trajectories differ systematically between Europe and the United States. In the governance dimension, on-chain governance practices such as DAOs expose structural contradictions between participation failure and power concentration. Effective governance requires co-designing on-chain mechanisms with off-chain norms. All three dimensions are mutually dependent in practice. Blockchain platform success depends on their coordinated configuration rather than the optimization of any single dimension. This paper proposes five priority research directions: multi-level trust modeling, interoperability governance, comparative institutional analysis, hybrid platform architecture, and cross-study measurement framework development. Governance arrangements must also address mounting regulatory compliance requirements, including securities regulation, data protection, and anti-money laundering obligations, which vary substantially across jurisdictions. The emergence of re-intermediation—where influential validators, platform operators, and consortium coordinators assume coordination roles—poses fundamental questions about the substantive decentralization of blockchain governance.

References 

  • 1.

    Morkunas, V.J.; Paschen, J.; Boon, E. How blockchain technologies impact your business model. Bus. Horizons 2019, 62, 295–306. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2019.01.009.

  • 2.

    Gala, K. Digital Davids, global Goliaths, and the Web3 sling. Bus. Horizons 2024, 67, 5–17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2023.06.002.

  • 3.

    Davidson, S.; De Filippi, P.; Potts, J. Economics of blockchain. Public Choice 2018, 176, 111–134. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11127-018-0505-1.

  • 4.

    Glaser, F. Pervasive decentralisation of digital infrastructures: A framework for blockchain enabled system and use case analysis. In Proceedings of the Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, Waikoloa Village, HI, USA, 4–7 January 2017. https://doi.org/10.24251/hicss.2017.186.

  • 5.

    Pereira, J.; Tavalaei, M.M.; Ozalp, H. Blockchain-based platforms: Decentralized infrastructures and its boundary conditions. Technol. Forecast. Soc. Chang. 2019, 146, 94–102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2019.04.030.

  • 6.

    Liu, Y.; Lu, Q.; Zhu, L.; et al. A systematic literature review on blockchain governance. J. Syst. Softw. 2023, 197, 111576. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jss.2022.111576.

  • 7.

    Toufaily, E.; Zalan, T. In blockchain we trust? Demystifying the trust mechanism in blockchain ecosystems. Technol. Forecast. Soc. Chang. 2024, 206, 123574. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2024.123574.

  • 8.

    De Filippi, P.; Mannan, M.; Reijers, W. Blockchain as a confidence machine: The problem of trust and challenges of governance. Technol. Soc. 2020, 62, 101284. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2020.101284.

  • 9.

    Belchior, R.; Süßenguth, J.; Feng, Q.; et al. A brief history of blockchain interoperability. Commun. ACM 2024, 67, 62–69. https://doi.org/10.1145/3648607.

  • 10.

    Lumineau, F.; Wang, W.; Schilke, O. Blockchain Governance—A New Way of Organizing Collaborations? Organ. Sci. 2021, 32, 500–521. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2020.1379.

  • 11.

    Wüst, K.; Gervais, A. Do you need a blockchain? In Proceedings of the 2018 Crypto Valley Conference on Blockchain Technology, Zug, Switzerland, 20–22 June 2018; pp. 45–54. https://doi.org/10.1109/cvcbt.2018.00011.

  • 12.

    Zhang, Y.; Kasahara, S.; Shen, Y.; et al. Smart contract-based access control for the Internet of Things. IEEE Internet Things J. 2019, 6, 1594–1605. https://doi.org/10.1109/jiot.2018.2847705.

  • 13.

    Nofer, M.; Gomber, P.; Hinz, O.; et al. Blockchain. Bus. Inf. Syst. Eng. 2017, 59, 183–187. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12599-017-0467-3.

  • 14.

    Catalini, C.; Gans, J.S. Some simple economics of the blockchain. Commun. ACM 2020, 63, 80–90. https://doi.org/10.1145/3359552.

  • 15.

    Yao, W.; Du, W.; Gu, J.; et al. Establishing a baseline for evaluating blockchain-based self-sovereign identity systems. In Proceedings of the BIOTC 2024, Fukuoka, Japan, 19–21 July 2024; pp. 108–119. https://doi.org/10.1145/3688225.3688239.

  • 16.

    Xu, X.; Weber, I.; Staples, M. Architecture for Blockchain Applications; Springer, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03035-3.

  • 17.

    Hardjono, T.; Smith, N. Decentralized Trusted Computing Base for Blockchain Infrastructure Security. Front. Blockchain 2019, 2, 24. https://doi.org/10.3389/fbloc.2019.00024.

  • 18.

    Narayanan, A.; Bonneau, J.; Felten, E.; et al. Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Technologies; Princeton University Press: Princeton, NJ, USA, 2016.

  • 19.

    Shin, D.D.H. Blockchain: The emerging technology of digital trust. Telemat. Inform. 2019, 45, 101278. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2019.101278.

  • 20.

    Becker, M.; Bodó, B. Trust in blockchain-based systems. Internet Policy Rev. 2021, 10, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.14763/2021.2.1555.

  • 21.

    Hawlitschek, F.; Notheisen, B.; Teubner, T. The limits of trust-free systems: A literature review on blockchain technology and trust in the sharing economy. Electron. Commer. Res. Appl. 2018, 29, 50–63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.elerap.2018.03.005.

  • 22.

    Islam, R.; Bose, R.; Roy, S.; et al. Decentralized trust framework for smart cities: A blockchain-enabled cybersecurity and data integrity model. Sci. Rep. 2025, 15, 23454. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-06405-y.

  • 23.

    Frizzo-Barker, J.; Chow-White, P.A.; Adams, P.R.; et al. Blockchain as a disruptive technology for business: A systematic review. Int. J. Inf. Manag. 2020, 51, 102029. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2019.10.014.

  • 24.

    Werbach, K. Trust, but verify: Why the blockchain needs the law. Berkeley Technol. Law J. 2018, 33, 487–550. https://doi.org/10.15779/Z38H41JM9N.

  • 25.

    Risius, M.; Spohrer, K. A Blockchain Research Framework—What We (don’t) Know, Where We Go from Here, and How We Will Get There. Bus. Inf. Syst. Eng. 2017, 59, 385–409. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12599-017-0506-0.

  • 26.

    Lemieux, V.L. Trusting records: Is Blockchain technology the answer? Rec. Manag. J. 2016, 26, 110–139. https://doi.org/10.1108/rmj-12-2015-0042.

  • 27.

    Xu, J.J.; Weber, I.; Staples, M. Trust in the machine: Blockchain as a socio-technical trust infrastructure. In Proceedings of the HICSS, Maui, HI, USA 8–11 January 2019.

  • 28.

    Wang, W.; Hoang, D.T.; Hu, P.; et al. A survey on consensus mechanisms and mining strategy management in blockchain networks. IEEE Access 2019, 7, 22328–22370. https://doi.org/10.1109/access.2019.2896108.

  • 29.

    Wang, S.; Ouyang, L.; Yuan, Y.; et al. Blockchain-enabled smart contracts: Architecture, applications, and future trends. IEEE Trans. Syst. Man Cybern. Syst. 2019a, 49, 2266–2277. https://doi.org/10.1109/TSMC.2019.2895123.

  • 30.

    De Filippi, P.; Hassan, S. Blockchain technology as a regulatory technology: From code is law to law is code. arXiv 2018, arXiv:1801.02507.

  • 31.

    Alharby, M.; van Moorsel, A. Blockchain-based smart contracts: A systematic mapping study. arXiv 2017, arXiv:1710.06372.

  • 32.

    Mendling, J.; Weber, I.; van der Aalst, W.; et al. Blockchains for Business Process Management—Challenges and Opportunities. ACM Trans. Manag. Inf. Syst. 2018, 9, 4:1–4:16. https://doi.org/10.1145/3183367.

  • 33.

    De Filippi, P.; Wright, A. Blockchain and the Law: The Rule of Code; Harvard University Press: Cambridge, MA, USA, 2018. https://doi.org/10.4159/9780674985933.

  • 34.

    Singh, R.; Gupta, A.; Mittal, P. A Systematic Literature Review on Blockchain-based Smart Contracts: Platforms, Applications, and Challenges. Distrib. Ledger Technol. Res. Pract. 2026, 5, 1–36. https://doi.org/10.1145/3704741.

  • 35.

    Ante, L. Smart contracts on the blockchain: A bibliometric analysis and review. Telemat. Inform. 2021, 57, 101519. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2020.101519.

  • 36.

    Khan, M.A.; Salah, K.; Ioannidis, S.; et al. Blockchain for Internet of Things: Applications, challenges, and opportunities. Comput. Netw. 2021a, 194, 108141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comnet.2021.108141.

  • 37.

    Khan, S.N.; Loukil, F.; Ghedira-Guegan, C.; et al. Blockchain smart contracts: Applications, challenges, and future trends. Peer-Peer Netw. Appl. 2021b, 14, 2901–2925. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12083-021-01127-0.

  • 38.

    Luu, L.; Chu, D.H.; Olickel, H.; et al. Making smart contracts smarter. In Proceedings of the 2016 ACM SIGSAC Conference on Computer and Communications Security, Vienna, Austria, 24–28 October 2016; pp. 254–269. https://doi.org/10.1145/2976749.2978309.

  • 39.

    Nikolic, I.; Kolluri, A.; Sergey, I.; et al. Finding the greedy, prodigal, and suicidal contracts at scale. In Proceedings of the 34th Annual Computer Security Applications Conference, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 3–7 December 2018; pp. 653–663. https://doi.org/10.1145/3274694.3274743.

  • 40.

    Atzei, N.; Bartoletti, M.; Cimoli, T. A survey of attacks on Ethereum smart contracts (SoK). In Principles of Security and Trust; Springer: Berlin/Heidelberg, Germany, 2017; pp. 164–186. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-54455-6_8.

  • 41.

    Mense, A.; Flatscher, M. Security vulnerabilities in Ethereum smart contracts. In Proceedings of the 20th International Conference on Information Integration and Web-Based Applications & Services, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, 19–21 November 2018; pp. 375–380. https://doi.org/10.1145/3282373.3282419.

  • 42.

    Vigliotti, M.G. What Do We Mean by Smart Contracts? Open Challenges in Smart Contracts. Front. Blockchain 2021, 3, 553671. https://doi.org/10.3389/fbloc.2020.553671.

  • 43.

    Capocasale, V.; Perboli, G. Standardizing Smart Contracts. IEEE Access 2022, 10, 91203–91212. https://doi.org/10.1109/access.2022.3202550.

  • 44.

    Taherdoost, H. Smart contracts in blockchain technology: A critical review. Information 2023, 14, 117. https://doi.org/10.3390/info14020117.

  • 45.

    Kadioglu Kumtepe, C.C. Unpacking the technology of trust: Establishing trust and fairness in online dispute resolution through blockchain and smart contracts. Int. J. Law Inf. Technol. 2025, 33, eaaf017. https://doi.org/10.1093/ijlit/eaaf017.

  • 46.

    Treiblmaier, H. The impact of the blockchain on the supply chain: A theory-based research framework and a call for action. Supply Chain. Manag. Int. J. 2018, 23, 545–559. https://doi.org/10.1108/scm-01-2018-0029.

  • 47.

    Schardong, F.; Custódio, R. Self-sovereign identity: A systematic review, mapping and taxonomy. Sensors 2022, 22, 5641. https://doi.org/10.3390/s22155641.

  • 48.

    Ferdous, M.S.; Chowdhury, F.; Alassafi, M.O. In search of self-sovereign identity leveraging blockchain technology. IEEE Access 2019, 7, 103059–103079. https://doi.org/10.1109/access.2019.2931173.

  • 49.

    Zaeem, R.N.; Barber, K.S. Blockchain-based self-sovereign identity: Survey, requirements, use cases, and comparative study. IEEE Internet Things J. 2021, 8, 4316–4336. https://doi.org/10.1109/jiot.2020.3032479.

  • 50.

    Ou, H.H.; Chen, G.Y.; Lin, I.C. A Self-Sovereign Identity Blockchain Framework for Access Control and Transparency in Financial Institutions. Cryptography 2025, 9, 9. https://doi.org/10.3390/cryptography9010009.

  • 51.

    Nair, A.J.; Manohar, S.; Rao, A.B.S. Self sovereign identity in e-governance: Blockchain solutions for fintech compliance and citizen-centric financial services. Humanit. Soc. Sci. Commun. 2025, 12, 1562. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-05880-y.

  • 52.

    Al-Bassam, M. SCPKI: A smart contract-based PKI and identity system. In Proceedings of the ACM Workshop on Blockchain, Cryptocurrencies and Contracts, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 2 April 2017; pp. 35–40. https://doi.org/10.1145/3055518.3055530.

  • 53.

    Pava-Díaz, R.A.; Gil-Ruiz, J.; López-Sarmiento, D.A. Self-sovereign identity on the blockchain: Contextual analysis and quantification of SSI principles implementation. Front. Blockchain 2024, 7, 1443362. https://doi.org/10.3389/fbloc.2024.1443362.

  • 54.

    Puthal, D.; Malik, N.; Mohanty, S.P.; et al. The Blockchain as a Decentralized Security Framework [Future Directions]. IEEE Consum. Electron. Mag. 2018, 7, 18–21. https://doi.org/10.1109/mce.2017.2776459.

  • 55.

    Saberi, S.; Kouhizadeh, M.; Sarkis, J.; et al. Blockchain technology and its relationships to sustainable supply chain management. Int. J. Prod. Res. 2019, 57, 2117–2135. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207543.2018.1533261.

  • 56.

    Queiroz, M.M.; Fosso Wamba, S.; De Bourmont, M.; et al. Blockchain adoption in operations and supply chain management: Empirical evidence from an emerging economy. Int. J. Prod. Res. 2021, 59, 6087–6103. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207543.2020.1803511.

  • 57.

    Malgonde, O.S.; Padmanabhan, B.; Mithas, S. How to Mitigate Misinformation Diffusion on Blockchain-Based Decentralized Social Network Platforms? Insights From an Agent-Based Simulation Model. J. Oper. Manag. 2025, 71, 1068–1084. https://doi.org/10.1002/joom.70007.

  • 58.

    Kausar, F.; Asif, H.M.; Hussain, S.; et al. A Review on Blockchain-Based Trust and Reputation Schemes in Metaverse Environments. Cryptography 2025, 9, 74. https://doi.org/10.3390/cryptography9040074.

  • 59.

    Deng, W.; Huang, T.; Wang, H. A Review of the Key Technology in a Blockchain Building Decentralized Trust Platform. Mathematics 2023, 11, 101. https://doi.org/10.3390/math11010101.

  • 60.

    Belchior, R.; Vasconcelos, A.; Guerreiro, S.; et al. A survey on blockchain interoperability: Past, present, and future trends. ACM Comput. Surv. 2021, 54, 168. https://doi.org/10.1145/3471140.

  • 61.

    Zheng, Z.; Xie, S.; Dai, H.; et al. An overview of blockchain technology: Architecture, consensus, and future trends. In Proceedings of the 2017 IEEE International Congress on Big Data, Honolulu, HI, USA, 25–30 June 2017; pp. 557–564. https://doi.org/10.1109/bigdatacongress.2017.85.

  • 62.

    Monrat, A.A.; Schelen, O.; Andersson, K. A Survey of Blockchain from the Perspectives of Applications, Challenges, and Opportunities. IEEE Access 2019, 7, 117134–117151. https://doi.org/10.1109/access.2019.2936094.

  • 63.

    Pournader, M.; Shi, Y.; Seuring, S.; et al. Blockchain applications in supply chains, transport and logistics: A systematic review of the literature. Int. J. Prod. Res. 2020, 58, 2063–2081. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207543.2019.1650976.

  • 64.

    Kotey, S.D.; Tchao, E.T.; Ahmed, A.R.; et al. Blockchain interoperability: The state of heterogeneous blockchain-to-blockchain communication. IET Commun. 2023, 17, 891–914. https://doi.org/10.1049/cmu2.12594.

  • 65.

    Ren, K.; Ho, N.M.; Loghin, D.; et al. Interoperability in blockchain: A survey. IEEE Trans. Knowl. Data Eng. 2023, 35, 12750–12769. https://doi.org/10.1109/tkde.2023.3275220.

  • 66.

    Qasse, I.A.; Abu Talib, M.; Nasir, Q. Inter blockchain communication: A survey. In Proceedings of the 6th Annual International Conference on Arab Women in Computing, ArabWIC 2019, Rabat, Morocco, 7–9 March 2019; pp. 2:1–2:6. https://doi.org/10.1145/3333165.3333167.

  • 67.

    Mohanta, B.K.; Jena, D.; Ramasubbareddy, S.; et al. Addressing security and privacy issues of IoT using blockchain technology. IEEE Internet Things J. 2021, 8, 881–888. https://doi.org/10.1109/jiot.2020.3008906.

  • 68.

    Lin, S.Y.; Zhang, L.; Li, J.; et al. A survey of application research based on blockchain smart contract. Wirel. Netw. 2022, 28, 635–690. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11276-021-02874-x.

  • 69.

    Wang, Y.; Han, J.H.; Beynon-Davies, P. Understanding blockchain technology for future supply chains: A systematic literature review and research agenda. Supply Chain. Manag. 2019b, 24, 62–84. https://doi.org/10.1108/scm-03-2018-0148.

  • 70.

    Anthony Jnr, B. Enhancing blockchain interoperability and intraoperability capabilities in collaborative enterprise-a standardized architecture perspective. Enterp. Inf. Syst. 2024, 18, 2296647. https://doi.org/10.1080/17517575.2023.2296647.

  • 71.

    Wang, G.; Wang, Q.; Chen, S. Exploring blockchains interoperability: A systematic survey. ACM Comput. Surv. 2023, 55, 1–38. https://doi.org/10.1145/3582882.

  • 72.

    Herlihy, M. Blockchains from a distributed computing perspective. Commun. ACM 2019, 62, 78–85. https://doi.org/10.1145/3209623.

  • 73.

    Lin, I.C.; Liao, T.C. A survey of blockchain security issues and challenges. Int. J. Netw. Secur. 2017, 19, 653–659. https://doi.org/10.6633/ijns.201709.19(5).01.

  • 74.

    Li, W.; Liu, Z.; Chen, J.; et al. Towards blockchain interoperability: A comprehensive survey on cross-chain solutions. Blockchain Res. Appl. 2025, 6, 100286. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bcra.2025.100286.

  • 75.

    Siam, M.K.; Saha, B.; Hasan, M.M.; et al. Securing decentralized ecosystems: A comprehensive systematic review of blockchain vulnerabilities, attacks, and countermeasures and mitigation strategies. Future Internet 2025, 17, 183. https://doi.org/10.3390/fi17040183.

  • 76.

    Kou, G.; Lu, Y. FinTech: A literature review of emerging financial technologies and applications. Financ. Innov. 2025, 11, 1–34. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40854-024-00668-6.

  • 77.

    Li, X.; Jiang, P.; Chen, T.; et al. A survey on the security of blockchain systems. Future Gener. Comput. Syst. 2020, 107, 841–853. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.future.2017.08.020.

  • 78.

    Gervais, A.; Karame, G.O.; Wüst, K.; et al. On the security and performance of proof of work blockchains. In Proceedings of the 2016 ACM SIGSAC Conference on Computer and Communications Security, Vienna, Austria, 24–28 October 2016; pp. 3–16. https://doi.org/10.1145/2976749.2978341.

  • 79.

    Viriyasitavat, W.; Xu, L.D.; Bi, Z.; et al. Blockchain technology for applications in Internet of Things: Mapping from system design perspective. IEEE Internet Things J. 2019, 6, 8155–8168. https://doi.org/10.1109/jiot.2019.2925825.

  • 80.

    Caldarelli, G.; Ellul, J. The Blockchain Oracle Problem in Decentralized Finance—A Multivocal Approach. Appl. Sci. 2021, 11, 7572. https://doi.org/10.3390/app11167572.

  • 81.

    Liu, Y.; He, J.; Li, X.; et al. An overview of blockchain smart contract execution mechanism. J. Ind. Inf. Integr. 2024, 41, 100674. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jii.2024.100674.

  • 82.

    Dixit, A.; Singh, A.; Rahulamathavan, Y.; et al. FAST DATA: A Fair, Secure, and Trusted Decentralized IIoT Data Marketplace Enabled by Blockchain. IEEE Internet Things J. 2023, 10, 2934–2944. https://doi.org/10.1109/jiot.2021.3120640.

  • 83.

    Schmeelk, S.; Kanabar, M.; Peterson, K.; et al. Electronic health records and blockchain interoperability requirements: A scoping review. JAMIA Open 2022, 5, ooac068. https://doi.org/10.1093/jamiaopen/ooac068.

  • 84.

    Durneva, P.; Cousins, K.; Chen, M. The Current State of Research, Challenges, and Future Research Directions of Blockchain Technology in Patient Care: Systematic Review. J. Med. Internet Res. 2020, 22, e18619. https://doi.org/10.2196/18619.

  • 85.

    Yli-Huumo, J.; Ko, D.; Choi, S.; et al. Where is current research on blockchain technology? A systematic review. PLoS ONE 2016, 11, e0163477. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0163477.

  • 86.

    Allen, R.H.; Sriram, R.D. The role of standards in innovation. Technol. Forecast. Soc. Chang. 2000, 64, 171–181. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0040-1625(99)00104-3.

  • 87.

    Hughes, L.; Dwivedi, Y.K.; Misra, S.K.; et al. Blockchain research, practice and policy: Applications, benefits, limitations, emerging research themes and research agenda. Int. J. Inf. Manag. 2019, 49, 114–129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2019.02.005.

  • 88.

    Jia, X.; Xu, J.; Han, M.; et al. International Standardization of Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technology: Overlaps, Gaps and Challenges. Comput. Model. Eng. Sci. 2023, 137, 1491–1523. https://doi.org/10.32604/cmes.2023.026357.

  • 89.

    De Filippi, P.; Wray, C.; Sileno, G. Smart contracts. Internet Policy Rev. 2021, 10, 1549. https://doi.org/10.14763/2021.2.1549.

  • 90.

    Kud, A. Decentralized information platforms in public governance: Reconstruction of the modern democracy or comfort blinding? Int. J. Public Adm. 2023, 46, 195–221. https://doi.org/10.1080/01900692.2021.1993905.

  • 91.

    Cong, L.W.; He, Z.; Li, J. Decentralized mining in centralized pools. Rev. Financ. Stud. 2021a, 34, 1191–1235. https://doi.org/10.1093/rfs/hhaa040.

  • 92.

    Lacity, M.; Khan, S.; Yan, A. Review of the empirical business services literature on blockchain. J. Strateg. Inf. Syst. 2021, 30, 101663. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsis.2021.101663.

  • 93.

    Hoffmann, I.; Jensen, N.; Cristescu, A. Decentralized governance for digital platforms: Architecture proposal for the mobility market to enhance data privacy and market diversity. In Proceedings of the 2021 IEEE 18th Annual Consumer Communications and Networking Conference (CCNC), Las Vegas, NV, USA, 9–12 January 2021. https://doi.org/10.1109/ccnc49032.2021.9369659.

  • 94.

    Azaria, A.; Ekblaw, A.; Vieira, T.; et al. MedRec: Using blockchain for medical data access and permission management. In Proceedings of the 2016 2nd International Conference on Open and Big Data, Vienna, Austria, 22–24 August 2016; pp. 25–30. https://doi.org/10.1109/obd.2016.11.

  • 95.

    Chen, Y.; Richter, J.I.; Patel, P.C. Decentralized governance of digital platforms. J. Manag. 2021, 47, 1305–1337. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206320916755.

  • 96.

    Reijers, W.; Wuisman, I.; Mannan, M.; et al. Now the code runs itself: On-chain and off-chain governance of blockchain technologies. Topoi 2018, 37, 157–172. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11245-018-9626-5.

  • 97.

    Tschorsch, F.; Scheuermann, B. Bitcoin and Beyond: A Technical Survey on Decentralized Digital Currencies. IEEE Commun. Surv. Tutorials 2016, 18, 2084–2123. https://doi.org/10.1109/comst.2016.2535718.

  • 98.

    Reijers, W.; O’Brolcháin, F.; Haynes, P. Governance in Blockchain Technologies & Social Contract Theories. Ledger 2016, 1, 134–151. https://doi.org/10.5195/ledger.2016.62.

  • 99.

    Atzori, M. Blockchain technology and decentralized governance: Is the state still necessary? J. Gov. Regul. 2017, 6, 45–62. https://doi.org/10.22495/jgr_v6_i1_p5.

  • 100.

    Beck, R.; Müller-Bloch, C.; King, J.L. Governance in the Blockchain Economy: A Framework and Research Agenda. J. Assoc. Inf. Syst. 2018, 19, 1020–1034. https://doi.org/10.17705/1jais.00518.

  • 101.

    Abbas, A.; Jain, S.; Hegde, N. Blockchain and IoT security: A survey. IEEE Access 2021, 9, 85386–85413. https://doi.org/10.1109/access.2021.3087282.

  • 102.

    Cong, L.W.; Li, Y.; Wang, N. Tokenomics: Dynamic adoption and valuation. Rev. Financ. Stud. 2021b, 34, 1105–1155. https://doi.org/10.1093/rfs/hhaa089.

  • 103.

    Santana, C.; Albareda, L. Blockchain and the emergence of Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs): An integrative model and research agenda. Technol. Forecast. Soc. Chang. 2022, 182, 121806. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2022.121806.

  • 104.

    Bellavitis, C.; Fisch, C.; Momtaz, P.P. The rise of decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs): A first empirical glimpse. Ventur. Cap. 2023, 25, 187–203. https://doi.org/10.1080/13691066.2022.2116797.

  • 105.

    Rikken, O.K.; Janssen, M.F.W.H.A.; Roosenboom-Kwee, Z. Governance impacts of blockchain-based decentralized autonomous organizations: An empirical analysis. Policy Des. Pract. 2023, 6, 465–487. https://doi.org/10.1080/25741292.2023.2270220.

  • 106.

    Ding, W.; Liang, X.; Hou, J.; et al. A novel approach for predictable governance of decentralized autonomous organizations based on parallel intelligence. IEEE Trans. Syst. Man Cybern. Syst. 2023, 53, 3092–3103. https://doi.org/10.1109/tsmc.2022.3224250.

  • 107.

    Schädler, L.; Lustenberger, M.; Spychiger, F. Analyzing decision-making in blockchain governance. Front. Blockchain 2023, 6, 1256651. https://doi.org/10.3389/fbloc.2023.1256651.

  • 108.

    Nguyen, L.T.M.; Nguyen, P.T. The interplay between governance mechanisms of blockchain platforms. Econ. Innov. New Technol. 2025, 34, 367–391. https://doi.org/10.1080/10438599.2024.2346723.

  • 109.

    Vella, G.; Gastaldi, L.; Appio, F.P. Non-algorithmic governance mechanisms of blockchain-based decentralized applications: Evidence from multiple cases. Technovation 2025, 148, 103332. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.technovation.2025.103332.

  • 110.

    Singh, S.; Gaur, A.; Singh, D. Blockchain-based governance: Implications for organizational boundaries and structures. Br. J. Manag. 2024, 35, 1692–1699. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8551.12784.

  • 111.

    Bendig, D.; Charlet, M. Opportunities and challenges of blockchain for multi-sided platforms. Electron. Mark. 2025, 35, 25. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12525-025-00765-z.

  • 112.

    Kolade, O.; Adepoju, D.; Adegbile, A. Blockchains and the disruption of the sharing economy value chains. Strateg. Chang. 2022, 31, 137–145. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsc.2483.

  • 113.

    Heimburg, V.; Alakbarov, H.; Wiesche, M. Governance of decentralized platform ecosystems. In Transforming the Digitally Sustainable Enterprise; Springer: Cham, Switzerland, 2025; Volume 3, pp. 97–112. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-80125-9_6.

  • 114.

    Fasano, F.; Bartoli, C.; Cappa, F.; et al. Exploring the impact of AI on Web3 decentralized platform business model innovation. J. Eng. Technol. Manag. 2025, 78, 101911. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jengtecman.2025.101911.

  • 115.

    Diaz-Valdivia, A.; Poblet-Balcell, M. The governance of the ReFi ecosystem: Integrity in voluntary carbon markets as a common resource. Int. J. Commons 2025, 19, 100–119. https://doi.org/10.5334/ijc.1410.

  • 116.

    Peck, M.E. Blockchain world—Do you need a blockchain? This chart will tell you if the technology can solve your problem. IEEE Spectr. 2017, 54, 38–60. https://doi.org/10.1109/mspec.2017.8048838.

  • 117.

    Yermack, D. Corporate governance and blockchains. Rev. Financ. 2017, 21, 7–31. https://doi.org/10.1093/rof/rfw074.

  • 118.

    Sarker, I.; Datta, B. Re-designing the pension business processes for achieving technology-driven reforms through blockchain adoption: A proposed architecture. Technol. Forecast. Soc. Chang. 2022, 174, 121059. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2021.121059.

  • 119.

    Xie, J.; Tang, H.; Huang, T.; et al. A survey of blockchain technology applied to smart cities: Research issues and challenges. IEEE Commun. Surv. Tutorials 2019, 21, 2794–2830. https://doi.org/10.1109/comst.2019.2899617.

  • 120.

    Zouari, M.; Alon, I.; Shtudiner, Z. Ethereum: Past, present, and future. J. Glob. Inf. Manag. 2025, 33, 1–24. https://doi.org/10.4018/jgim.383938.

  • 121.

    Gatteschi, V.; Lamberti, F.; Demartini, C.; et al. To Blockchain or Not to Blockchain: That Is the Question. IT Prof. 2018, 20, 62–74. https://doi.org/10.1109/mitp.2018.021921652.

  • 122.

    Casino, F.; Dasaklis, T.K.; Patsakis, C. A systematic literature review of blockchain-based applications: Current status, classification and open issues. Telemat. Inform. 2019, 36, 55–81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2018.11.006.

  • 123.

    Zheng, Z.; Xie, S.; Dai, H.; et al. Blockchain challenges and opportunities: A survey. Int. J. Web Grid Serv. 2018, 14, 352–375. https://doi.org/10.1504/ijwgs.2018.095647.

  • 124.

    Treiblmaier, H. Toward more rigorous blockchain research: Recommendations for writing blockchain case studies. Front. Blockchain 2019, 2, 3. https://doi.org/10.3389/fbloc.2019.00003.

  • 125.

    Polcumpally, A.T.; Pandey, K.K.; Kumar, A.; et al. Blockchain governance and trust: A multi-sector thematic systematic review and exploration of future research directions. Heliyon 2024, 10, e32975. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e32975.

Share this article:
Download PDF
DOI
10.53941/jetia.2026.100006
Issue
Volume 1, Issue 1
How to Cite
Lu, Y. Blockchain for Next-Generation Digital Platforms: A Systematic Review of Decentralized Trust, Interoperability, and Governance. Journal of Emerging Technologies with Industrial Applications 2026, 1 (1), 6. https://doi.org/10.53941/jetia.2026.100006.
RIS
BibTex
Copyright & License
article copyright Image
Copyright (c) 2026 by the authors.
Article Metrics
34
Article Views
0
Citations