Abstract
Distrust between data providers and data consumers is one of the main obstacles hampering the take-off of digital-data commerce. Data providers want to get paid for what they offer, while data consumers want to know exactly what they are paying for before actually paying for it. In this article, we present a protocol that overcomes this obstacle by building trust based on two main ideas. First, a probabilistic verification protocol, where some random samples of the real dataset are shown to buyers in order to allow them to make an assessment before committing any payment; and second, a guaranteed, protected payment process enforced with smart contracts on a public blockchain that guarantees the payment of data if and only if the provided data meet the agreed terms, and that honest players are otherwise refunded.
Highlights
DEFS—Data Exchange with FreeThe use of data has increasingly become a crucial factor in the success of businesses.Research has shown that proper use of big data techniques helps to identify new insights, optimise operating processes, and make better and faster decisions [1]
Once a smart contract is deployed in the blockchain network, its code is replicated on every node and, these programs have the same availability and integrity as regular transactions
The Ethereum [6] mainnet is a good candidate to implement our proposal because it is a public blockchain, capable of running smart contracts, and it is the platform of choice for many developers for implementing decentralised applications (DApps)
Summary
The use of data has increasingly become a crucial factor in the success of businesses. We focus on the problem of convincing consumers of data value, which can be seen as a form of lack of trust towards data providers. This problem could not be solved without previously establishing a certain confidence between parties. In order to exchange value safely, it is essential to ensure that consumers get the product they pay for and that providers get paid These two things are often carried out without any strict protocols and guaranteed just by existing trust. In this article we present DEFS, a protocol that addresses the lack-of-trust problem between providers and consumers in a data trade.
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