From BPMN to smart contracts on blockchains: Transforming BPMN to DE-HSM multi-modal model

Abstract

Scalability, privacy, and interoperability are some of the major issues receiving attention in research on blockchain technologies. We concentrate on the trade finance vertical for which we develop a new modeling approach with the objective of automatic transformation of an application, represented using Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN), into a smart contract deployed on a blockchain. Here, we describe how the BPMN model is transformed into a multimodal model that combines DE-HSM modeling. We provide a high-level overview of the method and review how BPMN categories of elements are transformed into a multi-modal DE-HSM model. We also describe briefly how the DE-FMS model is automatically transformed into deployable smart contracts that interact to form a distributed application: The smart contract deployed on the main blockchain coordinates activities amongst the business partners and interoperates with smart contracts, also automatically prepared and deployed on a sidechain(s), with one smart contract per individual business partner. Privacy is obtained by performing activities, which are not germane to the collaboration with the other business partners but deal with the private activities of the individual business partner, in a smart contract deployed and executed on a side chain. We thus provide for interoperability of smart contracts and privacy as private activities of a business partner are performed in a smart contract on a private sidechain.