A Critical Choice: Which Consortium Blockchain?

Martin Schäffner

10 February 2020

If you are setting up a blockchain-based system, one of the first questions you face is what kind of blockchain is best suited for your use case. This question also arose at our KOSMoS project where we are implementing a consortium blockchain for a group of german machine manufacturers and their clients. In cooperation with the Frankfurt School Blockchain Center, we published an article on Medium that shows our approach in finding the most appropriate type of blockchain. 

If you want to read the full article, you can read about it here

Within three years, the KOSMoS project intends to create blockchain-based frameworks for machine manufacturers to offer services for transparent maintenance and dynamic leasing contracts for their machines. Since these use cases are crucial to the stakeholders, it is important to choose the right type of blockchain to satisfy their needs.

Our methodology for choosing the correct type of blockchain followed three steps:

  1. Study existing types of blockchain and select a subset
  2. Define criteria for evaluating the most suitable blockchain system
  3. Compare the different blockchains to our predefined requirements

After comparing all possible types of blockchains, we eventually decided to implement the KOSMoS system on Hyperledger Fabric. One of the reasons for Hyperledger Fabric was the possibility to use channels between each machine manufacturer and its clients to keep sensitive information confidential while maintaining a shared blockchain infrastructure.

If you have any questions about the project, our methodology, or criticism, feel free to contact me via E-mail.