A Requirements-Driven Methodology for the Proper Selection and Configuration of Blockchains

In recent years, the interest in blockchain has grown exponentially, and nowadays it is foreseen as a technology with the potential to revolutionize the way data is maintained and transferred around the globe. The reason of this excitement is ascribable to the ability of enabling new forms of transactions and interactions between mistrusting and decentralized entities. Indeed, it has attracted interests and huge investments from enterprises, and it is predictable that in a near future many industries will adopt it. However, it is not a panacea and in some cases may even become useless or not convenient. Moreover, even when it can really constitute an added value, selecting the proper blockchain and configuring it may not be trivial. Trying to go beyond the hype and to address this problem, this paper proposes a methodology addressing: i) whether, given a specific problem requirements, the blockchain is a proper solution for it ii) in such a case which is the blockchain category more suitable, and finally iii) guiding the designer throughout its configuration.