Table 1.
Suitability evaluation of the applicability of blockchain technology to algorithmic contact tracing, with comparison to conventional database applications (CDAs).
| Consideration for blockchain use cases | Evaluation | Indicated system architecture |
| Are multiple parties required?a | Yes | Blockchain is preferred, but CDA is also applicable |
| Is a trusted authority required?a | Yes | Either blockchain or CDA |
| Is the operation centralized?a | Inconclusive | Possibly CDA, as it inherently supports centralized operations |
| Is transparency required?a | No | CDA |
| Is transaction history required?a | No | CDA |
| Is immutability required?a | No | CDA |
| Is high performance required?a | Inconclusive | Possibly CDA, as it can generally achieve higher throughput |
| Is integration with other systems required? | Yes | Either blockchain or CDA |
| Is decentralized data validation required? | No | CDA |
| Is high data reliability required? | Yes | CDA, as it can generally provide higher reliability of data without need for on-chain and off-chain approaches needed for blockchain |
aThis consideration is based on the framework proposed by Lo et al [69].