💡 In simple words: In simple words: a blockchain is like a shared notebook that many computers keep together, so the records cannot be secretly changed.

⚠️ Not yet approved. This page describes a proposal that is still under community review. It is documented here so it can be discussed, improved and endorsed.

Blockchains & Smart Contracts

From WikiDeal, the Wikipedia of e-commerce · Technology · Applied Research Project

WikiDeal is an ongoing research and development project. It explores a fundamental hypothesis about participative e-commerce: Can we create an e-commerce platform that is simultaneously ethical, participative, low-cost, and economically self-sustaining — without relying on advertising, speculation, or shareholder profit?

Everything on this page describes starting hypotheses and avenues we are exploring — not decisions that have been made. Our current thinking is to focus first on decentralized data, and to consider blockchain as a second step. Blockchain might later be integrated as well — possibly, at least in part, as a means of payment — but for now it remains one of several options we intend to study. The sections below outline the directions in which we believe these technologies could be useful to WikiDeal.

Contents

1. What are Smart Contracts?

A Smart Contract is a self-executing program stored on a blockchain. Once its conditions are met, it can execute automatically — without necessarily requiring human validation, a notary, or a central authority. Smart contracts are designed to be transparent, tamper-resistant, and enforceable by code rather than by courts. How far WikiDeal would rely on them is one of the questions we want to explore.

2. When Could Smart Contracts Be Useful in WikiDeal?

Smart contracts could be particularly well-suited for WikiDeal deals that:

Do not require human validation to execute (e.g., automatic payment release upon confirmed delivery)
Call for financial security guarantees (escrow, conditional payment)
Involve high-value or higher-risk transactions where code-enforced execution might add trust

Conversely, deals such as babysitting, bike loans, consulting, or neighborhood services would not necessarily need blockchain from day one. We are leaning towards a progressive approach, where blockchain smart contracts could be activated gradually, depending on the utility and complexity of each contract type.

3. Decentralized Data — Our First Focus

As a first step, and independently from blockchain, WikiDeal is exploring decentralized data storage. While it is not the same technology, it shares the same intention: giving users control over which data they share, with transparency and security principles inspired by blockchain culture. Users would choose what they reveal, to whom, and under what conditions. This is the direction we expect to develop first, with blockchain following in a later phase.

4. A Preference for Energy-Efficient Blockchains

If and when blockchain is used, WikiDeal intends to favour only low-energy blockchains. Bitcoin-style proof-of-work would be excluded. Our current preference goes to:

Ethereum (post-Merge, proof-of-stake)
Other energy-efficient Layer 1 and Layer 2 solutions

The specific tools and protocols would be studied and selected through the Smart Contract Observatory (see Market → Observatories).

5. The Smart Contract Observatory

A dedicated observatory is envisaged to track the evolution of smart contract standards, tools, and best practices relevant to WikiDeal. The idea is that it would publish regular reports and feed into Open Call proposals.

Gov/en/Portal:Data/Blockchains