ETSI has released specification GS PDL 011 to establish a trusted, open ecosystem for smart contracts that ensures non-repudiation and prevents fraud through immutable tracking of all contract modifications. The standard introduces a functional framework that allows parties to access only relevant contract domains while keeping other information ring-fenced for privacy, and it addresses the synchronization of offline IoT nodes upon reconnection. By addressing the high processing overhead and costs associated with traditional blockchain-based ledgers, this specification aims to deliver the scalability and cost-effectiveness necessary for widespread industry adoption across sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, and government. The release includes supporting group reports on research landscapes, federated data management, and offline operations to guide implementation.
Keywords: distributed ledgers, smart contracts, non-repudiation, data privacy, blockchain scalability