Blockchain-Enabled Knowledge Management: Trust, Transparency, and Decentralized Knowing

Abstract

The convergence of blockchain technology and knowledge management (KM) systems is reshaping how organizations create, share, and validate knowledge. This paper explores the transformative potential of blockchain-enabled knowledge management (BKM) in fostering trust, transparency, and decentralized knowing across digital ecosystems. By leveraging blockchain’s inherent features—immutability, consensus, and smart contracts—BKM offers a secure and verifiable infrastructure for knowledge sharing among distributed stakeholders. The study investigates how decentralized ledger systems mitigate issues of information asymmetry, intellectual property protection, and trust in collaborative environments. Furthermore, it discusses emerging frameworks that integrate blockchain with artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) to enhance knowledge provenance, traceability, and accountability. Through a synthesis of current literature and conceptual modeling, this paper provides a comprehensive understanding of how blockchain can advance knowledge governance and organizational learning in the digital era. The findings underscore blockchain’s role not merely as a technological enabler but as a socio-technical paradigm that redefines the epistemological foundations of organizational knowledge.

Keywords: Blockchain, Knowledge Management, Trust, Transparency, Decentralization, Smart Contracts, Knowledge Sharing, Digital Governance, Organizational Learning