SoK: Credential-Based Trust Management in Decentralized Ledger Systems

2025-11-14

International Conference on Trust, Security and Privacy in Computing and Communications

AI Summary

This work addresses the critical challenge of effectively constructing and managing credential-based trust mechanisms in decentralized ledger systems by proposing the first systematic taxonomy and comprehensive evaluation framework for credential-based Decentralized Trust Management Systems (DTMS). Through a Systematization of Knowledge (SoK) approach and multidimensional analysis, the study provides an in-depth examination of existing DTMS across key dimensions—including architectural design, credential mechanisms, and trust evaluation models—thereby clarifying the gaps between theoretical foundations and practical implementations. The research establishes a unified classification scheme and evaluation criteria, identifies current limitations of deployed systems, and offers actionable guidance for applications such as access control and reputation systems, while also outlining promising directions for future research.

Technology Category

• Data Mining & Knowledge Management: Representing, Reasoning, and Using Provenance, Trust
• Knowledge Representation and Reasoning: Description Logics
• Multiagent Systems: Mechanism Design

Application Category

• Semantics and Knowledge: Provenance, trust, security and privacy, and ethical issues in managing semantic data
• Security and Privacy: Blockchains and distributed ledgers
• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Decentralized Web and Fediverse systems

Abstract

Trust management systems (TMS) are crucial for managing trust in distributed environments. The rise of decentralized systems and blockchain has sparked interest in credential-based decentralized trust management systems (DTMS). This paper bridges the gap between theory and practice through a systematic review of credential-based DTMS. We analyze existing DTMS solutions through multiple dimensions, including their architectural designs, credential mechanisms, and trust evaluation models. Our survey provides a detailed taxonomy of credential-based DTMS approaches and establishes comprehensive evaluation criteria for assessing DTMS implementations. Through extensive analysis of current systems and implementations, we identify critical challenges and promising research directions in the field. Our examination offers valuable insights for researchers and practitioners working on DTMS, particularly in areas such as access control, reputation systems, and blockchain-based trust frameworks.

Problem

• Trust Management
• Decentralized Ledger Systems
• Credential-based Systems
• Blockchain
• Distributed Trust

Innovation

• credential-based trust management
• decentralized ledger systems
• systematic review
• trust evaluation models
• taxonomy