Update on core standards for DLT

ISO/TC 307 is currently undertaking a revision on ISO 22739 Blockchain and distributed ledger technology - Vocabulary.  Proposed additions of new terms as well as proposed revisions and deletions of existing terms are under consideration.  ISO/TC 307 anticipates registering this revision as a Draft International Standard before the end of the autumn.  (Please note that it is possible for the public to view the entirety of the version of ISO 22739 published in 2020 online, since ISO 22739 contains only three clauses and ISO allows the public to preview the first three clauses of ISO standards without purchasing a licence.)

ISO/TC 307 is currently working with ISO/TC 46/SC 11 Archives/records management to develop a new technical report, Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technology in relation to authoritative records, records systems, and records management.  The authoritativeness of records in records systems generally flows from the roles and intentions of specifically identified records managers, although it has been observed that records in distributed ledger systems can often be relied upon even in cases in which the actors are unidentified or even anonymous.  How is this possible?  Under what circumstances can DLT be used as part of a records system, and what do archival science and records management practice tell us about the opportunities and limits of DLT systems?  The first in-person meeting of experts was convened in Vancouver, Canada in January 2020, and the project has had 62 regular virtual meetings over the past two years.  Soon, and perhaps before the end of the autumn, the project shall advance to the committee stage, where a broader set of experts will have a chance to help the group answer some tough questions about records management and DLT.