Blockchain-Based User Reputation Management For E-Commerce Platforms: An Architectural Proposal

In the current e-commerce landscape, reputation management plays a critical role in building trust among users. However, traditional reputation systems face several challenges due to their centralized data control and management. The study goal is to address the limitations of traditional centralized reputation systems, such as vulnerability to manipulation, lack of transparency, and reliance on third parties. To address these issues, this paper proposes a blockchain-based distributed architecture for managing user reputation in e-commerce environments. The system includes a REST API for interacting with the blockchain, a user wallet for managing credentials and signing feedback, and a WordPress plugin that integrates e-commerce platforms and prevents data manipulation. The Reputation Management Blockchain (RMB) is structured into three chains: the URChain for user identities and public keys, the PRChain for registering e-commerce platforms, and the RDChain for storing cryptographically signed feedback, ensuring integrity and tamper detection. The system proposed ensures secure, immutable, and privacy-preserving reputation data by storing only hashed feedback on a tamper- proof blockchain, while its lightweight design and Hyperledger Fabric’s efficient consensus enhances scalability; additionally, it enables interoperability across e-commerce platforms, allowing shared reputation information to strengthen overall reputation mechanisms.