A Decentralised Registry for Firearm Tracking using Blockchain Technology

Abstract

The problem of illegal firearm trade and the resulting consequences have been the subject of much debate with respect to their causes and the solutions that need to be implemented in order to curb their devastating effects. The lack of a robust infrastructure for tracking firearms in the USA has been one of the major reasons contributing to lack of accountability concerning firearm ownership in the nation. The paper proposes the design of a decentralised system based on blockchain technology that would not only aid in tracking firearm ownership but also provide an infrastructure for managing firearm licenses and trading firearms while maintaining user privacy. The artifact was designed in 5 phases with incremental developments performed at the end of each phase. The software artifact was then subjected to analysis followed by expert evaluation where each feature was assessed to gauge its feasibility with respect to real world operational and regulatory constraints. The system was found to successfully provide a decentralised platform for recording gun ownership data as well as trading firearms. The system also illustrates that the entire firearm tracing process can be decentralised through the voting system designed. The system however was still found to require more operational planning with respect to situations involving human interactions and regulations in order that the user privacy is not compromised.