# Blockchain for Doping Control Applications in Sports: A Conceptual Approach
## 5 Conclusions and Future Work  
This article examined the idea of integrating a permissioned blockchain platform to disrupt current data management and information sharing processes of AD in professional sports. As described in the research strategy section of this article, the present research scope had outcomes grounded on two literature review stages focusing on the AD scenario (Doping in Sports and WADA Operating Model/Harmonization of AD Practices), followed by a literature review integrated with the technical research of blockchain technology, applicability of blockchain to the investigated AD scenario, and platform-specific technical and design studies stage. The research conducted in these three preliminary stages culminated in the present research contributions highlighted in the conceptualization stage. The thorough analysis of the AD domain revealed the existence of chronic trust problems, with a history of corrupt acts, circumvention of doping control processes, and tacit conflicts of interests both in terms of the goals expected by doping control organizations and with regard to data governance. Evidence to back up these affirmations is abundant in the existing body of research related to doping in sports. The suitability analysis confirms that the AD domain fits into a permissioned blockchain approach, where a semi-decentralized governance operating on top of a consortium-based cooperation scheme creates more streamlined, efficient, and trustworthy data management processes, with additional positive impacts on democratization of data and less friction between participating organizations. To provide a conceptualistic vision of a decentralized ecosystem for the AD domain, HLF was the chosen platform; therefore, a model of data governance was proposed based on its operational characteristics and in accordance with a natural existing hierarchy of organizations interacting in the AD ecosystem. By analyzing WADA official documents, it was also possible to identify the exact processes where data needs to be shared amongst different organizations and individuals, and where vulnerabilities due to non-digitalized or partially digitalized processes leave gaps for cheaters or result in weak privacy of sensitive personal data and consequently loss of trust in the system. One of these processes, the request for a TUE, was scrutinized and conceptually redesigned as a sequential SC business logic that creates a digital asset with a clear lifecycle. Each stage of the asset is described by an immutable transaction recorded on the blockchain. In this paper, the current gaps and vulnerabilities of this specific process were clearly exposed, and the proposed redesign based on a blockchain approach demonstrates exactly how each of these gaps and vulnerabilities are addressed, resulting in concrete benefits for involved organizations and individuals. Specific cryptographic features for creating a fine-grained access control of personal data recorded on the blockchain and anonymization of identities (ABE and Idemix) were proposed as key elements of the proposed design. Security aspects of the system and strategies to mitigate them were also discussed in the paper. Finally, the SWOT analysis for adoption of blockchain in the AD domain was discussed, indicating a positive perspective, which however is not free of challenges and that need to be addressed appropriately. Overall, this article concretely demonstrated how decentralization and the inherent features of blockchain combined with advanced cryptographic features can enable the profound transformation of data governance within the AD domain. This research has already a future scope clearly defined, which will be submitted for future publications as the research progresses. The future research scope consists of validating the concept here described through technical simulations and measuring the impact of blockchain via a Delphi methodology, allowing the final combined scope of research to create a robust scenario analysis of blockchain applied to AD in sports.