ORCID

0000-0003-1808-8306

Keywords

Decentralized Identity, Blockchain, Consent Management, Media Provenance, Biometric Authentication, Trusted Execution Environments

Abstract

Digital platforms are deeply embedded in modern society through centralized network architectures. As online interactions transition to the physical world handling sensitive data, user privacy and cryptographic security require enhancement beyond traditional limits. This dissertation presents a decentralized “Tri-Layer Trust Architecture” that leverages Verifiable Trust Registries, Cryptographic Binding, and Edge Verification to prioritize data sovereignty and local authentication. To demonstrate the architecture’s applicability across distinct operational environments, we implement three solutions: (1) Verifiable Presence for peer-to-peer ride-sharing via D-RideX, which encrypts biometric data on physical hardware (TEEs) and Soulbound Tokens (SBTs) to prevent impersonation without cloud database exposure; (2) Verifiable Consent for healthcare via a hybrid framework combining OAuth 2.0 with patient-owned smart contract wallets (ERC-6551), transforming static consent records into dynamic, programmable digital assets; and (3) Verifiable Provenance for media integrity via a Certificate Authority-backed Public Key Infrastructure enabling users to verify news outlet signatures through a browser extension. This approach combats multimedia misinformation while maintaining privacy. By unifying provenance, consent, and presence into a single architectural framework, we establish a foundational blueprint integrating blockchain, modern cryptography, and secure hardware technologies. The result is a practical pathway toward digital ecosystems that are secure, resilient, and fundamentally built to restore digital trust through user data sovereignty.

Completion Date

2026

Semester

Spring

Committee Chair

Zou, Cliff

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

College

College of Engineering and Computer Science

Department

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Format

PDF

Document Type

Thesis

Identifier

DP0053162

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