Abstract

The Framework for Blockchain-Based Cross-Border Data Exchange and Regulatory Transparency (BCDX-RT) addresses one of the most pressing challenges of the digital era: enabling secure, transparent, and compliant data sharing across jurisdictions. As global enterprises, governments, and digital ecosystems increasingly depend on cross-border data flows, issues of trust, interoperability, regulatory compliance, and data sovereignty have become central to digital governance and international trade. Traditional centralized models of data management struggle to ensure authenticity, traceability, and compliance within fragmented regulatory environments. The proposed blockchain-based framework offers a decentralized and immutable infrastructure that enhances data integrity, auditability, and policy alignment across diverse stakeholders.The BCDX-RT framework integrates distributed ledger technology (DLT), smart contracts, and privacy-preserving cryptographic mechanisms to establish a verifiable chain of custody for data transactions. It enables real-time auditing and compliance monitoring, allowing regulators and authorized entities to verify data provenance without compromising confidentiality. The system’s multi-layered architecture incorporates data governance protocols, consensus mechanisms, and interoperability standards (e.g., ISO/IEC 23220 and W3C data integrity models) to ensure seamless interaction among heterogeneous digital systems. Moreover, smart contracts automate compliance validation, ensuring that data exchanges adhere to jurisdictional rules such as the EU GDPR, APEC CBPR, and emerging AI governance frameworks. This framework contributes to regulatory transparency by embedding compliance logic directly into the data infrastructure, reducing administrative burdens and fostering trust in international collaborations. Its applications span financial services, healthcare, supply chain logistics, and environmental reporting, where verifiable data exchange is critical. By combining decentralization with governance-by-design principles, the BCDX-RT model establishes a foundation for ethical, secure, and accountable digital interoperability. It ultimately supports the creation of a resilient global data ecosystem that balances innovation with regulatory assurance and public trust in cross-border digital transformation.