Overview - What ISO/TR 24332:2025 covers
ISO/TR 24332:2025 is a Technical Report that analyzes blockchain and distributed ledger technology (DLT) in relation to authoritative records, records systems and records management. Rather than prescribing mandatory requirements, it provides guidance, considerations and an evidence‑based analysis of challenges, potential benefits and design considerations for systems that:
- create records required to be authoritative;
- can be used as records systems; or
- can be used for records management, including records controls.
The report is intended for records managers, IT and application developers, legal and compliance professionals, researchers, educators and other stakeholders working with DLT and records.
Key technical topics and requirements
ISO/TR 24332:2025 covers a broad range of technical and governance topics relevant to DLT and records management:
- On‑ledger vs off‑ledger records - distinctions, implications for control and preservation.
- Metadata for records and how metadata schemas support authenticity, reliability and usability.
- Characteristics of authoritative records (authenticity, reliability, integrity, usability) and DLT’s relationship to each.
- Records lifecycle processes - creating, capturing, classification, access control, storage, use/reuse, migration/conversion and disposition on or with DLT systems.
- Design considerations for records systems built on or interacting with DLT, including records controls, policies and responsibilities.
- Legal and compliance issues - eDiscovery, custody and ownership, geolocation and jurisdictional constraints.
- Privacy and PII protection, access mechanisms (read/write permissions), identification and authentication.
- Technical risks and longevity - cryptographic algorithm lifespan, key management, security vulnerabilities, consensus attacks, smart contract risks and long‑term preservation.
- Auditing, monitoring, tokenization and timestamping for ordering and evidentiary value.
Note: as a Technical Report, ISO/TR 24332:2025 focuses on analysis, guidance and design considerations rather than prescriptive normative clauses.
Practical applications and target users
This report helps organizations assess whether and how to use blockchain / DLT technologies where records must be authoritative or where DLT functions as a records system. Practical use cases include:
- public sector registries, notarization and provenance tracking;
- supply chain and finance systems that require auditable records;
- hybrid systems where DLT anchors hashes while full records remain off‑ledger.
Primary users:
- records and archives managers evaluating preservation and disposition strategies;
- IT architects and DLT developers designing compliant systems;
- legal, compliance and privacy teams assessing eDiscovery, jurisdiction and PII risks.
Related standards and provenance
ISO/TR 24332:2025 was prepared by ISO/TC 46 (Information and documentation) in collaboration with ISO/TC 307 (Blockchain and distributed ledger technologies). It is intended to be used alongside existing records management and DLT standards and organizational policies when planning, implementing and auditing DLT‑based records solutions.
Keywords: ISO/TR 24332:2025, blockchain, distributed ledger technology, DLT, records management, authoritative records, metadata, records systems, smart contracts, key management.