Distributed governance for sharing of big data

A method comprising the steps of:

• at a server comprising a processor, a memory, and a network interface device connected to a peer-to-peer network,
• maintaining a local key management data store and a plurality of blockchain copies comprising a data blockchain copy, an audit blockchain copy, and a metadata blockchain copy, wherein the blockchain copies comprise data blocks that are linked and secured using cryptography;
• receiving a data operation from a user electronic device;
• verifying that the user electronic device has access against the local key management data store;
• responsive to the verifying, approving the data operation;
• after the data operation has been approved, running the data operation and recording metadata about the data operation to generate results of the data operation;
• updating the plurality of blockchain copies comprising writing first data blocks with the results of the data operation to the data blockchain copy, writing second data blocks with details of the user electronic device to the audit blockchain copy, and writing third data blocks with the recorded metadata to the metadata blockchain copy;
• and
• time-stamping and broadcasting the updated plurality of blockchain copies to the peer-to-peer network for replication.