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This is more a blockchain than a bitcoin question:
I would like to use a blockchain (potentially a permissioned one) to manage ownership of a device. But linked to the device there is a private key.
Is there a way for the owner of a device to access to this private key, ideally only using blockchain?
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A blockchain, in whatever form, is ultimately a shared transaction log that multiple nodes eventually agree on.
All information in the chain is public (to all participants of the system, not necessarily the whole world). Sharing secret information using a public log makes no sense: everyone would see the key.
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A private blockchain is a contradiction in terms. That's not my personal belief, it's generally accepted that a private blockchain is just a glorified distributed database
Is a private blockchain better in any sense than a database?
This said, in order to manage ownership of a device something must be clarified:
is it required to just show proof of ownership or do you need to enforce it? (i.e. remote management, access restrictions and such)
I agree for a totally private blockchain. But in this case, private mean a blockchain shared between all actors of a semi open ecosystem which is different from a shared database (and after reading the link you provided, it's may be more a permissioned blockchain)
The main impact of the proof of ownership is the access to a private key of a device.... – tomsoft – 2017-03-12T15:07:56.990
That's my point! Is there a smart way to solve this problem? For instance, providing this secret information encrypted with the public key of the next 'owner' in the BC? – tomsoft – 2017-03-15T14:24:42.993
1Yes, but you don't need a blockchain for that. Just send them the encrypted data directly. The whole world doesn't need to see it. – Pieter Wuille – 2017-03-15T14:31:47.190