Actors in the blockchain network: A blockchain is a network-based infrastructure where network-centric design, development, deployment, management, and support constructs apply. It is therefore vital to understand various actors and their roles that interact with the blockchain network for various purposes such as management, support, business users, regulator, and so on:

Each actor has a role and entry point and defines a governance structure that aids in network governance, audit, and compliance requirements. Business network governance (covered in detail in the following points) is an important compliance and costs consideration. Users are the parties who are users of the blockchain. They create and distribute blockchain applications and perform operations using the blockchain. These actors are consistent, and are based on cloud computing actors and roles from ISO/IEC 17788:

• Developers: Blockchain developers are the actors who create applications for users (client-side) and develop the smart contracts (server-side) that interact with the blockchain, which are then used by blockchain users to initiate transactions. They also write code to enable the blockchain to interact with legacy applications.
• Administrators: Blockchain administrators perform administrative activities, such as deployment and configuration of the blockchain network or application.
• Operators: Blockchain operators are responsible for defining, creating, managing, and monitoring the blockchain network and application.
• Auditors: Blockchain auditors have the responsibility of reviewing blockchain transactions and validating their integrity from a business, legal, audit, and compliance perspective.
• Business users: This term refers to users operating in a business network. They interact with the blockchain using an application, but may not be aware of the blockchain since it will be an invisible transactional system.