4-Layer Trust Architecture (4LTA–Seo): A Structural Model of Digital Trust in Korea and China

This study proposes a structural model for understanding digital trust in smart-market environments by comparing the market-based trust architecture of Korea and the state-based trust architecture of China. Although both countries rely on similar technological foundations—blockchain, data infrastructure, AI systems, and CBDC—their institutional path dependencies and regulatory philosophies have produced divergent trust mechanisms. To explain these differences, the study introduces the 4-Layer Trust Architecture (4LTA–Seo), comprising incentives, rule enforcement, verification (data/AI), and institutional linkage. This framework conceptualizes tokens as digital institutions that integrate these layers to automate trust formation and oversight.Methodologically, the research applies Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) using policy documents, technical whitepapers, and regulatory texts from both countries. It incorporates Zhang & Wang’s DTI (Data–Algorithm–Risk–Privacy) framework to compare how information architectures shape verification dynamics and trust costs. The study analyzes how institutional configurations rearrange the weighting and function of each trust layer, producing different stability and cost outcomes.Findings are expected to show that Korea’s market-driven architecture emphasizes incentives and behavioral inducement, while China’s state-driven model prioritizes rule enforcement and systemic integration. The research clarifies how tokens function as "units of trust" only when embedded within institutionally coherent architectures. Ultimately, the study offers structural insights for reinstitutionalizing trust in digital systems, with implications for Web3 governance, CBDC design, and digital public administration.