CreditCoin: A Privacy-Preserving Blockchain-Based Incentive Announcement Network for Communications of Smart Vehicles

Abstract

Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs) play a vital role in enabling smart transportation systems by facilitating communication between vehicles. However, existing vehicular announcement systems face two major challenges: preserving user privacy and motivating users to share reliable traffic information. In this paper, we propose CreditCoin, a privacy-presing blockchain-based incentive announcement network. The system utilizes an anonymous vehicular announcement aggregation protocol combined with blockchain technology to ensure secure, tamper-resistant, and decentralized communication. Users can broadcast traffic updates anonymously while earning incentives for participation, thereby improving network reliability. A Trace Manager enables conditional privacy by identifying malicious users without compromising honest participants. The proposed system is implemented using Python, Web3, and a simulated VANET environment. Experimental results demonstrate improved efficiency, reduced computation time, and enhanced data reliability compared to traditional approaches. This work contributes toward secure and incentive-driven communication in smart transportation systems. In this paper, we propose CreditCoin, a privacy-preserving blockchain-based incentive announcement network. The system utilizes an anonymous vehicular announcement aggregation protocol combined with blockchain technology to ensure secure, tamper-resistant, and decentralized communication. Users can broadcast traffic updates anonymously while earning incentives for participation, thereby improving network reliability. A Trace Manager enables conditional privacy by identifying malicious users without compromising honest participants. Keywords— VANET; Blockchain; Privacy Preservation; Incentive Mechanism; Smart Vehicles; CreditCoin