Communication Aspects of the Integration of Wireless IoT Devices with\n Distributed Ledger Technology

Abstract

The pervasive need to safely share and store information between devices\ncalls for the replacement of centralized trust architectures with the\ndecentralized ones. Distributed Ledger Technologies (DLTs) are seen as the most\npromising enabler of decentralized trust, but they still lack technological\nmaturity and their successful adoption depends on the understanding of the\nfundamental design trade-offs and their reflection in the actual technical\ndesign. This work focuses on the challenges and potential solutions for an\neffective integration of DLTs in the context of Internet-of-Things (IoT). We\nfirst introduce the landscape of IoT applications and discuss the limitations\nand opportunities offered by DLTs. Then, we review the technical challenges\nencountered in the integration of resource-constrained devices with distributed\ntrust networks. We describe the common traits of lightweight synchronization\nprotocols, and propose a novel classification, rooted in the IoT perspective.\nWe identify the need of receiving ledger information at the endpoint devices,\nimplying a two-way data exchange that contrasts with the conventional\nuplink-oriented communication technologies intended for IoT systems.\n