Data Privacy and Cybersecurity in Blockchain Energy Platforms

Abstract

This chapter explores the intersection between blockchain-based energy systems and data privacy challenges, especially in peer-to-peer energy markets. It highlights how the transparency and immutability of blockchain, combined with real-time data from smart meters and IoT devices, can expose users to re-identification risks and legal conflicts with principles such as the right to be forgotten. The authors examine technical solutions including zero-knowledge proofs, permissioned blockchains, smart contracts with embedded privacy logic, and off-chain storage. Additionally, the chapter emphasizes the importance of privacy-by-design and security-by-default principles in system architecture. It also calls for adaptive legal frameworks such as regulatory sandboxes, along with participatory governance to ensure equitable implementation, especially in the Global South where regulatory and infrastructure disparities persist.