A Blockchain-Enabled Decentralized Storage Auditing Framework Based on IPFS, Merkle B+ Tree, and Zero-Knowledge Proof

Abstract

This study proposes a trusted decentralized storage auditingframeworkintegrating the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS), aMerkle B+ Tree (MB+T), blockchain-based third-party auditing(TPA), and zero-knowledge proof (ZKP) mechanisms. Toaddress the limitations of centralized systems, such as singlepoint failures and privacy risks, this research aims to design anauditable, privacy-preserving, and scalable verificationframework for distributed storage. The proposed approachcombines IPFS content addressing with MB+T indexing tosupport batch verification, while blockchain smart contractsensure transparent auditing. A customized ZKP circuit verifiesMerkle B+ Tree paths without revealing underlying dataenablingverification,privacy-preservingon-chainExperiments on a prototype system integrating a simulatedblockchain and IPFS show notable improvements in proofgeneration efficiency and gas consumption compared withtraditional schemes. The results indicate that the architectureenhances audit reliability and privacy, providing a secure andefficientsolution for trustworthy distributed data management