Orthus: A Blockchain Platform for Smart Cities

Abstract

Currently, blockchain has been widely used to store decentralised and secure transactions involving cryptocurrency (for instance, Bitcoin solution). On the other hand, smart city applications are concerned about how data and services can be safely stored and shared. In this regard, this article investigates the use of blockchain and pinpoints a set of essential requirements to meet the needs of blockchain for the context of smart cities. Base on that, we propose a platform, named Orthus, to support the use of blockchain in smart city initiatives. We have demonstrated how to use the proposed platform in the context of the Natal Smart City Initiative, in Brazil, to handle land registration. Finally, we compare this platform with other implementations that use blockchain in different domains.