Blockchain Papers

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53,014 papersLast indexed Aug 30, 2026
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Sep 25, 2025·Research Explorer (The University of Manchester)
0 cites
VeriExploit: Automatic Bug Reproduction in Smart Contracts via LLMs and Formal Methods

Chenfeng Wei, Shiyu Cai, Yiannis Charalambous, Tong Wu · 6 authors

Bug reproduction is becoming an important task in the security analysis of Solidity smart contracts. By simulating attacks, developers and auditors can better understand how a vulnerability is triggered in practice. To reproduce a bug, one often needs to define an attacker contract and a specific sequence of interactions that exploit the vulnerability. However, in smart contracts, there are rarely automated tools that can generate such contracts and sequences and validate their correctness. Existing security tools, such as formal verifiers, are effective at detecting bugs, but they are not designed for bug reproduction. They often omit execution traces or produce incomplete ones. Moreover, their reports rarely reflect the behaviour patterns of attacker contracts. This gap motivates our work. We propose VeriExploit, a framework that combines formal methods and large language models to automatically generate, validate, and refine reproduction contracts and execution steps. Given a vulnerable contract and its counterexample, VeriExploit produces a contract that re-triggers the same bug and outputs a concrete trace showing how the exploit works. Experiments show that VeriExploit is effective at automating bug reproduction, achieving a success rate of 85.60% on our benchmark dataset.

Open access
2 source records
Advanced Malware Detection Techniques
Web Application Security Vulnerabilities
Security and Verification in Computing
Original source
Sep 25, 2025·IACR Transactions on Symmetric Cryptology
0 cites
Attacking Split-and-Lookup-Based Primitives Using Probabilistic Polynomial System Solving

Antoine Bak, Guilhem Jazeron, Pierre Galissant, Léo Perrin

In recent years, many hash functions have been introduced to satisfy the pressing need of some zero-knowledge protocols for such primitives allowing a low degree verification of their round function when arithmetized over a large field.While this can be achieved by restricting their sub-components to low-degree functions (and their inverse), the newest primitives in this category also leverage the intricacies of some proof systems to use “Split-and-Lookup” non-linear functions that essentially apply a small S-box in parallel over the binary representation of a field element.Such components excel at hindering attacks relying on polynomial system solving, but they offer poor security against statistical attacks. On the other hand, low degree monomials offer the opposite guarantees, being strong against statistical attacks. Several primitives have recently been proposed that combine such components in different ways in order to get the best from both.In this paper, we target such primitives by relying on the low degree components to allow a low-cost polynomial solving step. The weakness of Split-and-Lookups against linear attacks is used to simplify these systems, and their weakness against differential attacks is then used to propagate across many rounds the differential patterns obtained during polynomial solving. We instantiate this general approach by attacking round-reduced Monolith, and providing a distinguisher on full-round Skyscraper. These result then shed some light on how to best combine the different types of components to achieve the highest security.

Open access
Formal Methods in Verification
Logic, Reasoning, and Knowledge
Logic, programming, and type systems
Original source
Sep 25, 2025·Business And Management Studies An International Journal
1 cites
Kriz dönemlerinde geleneksel ve dijital varlıkların performansı: GĂŒvenli liman, hedge ve çeßitlendirici özelliklerinin DCC-GARCH ile değerlendirilmesi

Elvan ÖztĂŒrk

Investors may tend to turn to safe-haven assets to avoid high volatility in financial markets and protect themselves from risks during times of uncertainty created by crisis periods. In the study, haven, hedge and diversification characteristics of traditional and digital assets such as gold, silver, US dollar, euro, US 10-year bond, Brent oil, Bitcoin and Ethereum against BIST100, S&P500 and DAX indices were examined using EGARCH (1,1) and DCC-GARCH (1,1) models in seven different crisis periods that have a high impact on global markets, including geopolitical, financial and health crises, using 20-year daily data covering the period 01.01.2005–01.01.2025. The findings indicate that the US dollar has consistently demonstrated strong safe-haven characteristics against the BIST100, S&P 500, and DAX in various crises. The assets that exhibited significant haven characteristics only in one crisis period were gold against the S&P 500, Brent oil, and the Euro against the DAX. The 10-year US bond exhibited safe-haven properties relative to the S&P 500 and DAX during various crisis periods. While no significant results were achieved regarding silver’s haven or hedge characteristics, it was observed that the assets generally played a diversifying role in periods other than those yielding these results. According to EGARCH (1,1) results, Ethereum was identified as a haven candidate against DAX; however, DCC-GARCH (1,1) estimates did not confirm this result.

Open access
Law, logistics, and international trade
Original source
Sep 25, 2025·Science and Transport Progress
0 cites
Application of Smart Contracts in the Formalization of Roles in Freight Transportation Systems

Yevhenii Velehura, V. M. Horiachkin

Purpose. The aim of the study is to develop a detailed role model for the implementation of smart contracts in the logistics processes of freight transportation, which will enable the automation of interaction between participants and increase the transparency of operations. Methodology. To achieve the stated goal, a systemic approach using context-role analysis was applied. The study involves a detailed decomposition of the stages of the logistics chain when applying smart contracts, identification of key participants, and definition of their functions, rights, and responsibilities. This approach makes it possible to clearly delineate areas of responsibility, reduce the risk of conflicts, and ensure the transparency of each participant’s actions. The developed UML diagram demonstrates the sequence of interactions between subjects, and the integration of smart contracts ensures the automation and immutability of operations. Findings. A comprehensive analysis of logistics processes using smart contracts was carried out, which made it possible to define the rights and responsibilities for seven basic roles of logistics operation participants. This approach provides a holistic view of the system and makes it possible to describe the logic of interactions between subjects. The developed model demonstrates the automation of contract conclusion and execution, which contributes to the reduction of document processing time, optimization of operations, and ensuring a high level of data security in the distributed ledger. Originality. An approach is proposed that enables the integration of formalized roles of freight transportation participants with smart contract technology. The detailed structuring of the functional responsibilities of each role makes it possible to implement the program logic of a decentralized system, which significantly expands the possibilities of automated logistics process management. The approach is universal and can be adapted to different types of logistics scenarios. Practical value. The developed role model creates favorable conditions for the implementation of blockchain solutions in the field of freight transportation, which makes it possible to digitalize logistics processes, increase trust between supply chain participants, and reduce operational costs. The obtained results have practical application for logistics operators, software developers, and consulting companies that seek to modernize existing transportation management systems. The model can also be useful for educational purposes in the fields of logistics, computer science, and management.

Open access
Stonefly species taxonomy and ecology
Economic and Technological Systems Analysis
Business and Economic Development
Original source
Sep 25, 2025·PLoS ONE
4 cites
Blockchain-based trusted traceability and sustainability certification of leather products

Ruba Islayem, Haya R. Hasan, Ahmad Musamih, Khaled Salah · 5 authors

The leather supply chain comprises numerous organizations and stakeholders, particularly when sustainability aspects are taken into account, making it a complex system. The complexity inherent in such systems can lead to inaccurate information, lack of transparency, and limited data provenance. Moreover, there has been a surge in the call for sustainable practices within leather production, propelled by growing environmental consciousness and ethical considerations. In this paper, we address these challenges by proposing a blockchain-based solution designed to ensure trusted and secure traceability and sustainability throughout the entire life cycle of leather products. By harnessing the inherent capabilities of Ethereum smart contracts and blockchain technology, such as decentralization, immutability, data integrity, and transparency, we guarantee the secure and reliable tracing of materials from the farm to the final consumer. Moreover, we provide proof of sustainability by which certification agencies monitor, audit, and approve the sustainable processes and practices carried out by the different stakeholders at all stages of production to ensure compliance with industry standards and regulations. The paper presents the blockchain-based system architecture, implementation, and validation of algorithms and smart contracts. It also evaluates the security measures and cost-effectiveness of the system to offer valuable insights into its robustness and efficiency. We have made the developed smart contracts code publicly available on GitHub.

Open access
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
Sustainable Supply Chain Management
Recycling and Waste Management Techniques
Original source
Sep 25, 2025·Sharia Oikonomia Law Journal
0 cites
THE APPLICATION OF BLOCKCHAIN FOR SMART CONTRACTS IN MURABAHAH FINANCING: A SHARIA COMPLIANCE AND LEGAL ENFORCEABILITY STUDY

Nopita Sari, Nurul Ain Safrizon, Basarudin Basarudin, Adam Idris

The increasing adoption of blockchain technology in Islamic finance has prompted growing interest in its application for smart contracts within murabahah financing structures. The digital transformation of financial transactions raises important questions regarding Sharia compliance, contractual validity, and legal enforceability in decentralized systems. This study aims to examine how blockchain-based smart contracts can enhance transparency, efficiency, and trust in murabahah financing while maintaining strict adherence to Islamic legal principles. A qualitative-doctrinal research method was employed, integrating analysis of classical fiqh al-mu’?mal?t with contemporary regulatory frameworks governing digital transactions and smart contract implementation. The study utilized comparative analysis of existing blockchain platforms and Islamic financial models to identify areas of alignment and potential conflict. The findings indicate that blockchain technology supports murabahah transactions by automating contract execution, eliminating asymmetrical information, and ensuring compliance with Sharia requirements for ownership transfer and cost disclosure. However, challenges remain in achieving legal recognition of decentralized contracts within conventional judicial systems. The study concludes that blockchain-based smart contracts can be considered Sharia-compliant when developed under proper legal supervision and governance mechanisms, offering a promising pathway for digital transformation in Islamic finance.

Open access
Islamic Finance and Banking Studies
FinTech, Crowdfunding, Digital Finance
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
Original source
Sep 25, 2025·Preprints.org
1 cites
Digital Product Passports and Blockchain for Sustainable Lithium Battery and EV Supply Chains: A Unified Framework

Ali Farhani

The exponential growth of the electric vehicle (EV) industry, driven by decarbonization goals and energy transition policies, has intensified the need for sustainable and transparent supply chains. Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), the cornerstone of EVs, pose complex life cycle challenges related to ethical sourcing, environmental degradation, traceability gaps, and inefficient end-of-life (EOL) management. Addressing these multifaceted issues requires an integrated technological approach. This study proposes a unified framework leveraging Digital Product Passports (DPPs) and blockchain technology to enable real-time, tamper-proof tracking of battery materials, components, and performance metrics throughout their lifecycle.The paper further integrates machine learning, with a focus on reinforcement learning (RL), to optimize logistics and predictive maintenance based on dynamic supply chain data. To ensure privacy and regulatory compliance in data sharing, the framework incorporates zkSNARKs—a zero-knowledge proof system that preserves confidentiality while maintaining verifiability across distributed networks. This triadic approach promotes lifecycle transparency, supports circular economy goals through efficient material reuse and recycling, and reduces the total cost of ownership (TCO) for EV stakeholders.The proposed solution addresses critical industry challenges—such as counterfeit components, low recycling efficiency, and supply chain opacity—while offering scalable applications in adjacent sectors like consumer electronics and renewable energy. The integration of DPPs, blockchain, and AI-based optimization establishes a resilient, interoperable infrastructure that enables enhanced sourcing, sustainability, and collaborative innovation in the evolving EV ecosystem.

Open access
Electric Vehicles and Infrastructure
Original source
Sep 25, 2025·Polymers
7 cites
Preparation and Performance of Poly(Butylene Succinate) (PBS) Composites Reinforced with Taxus Residue and Compatibilized with Branched PBS

Shiwanyi Chen, Shufeng Li, Bing Wang, Chen Chen · 5 authors

In response to the escalating plastic pollution crisis, the development of high-performance biodegradable materials is critical. Poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) is an important biodegradable polymer as it possesses excellent biodegradability and processability. But it suffers from limitations such as low mechanical strength, poor thermal stability, and high production costs. In this study, taxus residue (TF), a waste by-product, was utilized as a reinforcing filler to reduce PBS costs while enhancing its overall performance. To address the interfacial incompatibility between TF and PBS, branched PBS (T-PBS) was introduced as a compatibilizer. The TF was surface-modified via alkali treatment and silane coupling (KH550), and a series of PBS/TF/T-PBS composites with varying T-PBS viscosity grades were prepared by melt blending. The compatibilization mechanism of T-PBS and its influence on the composite structure, crystallization behavior, thermal stability, rheological, and mechanical properties were systematically investigated. Results show that the branched structure significantly enhanced T-PBS melt strength and reactivity. The introduction of T-PBS effectively improved interfacial compatibility between TF and PBS matrix, reducing phase separation and interfacial defects. Compared to uncompatibilized PBS/TF composites, those with appropriately viscous T-PBS exhibited improved tensile strength (increased by 19.7%) and elongation at break (increased by 78.8%), while flexural strength was also maintained at an enhanced level. The branched points acted as nucleating agents, increasing the onset temperature and degree of crystallinity. In the high-temperature region, the synergistic barrier effect from TF and char residue improved thermal stability (T85% reached 408.19 °C). Rheological analysis revealed enhanced viscosity and elasticity of the system. This study provides a promising strategy and theoretical foundation for the high-value utilization of taxus waste and the development of high-performance biodegradable PBS-based composites.

Open access
Original source
Sep 25, 2025·International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction
3 cites
Investigating the Role of Regret, FOMO and Financial Literacy in Cryptocurrency Speculation

Ying Li, Paul Delfabbro, Daniel King

Abstract Cryptocurrency speculation involves investing in assets with highly volatile price movements in which large sums can be gained or lost in short periods. Although fear of missing out (FOMO) has been positively linked to this type of activity, less is known about the role of regret, such as how people react to actions taken (acts of commission) or not taken (acts of omission). Anticipated regret was investigated in a study involving 403 investors ( M = 325, F = 73, Other = 5) recruited from an online panel and presented with meme coin scenarios that manipulated omission (not buying) or commission (sold early) while also examining the roles of social comparison and temporal framing. Scenarios were arranged in a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design with FOMO, risk tolerance, impulsivity, financial literacy and problem gambling included as covariates to control for potential individual differences. Acts of commission were associated with greater regret and negative emotion but not with FOMO-based investment decisions. No effects were found for temporal distance or social comparison. At-risk and problem-gambling investors were also found to be more vulnerable to negative emotions and risky intention decision-making than non-risk gamblers. FOMO and risk tolerance were related to making decisions based on FOMO, whereas cryptocurrency literacy appeared to mitigate this tendency. These findings underscore the potential value of consumer education in raising awareness of psychological biases that are likely to lead to riskier speculative decisions.

Open access
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
FinTech, Crowdfunding, Digital Finance
Financial Markets and Investment Strategies
Original source
Sep 25, 2025·arXiv (Cornell University)
0 cites
Extensions of a Line-Graph-Based Method for Token Routing in Decentralized Exchanges

Zhang, Yu, Claudio J. Tessone

Decentralized exchanges (DEXs) form a cornerstone of the decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem, processing token trades worth billions of dollars daily. Yet, a significant fraction of these trades are suboptimal: alternative routing paths could yield more target tokens. Addressing this inefficiency is both practically urgent and theoretically compelling. Building on the linear line-graph-based routing method of Zhang et al. (2025), we propose three key extensions that better capture real-world trading complexity. First, we introduce a breadth-first search (BFS) link iteration rule that reduces computational cost and average execution time without sacrificing profitability. Second, we design a route-splitting strategy that divides large trades into smaller ones, alleviating price slippage and increasing average trader profits, albeit at the cost of higher computational overhead. Third, we generalize the method beyond a single DEX to a multi-DEX aggregator setting, reflecting actual trading environments. Using empirical data from Uniswap V2 and Sushiswap V2, we demonstrate that these extensions substantially improve both computational efficiency and profitability, establishing a foundation for future routing enhancements.

Open access
2 source records
cs.CE
Modular Robots and Swarm Intelligence
Advanced Database Systems and Queries
Original source
Sep 25, 2025
0 cites
LIGHTWEIGHT BLOCKCHAIN AND IOMT FOR SUSTAINABLE SECURE REMOTE HEALTHCARE IN THE POST-PANDEMIC ERA

Sompurna Bhadra, Gunjan Mukherjee, Jayanta Aich, Subrata Sinha

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of digital health solutions such as telemedicine, Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), and AI-based diagnostics, enabling remote monitoring and contactless consultations. While IoMT devices—including wearable sensors and implantables—have enhanced continuous healthcare delivery, they have also introduced challenges related to security, privacy, interoperability, and latency. Traditional blockchain frameworks, though effective in ensuring decentralized trust and immutability, are resource-intensive and unsuitable for constrained IoMT environments. To address these limitations, this study proposes a Lightweight Blockchain–IoMT framework tailored for secure remote healthcare in the post-pandemic era. The proposed architecture follows a three-tier design: (i) the IoMT Device Layer for real-time physiological data collection, (ii) the Fog/Edge Layer functioning as blockchain gateways for authentication and pre-processing, and (iii) the Cloud Layer for storage, analytics, and decision support. By incorporating lightweight consensus mechanisms such as Proof-of-Authentication (PoAh) or Delegated Proof-of-Stake (DPoS), the system minimizes latency and energy consumption compared to Proof-of-Work. Security is reinforced through elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) and smart contracts, ensuring data confidentiality, integrity, and controlled access, while complying with global standards such as HIPAA and GDPR. Experimental analysis demonstrates that the lightweight blockchain–IoMT framework outperforms conventional blockchain models in transaction throughput, scalability, and energy efficiency. Moreover, the integration of machine learning within the cloud layer supports predictive analytics and personalized care.

Open access
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
IoT and Edge/Fog Computing
Internet of Things and AI
Original source
Sep 25, 2025·The Journal of British Blockchain Association
1 cites
Hybrid Post-Quantum Signatures for Bitcoin and Ethereum: A Protocol-Level Integration Strategy

Dr. Robert Campbell, Sr.

The transition to post-quantum cryptography poses an unprecedented challenge for Bitcoin and Ethereum, as it involves implementing a defensive downgrade that imposes immediate, severe costs with no tangible benefits. While quantum computers capable of breaking secp256k1 require between 523–2,500 logical qubits, with the author deriving 523 logical qubits as an algorithmic lower bound (not inclusive of arithmetic and ancilla qubits) for a canonical Shor/phase-estimation circuit using the formula QL = 2⌈log2(n)⌉ + 2 + ⌈log2(2 + 1/(2Δ))⌉ for Δ = 0.001, and conservative estimates ranging up to 2,500 logical qubits based on comprehensive resource models—significantly less than the 2,100–2,400 logical qubits es- timated for general elliptic curves—current systems achieve only ∌100 logical qubits. IBM’s quantum roadmap projects 500–1,000 logical qubits by 2029, placing the critical threshold within 4–10 years depending on which estimate proves accurate. This timeline collides with the reality that convincing decentralized communities to accept 50% capacity loss and 2– 3× fee increases may take 10–15 years in themselves, based on historical governance patterns where even beneficial upgrades required 2–5+ years. Current testnet implementations on per- missioned systems show measurable performance degradation. Critically, this data comes from fundamentally different architectures than permissionless networks, which will likely experience 30–50% additional performance degradation due to global verification requirements, heterogeneous hardware, and compounding propagation delays. This methodological limitation—extrapolating from permissioned to permissionless systems—represents a critical infrastructure failure that introduces massive uncertainty into migration planning. Com- pounding this challenge, secp256k1 is not officially approved by NIST under FIPS 186-5 or SP 800-186, creating additional regulatory vulnerabilities. Beyond transient impacts, PQC creates permanent state bloat, with quantum-resistant accounts requiring 59 times more storage (1,952 bytes / 33 bytes = 59.2× for ML-DSA-65), thereby accelerating centralization- tion. This paper presents a comprehensive framework acknowledging these harsh realities. While we propose specific BIP/EIP implementations and optimization strategies that might achieve 50–60% capacity retention, we recognize that the quantum threat timeline may now be shorter than even the minimum viable migration period. Unlike beneficial upgrades like SegWit (which took 20 months for activation and 5+ years for 50% adoption despite offering improvements), PQC migration is a purely defensive measure imposing only costs. The stark reality: blockchain communities must choose between accepting immediate emergency action or facing quantum vulnerability by 2029.

Open access
2 source records
Quantum Computing Algorithms and Architecture
Cryptography and Data Security
Quantum Information and Cryptography
Original source
Sep 24, 2025·arXiv
0 cites
chainScale: Secure Functionality-oriented Scalability for Decentralized Resource Markets

Mohamed E. Najd, Ghada Almashaqbeh

Decentralized resource markets are Web 3.0 applications that build open-access platforms for trading digital resources among users without any central management. They promise cost reduction, transparency, and flexible service provision. However, these markets usually have large workload that must be processed in a timely manner, leading to serious scalability problems. Despite the large amount of work on blockchain scalability, existing solutions are ineffective as they do not account for these markets' work models and traffic patterns. We introduce chainScale, a secure hybrid sidechain-sharding solution that aims to boost throughput of decentralized resource markets and reduce their latency and storage footprint. At its core, chainScale leverages dependent sidechains and functionality-oriented workload splitting to parallelize traffic processing by having each market module assigned to a sidechain. Different from sharding, chainScale does not incur any cross-sidechain transactions that tend to be costly. chainScale introduces several techniques, including hierarchical workload sharing that further sub-divides overloaded modules, and weighted miner assignment that assigns miners with vested interest in the system to critical modules' sidechains. Furthermore, chainScale employs sidechain syncing to maintain the mainchain as the single truth of system state, and pruning to discard stale records. Beside analyzing security, we build a proof-of-concept implementation for a distributed file storage market as a use case. Our experiments show that, compared to a single sidechain-based prior solution, chainScale boosts throughput by 4x and reduces confirmation latency by 5x. Also, they show that chainScale outperforms sharding by 2.5x in throughput and 3.5x in latency.

Open access
cs.CR
Original source
Sep 24, 2025·Lecture notes in computer science
0 cites
Confidentiality-Preserving Verifiable Business Processes Through Zero-Knowledge Proofs

Jannis Kiesel, Jonathan Heiss

Ensuring the integrity of business processes without disclosing confidential business information is a major challenge in inter-organizational processes. This paper introduces a zero-knowledge proof (ZKP)-based approach for the verifiable execution of business processes while preserving confidentiality. We integrate ZK virtual machines (zkVMs) into business process management engines through a comprehensive system architecture and a prototypical implementation. Our approach supports chained verifiable computations through proof compositions. On the example of product carbon footprinting, we model sequential footprinting activities and demonstrate how organizations can prove and verify the integrity of verifiable processes without exposing sensitive information. We assess different ZKP proving variants within process models for their efficiency in proving and verifying, and discuss the practical integration of ZKPs throughout the Business Process Management (BPM) lifecycle. Our experiment-driven evaluation demonstrates the automation of process verification under given confidentiality constraints.

Open access
2 source records
Business Process Modeling and Analysis
Security and Verification in Computing
Access Control and Trust
Original source
Sep 24, 2025·World Customs Journal
0 cites
Automating Origin Calculations: Key Considerations for Manufacturers With Complex Supply Chains

Sylwia Nowak

Rules of origin are a core element of any free trade agreement, but their complexity can present significant challenges for efficient and compliant use. This paper discusses the challenges and opportunities in automating origin calculations for businesses involved in cross-border trade. It focuses on the role of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, customs software and Long-Term Supplier Declarations (LTSDs) in simplifying compliance with preferential origin rules. Focusing on the United Kingdom’s trade, the paper outlines key factors businesses must consider to effectively automate origin management, such as rules interpretation, data quality, legal documentation and supplier cooperation. The potential roles of distributed ledger technology (DLT) and automation within customs declarations software are also explored.

Open access
Quality and Supply Management
Supply Chain and Inventory Management
Management and Optimization Techniques
Original source
Sep 24, 2025·Lecture notes in computer science
0 cites
Actors and Blockchains, Together

Xiaohong Chen, Grigore Roßu

No abstract is available for this record.

Open access
Distributed systems and fault tolerance
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
Cognitive Functions and Memory
Original source
Sep 24, 2025·IEEE Transactions on Dependable and Secure Computing
0 cites
Forseti: A Decentralized Permission Transfer Framework for IoT Leasing

Rui Han, Bin Yuan, Weizhong Qiang, Deqing Zou · 5 authors

The widespread use of IoT devices in the accommodation and hospitality sectors has created demand for temporary device-permission sharing and transfer. Prior work has largely focused on security issues in device permission sharing, with far less attention devoted to device permission transfer. However, inappropriate access control management during device permission transfer can also lead to violations of the users' expectations of control over their devices. For example, a malicious host retaining or regaining access to a camera after its permission has been transferred to a tenant. In this paper, we present the first systematic study on understanding and enhancing the security of device permission transfer in IoT leasing. To this end, we propose Forseti, a new authorization framework that leverages zero-knowledge proof and a decentralized ledger to ensure that the rights of both hosts and tenants are not violated. Our evaluation demonstrates that Forseti is effective, efficient, scalable, and compatible with existing IoT platforms.

Open access
IoT and Edge/Fog Computing
Access Control and Trust
Original source
Sep 24, 2025·Results in Engineering
3 cites
FL-SMPC++: A robust framework for privacy-preserving federated learning

Omar Dib, Shiyun Li, Zhengkun Li, Rouwaida Abdallah · 5 authors

Federated Learning (FL) offers a promising paradigm for privacy-preserving collaborative training, yet it remains highly vulnerable to adversarial behaviors, client unreliability, and challenges associated with non-independent and identically distributed (non-IID) data. Existing secure aggregation techniques, while preserving confidentiality, fail to guarantee the integrity and trustworthiness of model updates, leaving FL deployments exposed to poisoning and consistency attacks. This work introduces FL-SMPC++, a robust and privacy-preserving FL framework designed to address these challenges. The primary objective is to develop a scalable solution that ensures verifiable, privacy-preserving aggregation while mitigating malicious client behaviors, dropouts, and data heterogeneity. Our approach integrates Secure Multi-Party Computation (SMPC), Pedersen commitments, and zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) to cryptographically bind clients' submitted updates to their validation outcomes without revealing private data. We propose a dynamic client selection strategy based on shared validation performance, a dropout-tolerant threshold aggregation protocol, and a warm-up initialization phase to counteract non-IID distributions. Comprehensive experiments on MNIST, CIFAR-10, FEMNIST, and UCI Heart Disease show that FL-SMPC++ consistently outperforms FedAvg, FedProx, and FedNova. For example, under a label-flipping attack with 30% malicious clients on CIFAR-10 (non-IID), FL-SMPC++ achieves 78.9% accuracy compared to 67.4% for FedAvg, representing an absolute gain of 11.5%. Across datasets, the framework limits accuracy degradation to 6–8% under attack, while baselines suffer 13–20% losses. These results demonstrate that FL-SMPC++ achieves strong cryptographic privacy guarantees together with empirically validated resilience and convergence, offering a scalable and practical blueprint for trustworthy FL in adversarial and resource-constrained environments. ‱ A novel FL framework combines SMPC, commitments, and zero-knowledge proofs. ‱ Ensures submitted model updates match validated ones without revealing them. ‱ Uses dynamic validation for secure and fair client selection. ‱ Tolerates client dropouts using a threshold-based aggregation mechanism. ‱ Outperforms baseline FL methods under adversarial and non-IID conditions.

Open access
Privacy-Preserving Technologies in Data
Cryptography and Data Security
Stochastic Gradient Optimization Techniques
Original source
Sep 24, 2025·Energies
8 cites
Smart Grid Systems: Addressing Privacy Threats, Security Vulnerabilities, and Demand–Supply Balance (A Review)

Iqra Nazir, Nermish Mushtaq, Waqas Amin

The smart grid (SG) plays a seminal role in the modern energy landscape by integrating digital technologies, the Internet of Things (IoT), and Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) to enable bidirectional energy flow, real-time monitoring, and enhanced operational efficiency. However, these advancements also introduce critical challenges related to data privacy, cybersecurity, and operational balance. This review critically evaluates SG systems, beginning with an analysis of data privacy vulnerabilities, including Man-in-the-Middle (MITM), Denial-of-Service (DoS), and replay attacks, as well as insider threats, exemplified by incidents such as the 2023 Hydro-QuĂ©bec cyberattack and the 2024 blackout in Spain. The review further details the SG architecture and its key components, including smart meters (SMs), control centers (CCs), aggregators, smart appliances, and renewable energy sources (RESs), while emphasizing essential security requirements such as confidentiality, integrity, availability, secure storage, and scalability. Various privacy preservation techniques are discussed, including cryptographic tools like Homomorphic Encryption, Zero-Knowledge Proofs, and Secure Multiparty Computation, anonymization and aggregation methods such as differential privacy and k-Anonymity, as well as blockchain-based approaches and machine learning solutions. Additionally, the review examines pricing models and their resolution strategies, Demand–Supply Balance Programs (DSBPs) utilizing optimization, game-theoretic, and AI-based approaches, and energy storage systems (ESSs) encompassing lead–acid, lithium-ion, sodium-sulfur, and sodium-ion batteries, highlighting their respective advantages and limitations. By synthesizing these findings, the review identifies existing research gaps and provides guidance for future studies aimed at advancing secure, efficient, and sustainable smart grid implementations.

Open access
Smart Grid Security and Resilience
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
Smart Grid Energy Management
Original source
Sep 24, 2025·Future Business Journal
15 cites
A comprehensive analysis of FinTech (1968–2025): a bibliometric approach

Mohammed R. M. Salem, Shahida Shahimi

Abstract This study provides a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of FinTech research spanning from 1968 to 2025, using 2760 articles indexed in the Web of Science database. It aims to uncover major publication trends, core theoretical frameworks, emerging topics, and the intellectual structure of FinTech scholarship. Employing VOSviewer and Harzing’s Publish or Perish software, this study maps co-occurrence networks, citation structures, and thematic clusters. It analyzes document types, source distribution, geographical contributions, keyword evolution, and the top 10 most cited papers in FinTech literature. The analysis reveals a significant surge in FinTech research since 1968, driven by the growing impact of digital finance innovations. The top three countries contributing to FinTech publications are the USA, England, and China. Dominant publication outlets include the International Journal of Bank Marketing and the Journal of Financial Services Marketing. Key research themes have evolved across three distinct periods: early banking and innovation (1968–1999), customer satisfaction and trust (2000–2011), and bank performance and digital adoption (2012–2025). Emerging topics include blockchain, mobile banking, crowdfunding, and Internet banking. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), along with its extended versions (TAM2, TAM3, UTAUT), is identified as the foundational theoretical framework in this field. The co-citation and keyword cluster analysis confirm the centrality of trust, risk, satisfaction, and performance in shaping FinTech outcomes. These findings not only synthesize FinTech’s academic development but also inform future research by identifying intellectual gaps and high-impact trends. The study highlights the growing integration between FinTech and consumer behavior and calls for deeper exploration into regulatory, ethical, and cybersecurity issues affecting FinTech adoption. Beyond the banking sector, the thematic patterns uncovered particularly in areas such as blockchain-based supply chain finance, crowdfunding ecosystems, and AI-enabled embedded financial services signal substantial strategic implications for non-financial firms. These include enhanced liquidity management, decentralized capital access, and data-driven business model innovation across diverse industries such as manufacturing, retail, and digital commerce.

Open access
FinTech, Crowdfunding, Digital Finance
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
Big Data and Business Intelligence
Original source
Sep 24, 2025·IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering
1 cites
Satellite: Detecting and Analyzing Smart Contract Vulnerabilities caused by Subcontract Misuse

Zeqin Liao, Yuhong Nan, Zixu Gao, Henglong Liang · 7 authors

Code reuse is a common practice in software engineering. Developers of smart contracts pervasively reuse subcontracts to improve development efficiency. Like any program language, such subcontract reuse may unexpectedly include, or introduce vulnerabilities to the end-point smart contract. Indeed, prior empirical studies have identified a number of issues caused by code reuse in smart contracts. Unfortunately, automatically detecting such issues poses several unique challenges. Particularly, in most cases, smart contracts are compiled as bytecode, whose class-level information (e.g., inheritance, virtual function table), and even semantics (e.g., control flow and data flow) are fully obscured as a single smart contract after compilation. Therefore, it is rather difficult to identify the reused parts of subcontract from a given smart contract, not to mention finding potential vulnerabilities caused by subcontract misuse.In this paper, we propose Satellite, a new bytecode-level static analysis framework for subcontract misuse vulnerability (SMV) detection in smart contracts. Satellite incorporates a series of novel designs to enhance its overall effectiveness.. Particularly, Satellite utilizes a transfer learning method to recover the inherited methods, which are critical for identifying subcontract reuse in smart contracts. Further, Satellite extracts a set of fine-grained method-level features and performs a method-level comparison, for identifying the reuse part of subcontract in smart contracts. Finally, Satellite summarizes a set of SMV indicators according to their types, and hence effectively identifies SMVs. To evaluate Satellite, we construct a dataset consisting of 58 SMVs derived from real-world attacks and collect additional 56 SMV patterns from SOTA studies. Experiment results indicate that Satellite exhibits good performance in identifying SMV, with a precision rate of 84.68% and a recall rate of 92.11%. In addition, Satellite successfully identifies 14 new/unknown SMV over 10,011 realworld smart contracts, affecting a total amount of digital assets worth 201,358 USD.

Open access
2 source records
cs.SE
Insurance and Financial Risk Management
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
Original source
Sep 24, 2025·Springer Science and Business Media LLC
0 cites
Enforcing Authorization Policy in Body Area Networks: A Blockchain and Smart Contract-Based Approach for Integrity Assurance

Ramadan Abdunabi, Md Al Amin, Rejina Basnet

Abstract Health Care Information Systems leverage Body Area Networks (BANs) to provide real-time monitoring and automated medical interventions, significantly enhancing patient care. However, security and privacy concerns present significant barriers to widespread adoption, with broken access control being a considerable risk. This research proposes an authorization framework to secure BANs, addressing critical issues such as unauthorized access and policy enforcement failures in electronic health records (EHRs). Our study introduces a Multi-Modular System Architecture that enhances access control, incorporating a Spatio-Temporal Attribute-Based Access Control (STABAC) model to enforce dynamic location and time constraints for secure data access. We introduce the Spatio-Temporal Zone (STZone) concept, simplifying policy enforcement by integrating time and location attributes. To ensure policy integrity and security, we employ Time Colored Petri Nets (TCPN) for formal policy analysis, detecting violations, and ensuring compliance with real-time constraints. Additionally, blockchain technology is leveraged to maintain policy integrity, preventing unauthorized modifications. Experimental validation demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed framework in enforcing secure access control while maintaining system usability. The findings highlight the framework’s potential in securing BANs, offering a scalable and adaptable approach to mitigating emerging security threats in healthcare information systems.

Open access
Original source