The exponential growth of digital health data in hospitals has intensified concerns about data breaches, privacy violations, and interoperability failures within healthcare information systems. Traditional centralized data architectures remain highly vulnerable to cyberattacks, unauthorized access, and single points of failure, threatening the integrity of sensitive patient records. As healthcare systems transition toward smart and interconnected digital ecosystems, there is a pressing need for robust, transparent, and tamper-resistant data management frameworks. This study systematically reviews existing literature on the application of blockchain technology as a secure solution for health data management in smart hospitals. Adopting the PRISMA 2020 protocol, publications from 2016 to 2025 were retrieved from major databases, including Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed. Out of 436 relevant studies, 42 peer-reviewed studies met the inclusion criteria. Data extraction captured study characteristics, blockchain types, implementation contexts, and findings. Evidence synthesis followed Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six-step thematic analysis framework. Findings reveal that blockchain enhances data security and integrity through cryptographic immutability and distributed consensus mechanisms, mitigates privacy risks via smart contracts and zero-knowledge proofs, and improves interoperability across healthcare stakeholders. However, challenges persist in scalability, regulatory alignment, and implementation costs, particularly in low-resource settings. This study concludes that hybrid and permissioned blockchain models offer the most viable pathway for achieving secure, compliant, and efficient healthcare data ecosystems. Therefore, this study recommends further integration with artificial intelligence and cloud technologies to optimize performance, while aligning deployment with ethical, legal, and institutional frameworks governing digital health.
Abstract With the growing implementation of multi sensor Internet of Things (IoT) and edge AI systems, the concerns over data reliability,privacy, and verifiability have been intensified. Conventional fusion architectures rely on deep learning models that deliverhigh accuracy. However, they fail to ensure that inferences are provably correct or tamper resistant under missing, noisy, oradversarial data conditions. To address these challenges, this paper introduces the Zero-Knowledge Privacy Assured SensorFusion (ZK-PAS Fusion) framework. ZK-PAS Fusion integrates convex bounded imputation, attention driven multi sensorfusion, BiLSTM based temporal modeling, and recursive zero-knowledge proof aggregation within a unified architecture. Theframework assures correctness, privacy, and robustness through cryptographic commitments and circuit level verifiability.Experimental evaluation is performed on two large scale clinical datasets, namely, MIMIC-IV and eICU-CDR. The modeldemonstrates a superior performance and achieves 99.45 % accuracy, 99.57 % F1-score, and an AUROC of 0.989, surpassingstate of the art transformer and diffusion based baselines by up to 5.4 % in accuracy and 6.2 % in F1-score. The proof moduleattains a 40 ms average proving time, 0.4 KB proof size, and ≈ 46 % lower energy consumption compared to state of the art(SOTA) models. These results establish ZK-PAS Fusion as a verifiable, memory efficient, and privacy preserving AI frameworkfor real time, safety critical edge IoT deployments.
This deliverable presents the design and functional validation of a Blockchain Toolkit that supports decentralised identity, privacy-preserving verification, and trust management mechanisms tailored for emerging 6G ecosystems. The toolkit addresses fundamental limitations of centralised trust infrastructures by replacing hierarchical identity and communication models with ledger-anchored, self-sovereign, and cryptographically verifiable components suitable for large-scale, heterogeneous environments.At its core, the toolkit provides a Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) architecture based on Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs), Verifiable Credentials (VCs), and Anonymous Credentials (ACs), following W3C standards. This identity layer enables secure authentication, selective disclosure, and privacy-preserving verification without dependence on central authorities. Secure messaging and data exchange are supported through DIDComm-based communication patterns and encrypted, DID-bound storage, enabling trusted interactions across administrative and organisational boundaries.The deliverable further consolidates a set of cryptographic building blocks relevant to privacy and trust in 6G systems. These include zero-knowledge proof–based verification patterns, anonymous credential workflows, and privacy-enhancing mechanisms designed to reduce metadata leakage while preserving auditability. Together, these components enable verifiable compliance and trustworthy coordination in adversarial or untrusted environments.To demonstrate applicability, the Blockchain Toolkit is mapped to representative 6G-aligned use cases. These include specialised consensus mechanisms for dynamic spectrum environments, AI-assisted trust management to address data quality and integrity challenges, and NFT-based resource management for network slicing and dynamic spectrum sharing. In these scenarios, blockchain-based tokens and credentials act as programmable trust anchors, while the toolkit’s identity and cryptographic layers enhance privacy, accountability, and resilience against misuse and collusion.Overall, Deliverable 2.4 provides a coherent and standards-aligned toolkit for decentralised trust in 6G ecosystems. By integrating decentralised identity, privacy-preserving cryptographic verification, secure communication, and application-driven blockchain mechanisms, the toolkit supports scalable, privacy-aware, and verifiable interactions among diverse 6G stakeholders, contributing toward trustworthy next-generation wireless infrastructures.
This deliverable (D4.4 – Federated AI/ML) defines the architecture, requirements, and enabling technologies for secure and privacy-preserving federated learning within the CONFIDENTIAL6G project. The document specifies how federated AI/ML can be safely deployed across heterogeneous 6G cloud–edge environments, allowing collaborative model training while ensuring that sensitive data remains local and protected throughout the learning lifecycle. The deliverable consolidates background and state-of-the-art insights on federated learning in 6G, identifies key security, privacy, and trust challenges, and derives a set of functional, security, governance, and operational requirements that guide system design. It then presents the overall federated AI/ML architecture developed under this task, which brings together confidential orchestration, federated learning coordination, cryptographic trust mechanisms, and secure execution across cloud-edge environments. The architecture builds on the confidential orchestration foundations established in Deliverable 4.3 and integrates key enablers from WP2—such as Decentralized Identifiers, Verifiable Credentials, and Zero-Knowledge Proofs—to support verifiable, policy-driven, and privacy-preserving participation throughout the federated learning lifecycle. Within this architecture, blockchain-enabled aggregation is introduced as a complementary mechanism to strengthen integrity, auditability, and decentralized trust in model management and aggregation workflows by removing single points of failure and providing tamper-evident provenance for AI/ML models. In parallel, the deliverable reports algorithmic contributions that enhance robustness and fairness under non-IID data distributions and device heterogeneity, ensuring that the proposed architecture remains effective under realistic deployment conditions. Finally, the document outlines how the Federated AI/ML integrates with WP5 use cases, demonstrating its relevance for real-world validation scenarios. Overall, this deliverable establishes a coherent and secure federated learning foundation that supports CONFIDENTIAL6G’s objectives for trustworthy, privacy-preserving AI in next-generation 6G environments.
Abhinav Raghav, Aanjey Mani Tripathi, Niyaz Ahmad Wani, Naveed Ahmad · 6 authors
Data transactions in healthcare are steadily increasing across various platforms, aiming to improve patient care and increase data transparency. Blockchain technology will serve as a catalyst in healthcare data transactions, ensuring data security and privacy for various stakeholders. Improving data security, transparency, and interoperability, blockchain technology's application in healthcare has demonstrated considerable promise. However, healthcare applications that rely on real-time data transaction settlement face obstacles caused by Layer1 blockchains' poor transaction throughput and excessive latency. In this work, we adopt established consensus and a zk-Rollup verification workflow, specifying healthcare-oriented configurations for security, auditability, and throughput. This paper integrates the smart contracts, zero knowledge proof and off chain data storage to increase the efficiency, and security and reduce transaction costs. The usefulness of the suggested algorithm in healthcare applications is demonstrated by thorough literature research, comparative analysis, and experimental data. Transaction throughput increases very high, latency improved by 57%, and decrease the transaction cost to 96% in healthcare data transactions which are all greatly improved by the proposed system. Unlike existing zk-Rollup-based healthcare frameworks, the proposed model integrates cross-chain identity validation and verifiable data provenance to achieve secure interoperability across multi-chain healthcare systems.
Aditya Rathore, Kratika Mishra, Vidhi Chandrayan, Pareek Ch. S.
Blockchain technology has evolved into one of the most influential digital innovations of the 21st century, enabling decentralized, trustless, and tamper‑resistant data management across global networks. Its rapid rise can be attributed to groundbreaking applications across cryptocurrencies, decentralized finance (DeFi), healthcare, supply chain, and identity management systems. Despite this explosive growth, blockchain technology still faces major challenges—most critically, scalability. This extended study explores blockchain’s historical development, factors driving adoption, technical architecture, and the limitations restricting mass deployment. The paper includes an in‑depth analysis of publicly available blockchain datasets that support research in security, analytics, and scalability modeling. Furthermore, the study reviews emerging scalability frameworks such as sharding, off‑chain computation, Layer‑2 rollups, DAG-based systems, and consensus optimization. The goal is to provide a comprehensive foundation for understanding blockchain’s evolution while outlining future paths toward global-scale adoption.
The integration of IoT technology in smart grids has revolutionized the energy sector by enabling decentralized energy production, real-time monitoring, and peer-to-peer energy trading. However, these advancements introduce challenges such as ensuring security, scalability, and data privacy, which are critical for the reliable operation of IoT-enabled smart grids. Blockchain technology has emerged as a promising solution to address these challenges by providing decentralized, secure, and transparent frameworks for managing energy transactions. This study aims to explore the application of blockchain in enhancing the security and scalability of IoT-enabled smart grids while addressing challenges related to resource limitations and privacy concerns. Simulation and experimental analyses were employed to evaluate blockchain performance in a decentralized energy network. The study focused on key metrics: latency, transaction throughput, energy consumption, and data integrity. The study shows Proof of Authority (PoA) excels in IoT smart grids with < 200 ms latency, 190 Tx/s throughput, and 0.5–0.9 J/Tx energy use—outperforming PoW (450-780 ms, 5.2–10.3 J/Tx). While Proof of Stake (PoS) offers competitive 0.3–0.7 J/Tx efficiency and higher 210 Tx/s scalability, its latency (150–300 ms) remains slightly higher than PoA. These results position PoA as ideal for resource-constrained IoT nodes, while PoS better suits more extensive networks needing higher throughput. The findings highlight how consensus mechanisms can be tailored to different smart grid requirements, with PoA providing the best balance for most decentralized energy applications. Additionally, blockchain's immutable ledger ensured zero unauthorized data modifications, enhancing data security and transparency. The practical implementation of these results highlights blockchain's potential to transform IoT-enabled smart grids. By reducing security vulnerabilities and operational inefficiencies, blockchain enables secure and efficient peer-to-peer energy trading and enhances the resilience of decentralized energy systems. Future work should optimize scalability beyond 500 nodes and integrate advanced privacy-preserving mechanisms to ensure the widespread adoption of blockchain in innovative grid applications.
IoT data demands are growing, with Distributed Ledger Technologies (DLTs) offering secure data management, provided they can meet scaling and efficiency requirements that are more restrictive than in conventional application environments. This article comprehensively surveys 27 DLTs of varying paradigms and implementation methods, proposes a scoring method for determining DLT-IoT integration suitability, and then applies that method to the surveyed DLTs. Six DLTs were shortlisted as the most promising, which were then subjected to in-depth analysis around three IoT use cases: health-IoT, e-commerce and automotive manufacturing. We discuss the viability of lightweight DLTs and identify crucial future research directions.
The rapid integration of IoT with edge computing has revolutionized various domains, particularly healthcare, by enabling real-time data sharing, remote monitoring, and decision-making. However, it introduces critical challenges, including data privacy breaches, security vulnerabilities, especially in environments dealing with sensitive information. Traditional access control mechanisms and centralized security systems do not address these issues, leaving IoT environments exposed to unauthorized access and data misuse. This research proposes Fuzzychain-edge, a novel Fuzzy logic-based adaptive Access control model for Blockchain in Edge Computing framework designed to overcome these limitations by incorporating Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKPs), fuzzy logic, and smart contracts. ZKPs secure sensitive data during access control processes by enabling verification without revealing confidential details, thereby ensuring user privacy. Fuzzy logic facilitates adaptive, context-aware decision-making for access control by dynamically evaluating parameters such as data sensitivity, trust levels, and user roles. Blockchain technology, with its decentralized and immutable architecture, ensures transparency, traceability, and accountability using smart contracts that automate access control processes. The proposed framework addresses key challenges by enhancing security, reducing the likelihood of unauthorized access, and providing a transparent audit trail of data transactions. Expected outcomes include improved data privacy, accuracy in access control, and increased user trust in IoT systems. This research contributes significantly to advancing privacy-preserving, secure, and traceable solutions in IoT environments, laying the groundwork for future innovations in decentralized technologies and their applications in critical domains such as healthcare and beyond.
The rapid advancement of the Internet of Things (IoT) has led to the creation of large-scale interconnected networks of smart devices capable of autonomously collecting, processing, and exchanging data in real time across diverse application domains. While this development offers significant benefits, it also introduces critical challenges related to data security, privacy protection, interoperability, and the increasingly complex governance of distributed IoT systems. Traditional centralized governance approaches often fail to address these issues effectively due to single points of failure, limited transparency, and insufficient trust mechanisms. The integration of blockchain technology into IoT ecosystems provides a promising alternative by leveraging decentralized architecture, immutable ledgers, transparency, and tamper-resistant features that enhance accountability and trust. This study aims to identify and design an appropriate governance model for blockchain-integrated IoT systems that balances security, operational efficiency, and decentralization. The research adopts a conceptual and qualitative approach through a systematic literature analysis and the synthesis of existing governance, blockchain, and IoT frameworks to develop a structured governance model. The proposed framework defines institutional roles, policy structures, decision-making processes, and control mechanisms among participating entities. The results demonstrate that a blockchain-based governance model enhances system security, operational efficiency, and inter-organizational trust by reducing reliance on centralized authorities and improving data integrity. In addition, the use of smart contracts enables automated policy enforcement, transparent coordination, and sustainable system operations, supporting scalable and resilient governance for future blockchain IoT ecosystems.
The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) enables real-time health monitoring and intelligent clinical decision-making by continuously collecting and processing sensitive physiological data from wearable, implantable, and edge-connected devices. However, this data aggregation paradigm introduces critical privacy and security challenges, including data leakage, aggregator misbehavior, and adversarial attacks, while existing frameworks often fail to simultaneously ensure confidentiality, verifiability, and efficiency. To address these limitations, we propose MedGuard, a novel end-to-end secure data aggregation framework for IoMT that synergistically integrates Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE) based on the CKKS scheme and Groth16 zero-knowledge Succinct Non-Interactive Arguments of Knowledge (zk-SNARKs). MedGuard enables healthcare providers to perform complex analytical queries, such as statistical analysis, anomaly detection, and trend forecasting, directly on encrypted data without decryption, ensuring compliance with privacy regulations. By allowing edge nodes to generate cryptographic proofs of correct computation and enabling cloud-based verification, MedGuard eliminates reliance on trusted intermediaries and mitigates insider threats. Our comprehensive evaluation, conducted in a high-fidelity OMNeT++ 6.0.1 simulation environment with 1,000 IoMT devices, 100 edge nodes, and an Amazon EC2 c5.4xlarge cloud server, uses a hybrid dataset combining real-world and GMM-augmented synthetic data. Results show that MedGuard achieves an end-to-end latency of 64.8 ms, a 13.3% improvement over state-of-the-art baselines, communication efficiency of 1.465 GB/s, per-query energy consumption of 1.489 mJ, and sustained throughputs of 1,200 packets/s, 120 aggregates/s, and 1,200 queries/s. These performance gains, combined with a robust [Formula: see text] security level, demonstrate that MedGuard delivers scalable, verifiable, and privacy-preserving analytics for next-generation smart healthcare systems.
Abstract The relentless growth of connected devices is transforming industrial, urban and domestic environments, yet it also expands the attack surface for distributed denial of service (DDoS), unauthorized access and data manipulation. Centralized security architectures struggle to cope with the scale and heterogeneity of the Internet of Things, creating single points of failure and privacy risks. This review takes a close look at how blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI) can work together to solve these problems. Blockchain plays an important role in decentralizing trust, maintaining data integrity, and enabling transparent audit trails. AI subfields such as machine learning (ML), deep learning (DL), reinforcement learning (RL), and multi-agent systems (MAS) enhance these benefits. They enable real-time anomaly detection, predictive analytics, and adaptive policy control. A seven axis Blockchain–AI Security Integration Schema (BASIS) is proposed to classify solutions by security objectives, intelligence modalities, trust primitives, deployment choices, scalability techniques, privacy controls and interoperability mechanisms. In this study also review Layer-2 consensus protocols, federated learning and lightweight deep learning models that address energy and computational constraints. Case studies from supply chains, healthcare and smart grids illustrate the benefits and limitations of current deployments. The evidence suggests that while AI improves the accuracy and responsiveness of threat detection, blockchain offers tamper-proof data provenance. However, there are still issues in achieving scalability, reducing computational overhead, and striking a balance between auditability and privacy. Hybrid on-chain/off-chain architectures, quantum-safe cryptography, and standardized frameworks to guarantee adoption and interoperability are some future research avenues.
Michael G. Xevgenis, Maria Polychronaki, Dimitrios G. Kogias, Helen C. Leligkou · 5 authors
Zero-Touch Network (ZTN) represents a cornerstone approach of Next Generation Networks (NGNs), enabling fully automated and AI-driven network and service management. However, their distributed and multi-domain nature introduces critical security challenges, particularly regarding service identity and data integrity. This paper proposes a novel blockchain-based framework to enhance the security of ZTN through two complementary mechanisms: decentralized digital identity management and oracle-assisted network monitoring. First, a Decentralized Identity Management framework aligned with Zero-Trust Architecture principles is introduced to ensure tamper-proof authentication and authorization in a trustless environment among network components. By leveraging decentralized identifiers, verifiable credentials, and zero-knowledge proofs, the proposed Decentralized Authentication and Authorization component eliminates reliance on centralized authorities, while preserving privacy and interoperability across domains. Second, the paper investigates blockchain oracle mechanisms as a means to extend data integrity guarantees beyond the blockchain, enabling secure monitoring of Network Services and validation of Service-Level Agreements. We propose a four-dimensional framework for oracle design, based on qualitative comparison of oracle types—decentralized, compute-enabled, and consensus-based—to identify their suitability for NGN scenarios. This work proposes an architectural and design framework for Zero-Touch Networks, focusing on system integration and security-aware orchestration rather than large-scale experimental evaluation. The outcome of our study highlights the potential of integrating blockchain-based identity and oracle solutions to achieve resilient, transparent, and self-managed network ecosystems. This research bridges the gap between theory and implementation by offering a holistic approach that unifies identity security and data integrity in ZTNs, paving the way towards trustworthy and autonomous 6G infrastructures.
The convergence of the Internet of Things and edge computing represents a fundamental transformation in distributed computing architecture. Traditional cloud-centric models introduce latency and connectivity dependencies flawed for time-touchy packages. Side computing addresses such constraints by positioning computational sources at network peripheries. Distributed processing paradigms restructure data pipelines through intermediate layers between endpoint devices and centralized infrastructure. Fog nodes extend cloud capabilities to locations where data originates. Tiered computation models distinguish between device-level processing, gateway computation, and cloud-based analytics. Aspect synthetic intelligence allows deployment of state-of-the-art machine learning models on resource-limited hardware. Neural network compression strategies consisting of quantization and pruning lessen version complexity while keeping accuracy. Fifth-generation wireless networks provide a connectivity fabric essential for distributed deployments. Multi-access edge computing positions processing resources at radio access network edges. Computation offloading transfers tasks from mobile devices to edge servers strategically. Security frameworks address expanded attack surfaces through zero-trust models and blockchain-based identity management. Distributed ledger architectures eliminate centralized credential repositories. Smart contracts automate security policy enforcement across edge networks reliably.
As the limitations of the current cellular network generation have become apparent to tackle current connectivity needs in 6G, the scientific communities have started to investigate novel techniques to bolster the capabilities of the communication infrastructure. Within 6G, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) are envisioned as key enablers to drive network performance and guarantee process integrity. However, from a security standpoint, those methods are dual-edged as they introduce a new threat surface that could be used to jeopardise the platform security, the trust in service utility and data privacy. This survey provides a consolidated review of the security, trust, and privacy impact of key 6G enabling technologies. The analysis begins by identifying the primary architectural drivers anticipated for next-generation mobile networks, systematically mapping their impact on the threat surface to identify critical resilience challenges. Conversely, we pinpoint protection methodologies enacted by these drivers, outlining concrete countermeasures that enhance the network’s security posture. Finally, we propose a unified reference architecture that integrates these benefits for holistic security, privacy, and trust management, complemented by a system-level evaluation.
Federated Learning (FL) has emerged as a transformative paradigm for distributed machine learning, enabling model training across decentralized edge devices while preserving data privacy. This methodology is critical for sectors handling sensitive information, such as finance, healthcare, and the Internet of Things (IoT). Despite its benefits, the coordination and communication overhead between distributed nodes remain significant challenges. This paper evaluates the efficacy of REST and GraphQL API architectures in facilitating FL workflows. While REST APIs are favored for their statelessness and simplicity, GraphQL offers enhanced flexibility and efficiency by enabling precise data fetching—a vital feature for bandwidth-constrained decentralized systems. We provide a comparative analysis of these paradigms across performance, security, and scalability metrics, specifically regarding data synchronization and model aggregation. Finally, we propose design best practices for developing APIs that support robust, compliant, and efficient federated prediction systems.
The integration of Internet of Things (IoT) infrastructures with Distributed Ledger Technologies (DLT) remains challenging due to the reliance on complex, tightly coupled back-end systems or centralized oracle services that h... | Find, read and cite all the research you need on Tech Science Press
This thesis advances privacy-preserving solutions essential for addressing contemporary technological challenges in smart cities, decentralized systems, and algorithmic decision-making processes. Firstly, we introduce a hybrid sensing framework integrating Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and crowdsensing techniques to overcome limitations inherent in traditional methods. The hybrid sensing model incentivizes voluntary user contributions to complement fixed-location IoT sensors, ensuring reliable and comprehensive data collection while maintaining user anonymity through a privacy-preserving protocol. We implement this model in a smart parking application, demonstrating significant improvements in data accuracy and user engagement. Secondly, we propose a decentralized anonymous crowdsourcing system leveraging blockchain technology, which removes reliance on centralized intermediaries, thereby enhancing transparency and mitigating biases. Our system integrates anonymous payments using the Zerocoin protocol framework, eliminating the need for worker identity registration and trusted setups, thus fostering genuinely anonymous participation. Empirical analyses confirm that our approach maintains practical efficiency in transaction verification and moderate blockchain gas costs. Lastly, we tackle fairness and transparency in algorithmic decision-making processes, addressing public concerns regarding inherent biases and opaque computational practices. We develop a privacy-preserving, publicly verifiable framework that combines succinct zero-knowledge proofs with blockchain infrastructure, allowing independent verification of algorithmic fairness without exposing sensitive inputs or decision-making algorithms. Our concrete instantiation employs a restricted KZG polynomial commitment scheme alongside the Sonic zk-SNARK protocol, demonstrating small proof sizes, efficient verification, and practical deployment feasibility. Collectively, this thesis contributes significantly to the field by providing robust, scalable, and privacy-conscious technologies tailored for contemporary smart city applications and decentralized computational ecosystems.
With the rapid increase of terminal devices in the Internet of Things (IoT), it has become a significant challenge to achieve real-time and privacy-preserving data aggregation. To address this challenge, edge computing has emerged as an effective paradigm to reduce latency, where a privacy-preserving data aggregation scheme is exploited to preserve data privacy. However, most existing privacy-preserving data aggregation schemes are limited by fixed data dimensions, low scalability, and high communication or computational overhead. To address these shortcomings, this paper proposes a multidimensional privacy-preserving data aggregation scheme that supports flexible dimension expansion and privacy protection in edge computing systems. The scheme integrates the Chinese Remainder Theorem (CRT) with an elastic modulus set to efficiently pack multidimensional data. This design enables terminal devices to add new data dimensions without interrupting current operations or modifying historical data. Furthermore, by exploiting Bulletproofs-based zero-knowledge proofs and Bellare-Neven (BN) signatures with half-aggregation, the proposed scheme enables lightweight and scalable batch verification of data integrity and authenticity. These mechanisms effectively reduce the verification workload and communication bandwidth in large-scale deployments. In addition, an optimized Paillier homomorphic encryption algorithm is used to enable efficient aggregation of encrypted multidimensional data. Experimental results and theoretical analysis show that the proposed scheme significantly reduces computational and communication costs compared with existing methods.
Ensuring efficient task assignment and secure payment in mobile crowdsensing while preserving worker location privacy remains a challenging problem. Existing solutions either rely on expensive encryption schemes, employ blockchain-based verification that incurs high computational and gas costs, or use differential privacy techniques that degrade spatial accuracy. This paper introduces the Privacy-preserving Task Assignment and Payment (PTAP) framework, a lightweight solution built upon secure multi-party computation (SMPC). PTAP employs additive secret sharing and a challenge-response mechanism across three semi-honest servers to achieve anonymous task allocation and payment without blockchain or zero-knowledge proofs. The framework guarantees full unlinkability between worker identities, task locations, and payment records while maintaining accurate location-based assignment and supporting traceability for dispute resolution. Experimental evaluation using the MP-SPDZ framework demonstrates scalability to over 1.5 million workers and 7 million payment tokens. The average end-to-end completion time is approximately 35.4 seconds, with zero gas cost. Compared to the state-of-the-art AVeCQ system [15], which requires about 13 minutes and 37 MWei per transaction on the Goerli network for only 1,024 users. The results confirm PTAP's efficiency, scalability, and strong privacy guarantees for large-scale mobile crowdsensing deployments.
Hong Min, Yousef Ibrahim Daradkeh, Jung Taek Seo, Mohd Anjum · 5 authors
This study presents a computational modeling framework for efficient and secure computation offloading in Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled smart contract systems. The integration of IoT, edge computing, and blockchain introduces significant challenges, including limited device capacity, high verification cost, and scalability constraints. Existing blockchain verification approaches depend on computationally intensive cryptographic operations that are inefficient for resource-constrained IoT devices, resulting in increased latency, energy consumption, and transaction costs. To address these issues, this study proposes the Zero-Knowledge Fuzzy Logic Offloading and Rollup (Z-FLOR) framework, an adaptive and energy-efficient model designed to enable secure and verifiable computation in IoT-based smart contract systems. The proposed framework integrates three key components. First, a zero-knowledge proof-based verification model using the Groth16 zkSNARK module generates compact and privacy-preserving proofs that enable fast and reliable verification. Second, a Fuzzy Logic–Driven Energy-Aware Offloading module dynamically allocates computational tasks between IoT devices, edge servers, and cloud platforms based on energy availability, network delay, and device reliability. Third, an Optimistic Rollup Verification module aggregates proofs off-chain and submits them in batches to reduce gas costs and enhance scalability. Extensive simulation and experimental evaluation across diverse IoT scenarios demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed computational framework. Results indicate that Z-FLOR achieves 99.7% verification accuracy and 98.9% proof compression efficiency, while gas cost analysis indicates gas cost reductions in the range of 80%–98%. Z-FLOR additionally achieves a 44.0% reduction in latency, 51.0% savings in gas costs, and 38.0% energy consumption compared to baseline approaches. These findings highlight the capability of the proposed approach to serve as a scalable and energy-efficient modeling solution for secure IoT smart contract execution in decentralized environments.
Resource allocation in blockchain networks is an urgent issue due to changes in transaction load, networkcongestion, and the computational challenges associated with smart contract execution. Suboptimal resource utilization leads to high operational costs and reduced network performance. In this context, this paper presents a new hybrid algorithm for resource management in blockchain networks based on the integration of Q-learning reinforcement learning and the Ship Rescue Optimization (SRO) algorithm. The SRO algorithm is used to optimize the hyperparameters and the initial Q-learning policy, enabling the learning process to converge more effectively to an optimal solution and make better resource allocation decisions. We formulate the resource allocation problem as a Markov Decision Process (MDP), in which the agent learns optimal scaling policies for CPU, memory, and bandwidth resources. Comprehensive testing on an implemented blockchain network with 100 nodes and 245,782 transactions across 1,000 blocks shows significant improvements, including an average reduction of 38.76 % in CPU usage, 35.99% in RAM usage, and 38.51% in transaction latency, along with a 58.21% increase in throughput compared to baseline methods. All improvements are statistically significant (p 3.0) according to the statistical analysis. The ablation study shows that each component plays a significant role in the overall system performance. In particular, the proposed hybrid algorithm provides an additional 13.88% performance improvement compared to Q-learning alone and . Furthermore, the suggested framework outperforms existing methods, such as Deep Q-Networks, Genetic Algorithms, and Particle Swarm Optimization, establishing a new benchmark for blockchain resource allocation.