Blockchain Papers

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7,409 papersLast indexed Aug 24, 2026
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Aug 9, 2024·International Journal of Power Electronics and Drive Systems/International Journal of Electrical and Computer Engineering
1 cites
Empowering E-learning through blockchain: an inclusive and affordable tutoring solution

Saadia Lgarch, Meriem Hnida, Asmaâ Retbi

This study presents an innovative approach using the Ethereum blockchain to democratize access to tutoring services, advancing educational technology by bridging the affordability gap for learners with limited financial resources. This solution enables low-income learners to access tutoring services without significant expenses by eliminating intermediaries through smart contracts. Learners can directly book tutoring services based on fees and evaluations, ensuring a fair and accessible experience. The findings show that this approach reduces tutoring expenses and improves trust and accountability through transparent transactions and feedback mechanisms. The proposed system demonstrates how blockchain technology can foster a more equitable and efficient educational landscape, offering personalized

Open access
FinTech, Crowdfunding, Digital Finance
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
Microfinance and Financial Inclusion
Original source
Aug 9, 2024·Digital Communications and Networks
5 cites
Toward next-generation networks: A blockchain-based approach for core network architecture and roaming identity verification

Yi Gong, Boyuan Yu, Lei Yang, Fanke Meng · 7 authors

With the evolution of next-generation communication networks, ensuring robust Core Network (CN) architecture and data security has become paramount. This paper addresses critical vulnerabilities in the architecture of CN and data security by proposing a novel framework based on blockchain technology that is specifically designed for communication networks. Traditional centralized network architectures are vulnerable to Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, particularly in roaming scenarios where there is also a risk of private data leakage, which imposes significant operational demands. To address these issues, we introduce the Blockchain-Enhanced Core Network Architecture (BECNA) and the Secure Decentralized Identity Authentication Scheme (SDIDAS). The BECNA utilizes blockchain technology to decentralize data storage, enhancing network security, stability, and reliability by mitigating Single Points of Failure (SPoF). The SDIDAS utilizes Decentralized Identity (DID) technology to secure user identity data and streamline authentication in roaming scenarios, significantly reducing the risk of data breaches during cross-network transmissions. Our framework employs Ethereum, free5GC, Wireshark, and UERANSIM tools to create a robust, tamper-evident system model. A comprehensive security analysis confirms substantial improvements in user privacy and network security. Simulation results indicate that our approach enhances communication CNs security and reliability, while also ensuring data security.

Open access
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
Software-Defined Networks and 5G
Caching and Content Delivery
Original source
Aug 8, 2024
2 cites
Organ Harbour: A Blockchain Solution for Organ Donation and Transplantation

Nikita Bansal, Samyak Jain, Ribha Nishal, Kavita Pandey

Organ donation and transplantation have long been critical medical procedures, but they face numerous challenges, including scarcity, malpractices, and complex allocation processes. Also, they are vulnerable to the single point of failure problem due to centralization. Unlike existing blockchain solutions that only cover aspects like donor-recipient matching or medical record storage, our approach integrates hospitals into the system to ensure fair allocation of organs. The proposed organ donation decentralized app Organ Harbour utilizes Ethereum blockchain-based solution to automate this process in decentralized way, also it ensures transparency, privacy, security, and trustworthiness. This ensures secure and transparent registration of donor-patient information, including medical IDs, blood types, and organ details. Organ Harbour streamlines the process, eliminating third-party involvement and reducing transplantation costs. Moreover, by leveraging blockchain's immutability and smart contract capabilities, the system enhances data integrity and prediction accuracy. Overall, this research presents an approach to organ donation and transplantation, fostering security, transparency, and an efficient healthcare ecosystem.

Open access
Organ Donation and Transplantation
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
Original source
Aug 8, 2024·International Journal of Online and Biomedical Engineering (iJOE)
4 cites
Blockchain of Things for Securing and Managing Water 4.0 Applications

Abdallah Al-Zoubi, Mamoun Aldmour, Afif Khoury, Dana Al-Thaher

The design of a smart water monitoring and control system in urban areas plays a pivotal role in providing efficient distribution mechanisms to reduce leakage, especially in regions facing water scarcity and limited resources. The convergence of the Internet of Things (IoT) and blockchain technology to improve the system’s performance, enhance its security, and provide a decentralized and tamper-proof environment presents an excellent opportunity to evolve the system further and form a state-of-the-art Water 4.0 ecosystem. The proposed Blockchain of Things (BCoT) water system is introduced as a pilot to explore its potential in delivering and managing Water 4.0 applications. An Ethereum platform formed the heart of the BCoT system, while a Raspberry Pi 4 acted as a node to the blockchain that collected data from various sensors and microcontrollers via MQTT programmed by Node-Red. LabVIEW software also provided supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA). The BCoT system was tested, and its functionality was verified, showing good promise to take smart water systems to a new level of innovation that may resolve the many challenges faced by countries with limited water resources and address the challenges of the 21st-century “Water 4.0” ecosystem.

Open access
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
Original source
Aug 8, 2024
6 cites
Blockchain Fraud Detection Using Unsupervised Learning: Anomalous Transaction Patterns Detection Using K-Means Clustering

Geeta Sandeep Nadella, Karthik Meduri, Hari Gonaygunta, Snehal Satish · 5 authors

In the dynamic and rapidly evolving landscape of blockchain technology, traditional fraud detection methods, which often rely on labeled data, face limitations due to the diverse and adaptive nature of fraud. This study introduces a novel framework that employs the K-Means clustering algorithm, a technique celebrated for its unsupervised learning capabilities, to detect anomalous transaction patterns indicative of potential fraud, such as unusually high transaction volumes or rapid transfers between wallets. By circumventing the need for pre-labeled examples of fraudulent activity, our approach significantly enhances adaptability and applicability across various blockchain contexts. We apply this framework to a comprehensive dataset encompassing multiple cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Doge Coins, and Tether, analyzing attributes such as closing prices, volatility, and market volume. The results demonstrate the framework’s effectiveness in isolating outliers and identifying transactions that bear hallmarks of suspicious activity, thereby contributing a powerful tool for proactive fraud detection. This research not only paves the way for future advancements in blockchain security but also reinforces the trustworthiness and integrity of blockchain systems by providing a robust mechanism for identifying and mitigating fraudulent activities without the constraints of traditional, supervised methods.

Open access
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
Currency Recognition and Detection
Imbalanced Data Classification Techniques
Original source
Aug 8, 2024·Computers in Biology and Medicine
10 cites
Distributed management of patient data-sharing informed consents for clinical research

Anh Pham, Maxim Edelson, Armin Nouri, Tsung-Ting Kuo

BACKGROUND: The consent protocol is now a critical part in the overall orchestration of clinical research. We aimed to demonstrate the feasibility of an Ethereum-based informed consent system, which includes an immutable and automated channel of consent matching, to simultaneously assure patient privacy and increase the efficiency of researchers' data access. METHOD: We simulated a multi-site scenario, each assigned 10000 consent records. A consent record contained one patient's data-sharing preference with regards to seven data categories. We developed a blockchain-based infrastructure with a smart contract to record consents on-chain, and to query consenting patients corresponding to specific criteria. We measured our system's recording efficiency against a baseline design and verified accuracy by testing an exhaustive list of possible queries. RESULTS: Our method achieved ∼3-4% lead with an average insertion speed of ∼2 s per record per node on either a 3-, 4- or 5-node network, and 100 % accuracy. It also outperformed other solutions in external validation. DISCUSSION: The speed we achieved is reasonable in a real-world system under the realistic assumption that patients may not change their minds too frequently, with the added benefit of immutability. Furthermore, the per-insertion time did improve slightly as the number of network nodes increased, attesting to the benefit of node parallelism as it suggests no attrition of insertion efficiency due to scale of nodes. CONCLUSIONS: Our work confirms the technical feasibility of a blockchain-based consent mechanism, assuring patients with an immutable audit trail, and providing researchers with an efficient way to reach their cohorts.

Open access
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
Electronic Health Records Systems
Privacy-Preserving Technologies in Data
Original source
Aug 8, 2024·Digital Finance
2 cites
Understanding temporal dynamics of jumps in cryptocurrency markets: evidence from tick-by-tick data

Danial Saef, Odett Nagy, Sergej Sizov, Wolfgang Karl Härdle

Abstract Cryptocurrency markets have recently attracted significant attention due to their potential for high returns; however, their underlying dynamics, especially those concerning price jumps, continue to be explored. Building on previous research, this study examines the presence and clustering of jumps in an extensive tick data set covering six major cryptocurrencies traded against Tether on seven leading exchanges worldwide over nearly 2.5 years. Our analysis reveals that jumps occur on up to 58% of trading days, with negative jumps predominating in both frequency and size. Notably, we observe systematic clustering of jumps over time, especially in Bitcoin and Ethereum, indicating interconnected market dynamics and potential predictive power for market movements. By employing high-frequency econometric tools, we identify temporal patterns in jump occurrence, highlighting heightened activity during specific trading hours and days. We also find evidence of jumps influencing intraday returns, underscoring their significance in short-term price dynamics. Our findings enhance understanding of the cryptocurrency market microstructure and offer insights for risk management and predictive modeling strategies. Nevertheless, further research is needed to develop robust methodologies for detecting and analyzing co-jumps across multiple assets.

Open access
Complex Systems and Time Series Analysis
Financial Markets and Investment Strategies
Financial Risk and Volatility Modeling
Original source
Aug 7, 2024·Journal of Applied Data Sciences
1 cites
Volatility Analysis of Cryptocurrencies using Statistical Approach and GARCH Model a Case Study on Daily Percentage Change

Sarmini Sarmini

Cryptocurrency has become a significant subject in the global financial market, attracting investors and traders with its high volatility and profit potential. This study analyzes the daily volatility and GARCH volatility of six major cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Litecoin (LTC), USD Coin (USDC), Tether (USDT), and Ripple (XRP). Daily percentage change data and GARCH volatility are analyzed over specific time periods. The analysis reveals that Bitcoin (BTC) has an average daily percentage change of 0.366%, while Ethereum (ETH) has 0.376%. Litecoin (LTC) shows a daily percentage change of 0.166%, whereas USD Coin (USDC) and Tether (USDT) have very low daily percentage changes, nearly approaching zero. In terms of GARCH volatility, Ethereum (ETH) stands out with a volatility of 0.198, followed by Bitcoin (BTC) with a volatility of 0.121. The study's results indicate that cryptocurrencies are vulnerable to extreme price fluctuations, evidenced by their asymmetry distribution and kurtosis. Volatility correlation analysis reveals significant relationships, important for risk management and portfolio diversification. These findings contribute to understanding cryptocurrency volatility characteristics and aid stakeholders in making informed investment decisions.

Open access
Financial Risk and Volatility Modeling
Market Dynamics and Volatility
Original source
Aug 7, 2024·Journal of Engineering Research and Reports
7 cites
Smart Contracts Management: The Interplay of Data Privacy and Blockchain for Secure and Efficient Real Estate Transactions

Olumide Samuel Ogungbemi

The digital transformation of the real estate industry is being significantly influenced by blockchain technology and smart contracts, which promise enhanced efficiency, transparency, and security in transactions. This study aims to develop a secure and efficient smart contract management protocol that balances the benefits of blockchain with robust data privacy practices. The methodology involves descriptive analytics of transaction data from the Ethereum blockchain, feasibility studies using synthetic transaction data, and a regulatory compliance analysis to map the impact of different regions' regulations on blockchain adoption in real estate. The findings reveal that while smart contracts can automate various processes and reduce reliance on intermediaries, challenges related to data privacy and regulatory compliance persist. Higher privacy features in smart contracts are associated with increased execution costs, indicating a trade-off between privacy and cost efficiency. Smart contracts with privacy level 3 had an execution cost of 0.025 ETH, compared to those with privacy level 1 at 0.02 ETH. Integrating permissioned blockchains and zero-knowledge proofs offers a promising solution, though their complexity limits broader adoption. Zero-knowledge proofs maintained high privacy (achieving privacy levels of up to 0.76) at a reasonable computational cost (proof generation time of 1.9 seconds). Thus, the integration of permissioned blockchains and zero-knowledge proofs offers a promising pathway to address these challenges. However, the complexity of these techniques requires specialized knowledge, limiting broader adoption. The study concludes with recommendations to develop specialized training programs, collaborate on regulatory frameworks, invest in advanced cryptographic research, and implement targeted strategies to overcome adoption barriers. These efforts will contribute to the digital transformation of asset management, fostering innovation and enhancing the overall efficiency of real estate transactions.

Open access
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
FinTech, Crowdfunding, Digital Finance
Original source
Aug 6, 2024·Kalpa publications in computing
2 cites
Decentralized Organ Donation and Transplantation Using Blockchain Technology

Jeevanantham Arumugam, Dhanush Kulanthaivel, Dharani Mahalingam, Karthikeyan Selvam

The management of organ donation and transplantation systems is confronted with numerous challenges, spanning registration, donor-recipient matching, organ logistics, and ethical considerations. In response, this paper proposes a decentralized solution leveraging a private Ethereum blockchain framework. This paper establishes a secure, traceable, and privacy-preserving environment by utilizing smart contracts and a suite of innovative algorithms. This approach's robustness and trustworthiness will be highlighted by implementation details, testing procedures, and thorough evaluations that cover privacy, security, and confidentiality. Through comparative analyses, this solution emerges as a promising avenue for enhancing equity, efficiency, and patient confidence in organ donation and transplantation management.

Open access
Organ Donation and Transplantation
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
Original source
Aug 6, 2024·International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research
0 cites
Smart Contract for Hotel Booking through Ethereum using Blockchain

M - Chetan, C. Rashmi, C P Shantala

The hotel enterprise is dealing with numerous challenges together with inefficiencies, lack of transparency, and safety issues. Blockchain technology using Smart Contract has the ability to cope with those challenges and improve the overall operations of the Hotel Booking.

Open access
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
FinTech, Crowdfunding, Digital Finance
Sharing Economy and Platforms
Original source
Aug 6, 2024·arXiv (Cornell University)
2 cites
Simple Perturbations Subvert Ethereum Phishing Transactions Detection: An Empirical Analysis

Ahod Alghureid, Aziz Mohaisen

This paper explores the vulnerability of machine learning models, specifically Random Forest, Decision Tree, and K-Nearest Neighbors, to very simple single-feature adversarial attacks in the context of Ethereum fraudulent transaction detection. Through comprehensive experimentation, we investigate the impact of various adversarial attack strategies on model performance metrics, such as accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score. Our findings, highlighting how prone those techniques are to simple attacks, are alarming, and the inconsistency in the attacks' effect on different algorithms promises ways for attack mitigation. We examine the effectiveness of different mitigation strategies, including adversarial training and enhanced feature selection, in enhancing model robustness.

Open access
3 source records
Spam and Phishing Detection
Internet Traffic Analysis and Secure E-voting
Imbalanced Data Classification Techniques
Original source
Aug 6, 2024·Cluster Computing
2 cites
The impact of connectivity and software in Ethereum validator performance

Mikel Cortes-Goicoechea, Tarun Mohandas-Daryanani, José L. Muñoz, Leonardo Bautista-Gomez

Abstract Modern public blockchains like Ethereum rely on p2p networks to run distributed and censorship-resistant applications. With its wide adoption, it operates as a highly critical public ledger. On its transition to become more scalable and sustainable, shifting to PoS without sacrificing the security and resilience of PoW, Ethereum offers a range of consensus client implementations to participate in the network. In this paper, we present a methodology to measure the performance of the consensus clients based on the latency to receive messages from the p2p network. The paper includes a study that identifies the incentives and limitations that the network experiences, presenting insights about the latency impact derived from running the different consensus implementations at different locations. Our study highlights the need for a holistic approach to node deployment, where hardware, software, and geographic factors have to be carefully considered. Properly dimensioned hardware is essential to mitigate latency-related performance issues and ensure the reliable operation of beacon nodes, especially in geographically distant locations.

Open access
2 source records
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
Cloud Computing and Resource Management
Security and Verification in Computing
Original source
Aug 5, 2024·Cyber Security and Applications
4 cites
Adoption of blockchain to develop a deployable secure healthcare solution: An analysis

Kanika Agrawal, Mayank Aggarwal, Sudeep Tanwar, Abdulatif Alabdulatif

Blockchain technology has grown enormously in diverse, intelligent applications with high security, transparency, and trust, but performance analysis is still a concern. Various debugging and analysis tools exist that can be used to eliminate bugs and vulnerabilities in smart contracts. However, these tools are only a little capable of making the solution attack-resistant. This research improves the performance analysis smart contract in the Remix IDE platform. The analysis detects and debugs security and vulnerability issues and minimizes the gas and economy from various smart contract fragments, especially in the Solidity language. This research reduced the number of vulnerabilities to 82 compared to 641 in previous work. The gas fee consumption and code size were also considerably reduced by tens of thousands of Wei, thus improving the performance. The gas fee is reduced by removing unnecessary events, using bytes instead of a string, using the required function, packing the structure tightly, activating the optimizer, using short circuit rules, and using an external function. Also, the code size is reduced using inheritance, modifiers, and removing extra comments. To use inheritance and virtual concepts, the work is deployed on the latest compiler version, i.e., 0.8.17+ commit. The solidity static analysis helped remove vulnerabilities such as similar variable names, use of constructor(), etc. The paper presents a novel approach for researchers to write efficient smart contracts and make an optimized system. The developed system was finally tested on the Goerli test network of Ethereum using Remix IDE, and the results proved the efficiency of the smart contract.

Open access
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
Organizational and Employee Performance
Original source
Aug 5, 2024·Software
4 cites
Sligpt: A Large Language Model-Based Approach for Data Dependency Analysis on Solidity Smart Contracts

Xiaolei Ren, Qi-Ping Wei

The advent of blockchain technology has revolutionized various sectors by providing transparency, immutability, and automation. Central to this revolution are smart contracts, which facilitate trustless and automated transactions across diverse domains. However, the proliferation of smart contracts has exposed significant security vulnerabilities, necessitating advanced analysis techniques. Data dependency analysis is a critical program analysis method used to enhance the testing and security of smart contracts. This paper introduces Sligpt, an innovative methodology that integrates a large language model (LLM), specifically GPT-4o, with the static analysis tool Slither, to perform data dependency analyses on Solidity smart contracts. Our approach leverages both the advanced code comprehension capabilities of GPT-4o and the advantages of a traditional analysis tool. We empirically evaluate Sligpt using a curated dataset of Ethereum smart contracts. Sligpt achieves significant improvements in precision, recall, and overall analysis depth compared with Slither and GPT-4o, providing a robust solution for data dependency analysis. This paper also discusses the challenges encountered, such as the computational resource requirements and the inherent variability in LLM outputs, while proposing future research directions to further enhance the methodology. Sligpt represents a significant advancement in the field of static analysis on smart contracts, offering a practical framework for integrating LLMs with static analysis tools.

Open access
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
FinTech, Crowdfunding, Digital Finance
Ethics and Social Impacts of AI
Original source
Aug 5, 2024·Energy Reports
48 cites
Decentralized peer-to-peer energy trading in microgrids: Leveraging blockchain technology and smart contracts

Nimrah Saeed, Fushuan Wen, Muhammad Zeshan Afzal

Microgrids are regarded as vital components in contemporary realm of energy system improvement, resilience, and sustainability. In this paper a novel decentralized peer-to-peer energy trading system leveraging blockchain technology is proposed. The proposed model not only demonstrates the implementation of blockchain technology in microgrids but also transforms the energy sector by emphasizing decentralization, security and efficiency. This research aims to enhance the energy trading system by including smart contracts written on the Ethereum network. Energy Token and Demand Response contracts are integrated to enable dynamic interactions inside microgrids, which leads to a transparent, secure, and efficient energy trading system. Moreover, automation of energy transactions and elimination of intermediaries ensure cost effectiveness and utilization of excess energy potentially reduce dependency on the main grid. A microgrid system is designed in Simulink for distributed energy trading. Energy credits are represented by standard ERC-20 digital token and then demand response contract dynamically adjusts rewards and energy prices based on energy production and consumption. the ERC-20 contract manages the token transaction and then demand response contract enforces governance rules. The purpose of a demand response contract is to enable the automatic and efficient control of energy usage in response to changing demand and supply conditions. The use of the Web3 library further facilitates a direct and smooth connection between the blockchain network and microgrids. The results demonstrate the successful implementation of both smart contracts, making trading possible at noon when the combined generation from solar array and energy management system exceed the energy demand. • A P2P decentralized energy trading model leveraging blockchain technology to enhance microgrid efficiency and sustainability. • ERC-20 tokens are used for trading purpose. • Demand Response contract is written for balanced microgrid operation. • Employs Web3 library for direct and smooth interaction between microgrid and blockchain.

Open access
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
Smart Grid Energy Management
FinTech, Crowdfunding, Digital Finance
Original source
Aug 4, 2024·Scientific Journal of Metaverse and Blockchain Technologies
0 cites
Identification of Expected Growth in Crypto Currency

Mandeep Gupta, Arun Singla

Identifying the expected growth in cryptocurrency involves analyzing a combination of market trends, technological advancements, regulatory developments, and economic indicators. Historical performance and adoption rates of major cryptocurrencies provide insight into market trends, while innovations in blockchain technology, such as Ethereum 2.0 and Layer 2 solutions, along with the rise of decentralized finance (DeFi) and non-fungible tokens (NFTs), highlight significant technological advancements. Regulatory developments, including supportive legislation and the involvement of institutional investors through financial products like Bitcoin ETFs, play a crucial role in shaping market confidence and investment. Economic indicators, such as inflation, monetary policies, and global events, also influence interest in cryptocurrencies as alternative assets. Investor sentiment, driven by public perception, media coverage, and social media activity, impacts market dynamics. Additionally, research from financial analysts, market research firms, and academic studies, along with corporate partnerships and the integration of crypto solutions with traditional systems, contribute to growth predictions. Monitoring market capitalization and trading volumes further helps gauge market interest and liquidity. By considering these multifaceted factors, a more comprehensive understanding of the potential growth in the cryptocurrency market can be achieved.

Open access
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
Market Dynamics and Volatility
Financial Markets and Investment Strategies
Original source
Aug 3, 2024·Statistics Optimization & Information Computing
0 cites
Statistical modelling of cryptocurrencies

Stephanie Danielle Subramoney, Knowledge Chinhamu, Retius Chifurira

There has been tremendous interest invested by researchers and academics in Bitcoin since it's introduction to the financial market. However, in recent years there has been an advancement of the cryptocurrency market where other cryptocurrencies such as Ethereum, Litecoin and Ripple have grown relatively quickly and could potentially challenge the dominant placement of Bitcoin. These cryprocurrencies have been utilized globally as a virtual currency for multiple transactions. The returns of cryptocurrencies are known to be volatile and have been observed to fluctuate quite a bit in recent times. This study assesses and differentiates the performance of generalized autoregressive score (GAS) models integrated with a few heavy-tailed distributions in Value-at-Risk (VaR) estimation of the four most popular cryptocurrencies' returns, i.e. Bitcoin returns, Ethereum returns, Litecoin returns and Ripple returns. This paper proposed VaR models for Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin and Ripple returns, i.e. GAS models combined with the generalized hyperbolic distribution (GHD), the variance gamma (VG) distribution, the normal inverse Gaussian (NIG) distribution and the generalized lambda distribution (GLD). The Kupiec likelihood ratio test was adopted to evaluate the proposed models' adequacy and Backtesting VaR was used to select the superior set of models.

Open access
Big Data Technologies and Applications
Original source
Aug 2, 2024·ACM SIGMETRICS Performance Evaluation Review
1 cites
Blockchain Amplification Attack

Taro Tsuchiya, Liyi Zhou, Kaihua Qin, Arthur Gervais · 5 authors

Strategies related to the blockchain concept of Extractable Value (MEV/BEV), such as arbitrage, front-, or back-running create strong economic incentives for network nodes to reduce latency. Modified nodes, that minimize transaction validation time and neglect to filter invalid transactions in the Ethereum peer-to-peer (P2P) network, introduce a novel attack vector -- a Blockchain Amplification Attack. An attacker can exploit those modified nodes to amplify invalid transactions thousands of times, posing a security threat to the entire network. To illustrate attack feasibility and practicality in the current Ethereum network ("mainnet"), we 1) identify thousands of similar attacks in the wild, 2) mathematically model the propagation mechanism, 3) empirically measure model parameters from our monitoring nodes, and 4) compare the performance with other existing Denial-of-Service attacks through local simulation. We show that an attacker can amplify network traffic at modified nodes by a factor of 3,600, and cause economic damages of approximately 13,800 times the amount needed to carry out the attack. Despite these risks, aggressive latency reduction may still be profitable enough for various providers to justify the existence of modified nodes. To assess this trade-off, we 1) simulate the transaction validation process in a local network and 2) empirically measure the latency reduction by deploying our modified node in the Ethereum test network ("testnet"). We conclude with a cost-benefit analysis of skipping validation and provide mitigation strategies against the blockchain amplification attack.

Open access
3 source records
cs.CR
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
Complex Network Analysis Techniques
Original source
Aug 2, 2024·Computer Networks
4 cites
Priv-Share: A privacy-preserving framework for differential and trustless delegation of cyber threat intelligence using blockchain

Kealan Dunnett, Shantanu Pal, Zahra Jadidi, Volkan Dedeoglu · 5 authors

The emergence of the Internet of Things (IoT), Industry 5.0 applications and associated services have caused a powerful transition in the cyber threat landscape. As a result, organisations require new ways to proactively manage the risks associated with their infrastructure. In response, a significant amount of research has focused on developing efficient Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) sharing. However, in many cases, CTI contains sensitive information that has the potential to leak valuable information or cause reputational damage to the sharing organisation. While a number of existing CTI sharing approaches have utilised blockchain to facilitate privacy, it can be highlighted that a comprehensive approach that enables dynamic trust-based decision-making, facilitates decentralised trust evaluation and provides CTI producers with highly granular sharing of CTI is lacking. Subsequently, in this paper, we propose a blockchain-based CTI sharing framework, called Priv-Share, as a promising solution towards this challenge. In particular, we highlight that the integration of differential sharing, trustless delegation, democratic group managers and incentives as part of Priv-Share ensures that it can satisfy these criteria. The results of an analytical evaluation of the proposed framework using both queuing and game theory demonstrate its ability to provide scalable CTI sharing in a trustless manner. Moreover, a quantitative evaluation of an Ethereum proof-of-concept prototype demonstrates that applying the proposed framework within real-world contexts is feasible.

Open access
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
User Authentication and Security Systems
Advanced Malware Detection Techniques
Original source
Aug 2, 2024·Engineering Technology & Applied Science Research
11 cites
Blockchain-Inspired Lightweight Dynamic Encryption Schemes for a Secure Health Care Information Exchange System

E. R. Aruna, Arun Sahayadhas

The telemedicine sector has entered a new phase marked by the integration of Internet of Things (IoT) devices to identify and then send patient health data to medical terminals for additional diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Today, patients can receive prompt and expert medical care at home in comfortable settings. Due to the unique nature of these services, it is essential to verify patient healthcare data, as it contains a greater amount of personal information that is vulnerable to privacy violations and data breaches. Blockchain technology has attracted interest in addressing security concerns due to its decentralized, immutable, shared, and distributed characteristics. This study proposes lightweight dynamic blockchain-enabled encryption schemes to secure physiological data during authentication and exchange processes. The proposed scheme introduces the logistic Advanced Encryption Scheme (AES) that combines chaotic logistic maps to secure the data in the blockchain network and mitigate different attacks. The model was deployed on the Ethereum blockchain and performance metrics, such as computation and transaction time, were calculated and compared with other current blockchain-inspired encryption models. Furthermore, the NIST test was conducted to prove the strength of the proposed scheme. The proposed model exhibits high security and a shorter transaction time (0.964 s) than other existing schemes. Finally, the proposed model generates high-dynamic keys that are suitable for defending against unpredictable attacks on blockchain.

Open access
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
IoT and Edge/Fog Computing
User Authentication and Security Systems
Original source
Aug 1, 2024·Neural Computing and Applications
2 cites
Suspicious transaction alert and blocking system for cryptocurrency exchanges in metaverse’s social media universes: RG-guard

Remzi Gürfidan

Abstract In this study, we propose an effective system called RG-Guard that detects potential risks and threats in the use of cryptocurrencies in the metaverse ecosystem. In order for the RG-Guard engine to detect suspicious transactions, Ethereum network transaction information and phishing wallet addresses were collected, and a unique dataset was created after the data preprocessing process. During the data preprocessing process, we manually distinguished the features within the original dataset that contained potential risk indicators. The learning process of the RG-Guard engine in risk classification was achieved by developing a deep learning model based on LSTM + Softmax. In the training process of the model, RG-Guard was optimised for maximum accuracy, and optimum hyperparameters were obtained. The reliability and dataset performance of the preferred LSTM + Softmax model were verified by comparing it with algorithms used in risk classification and detection applications in the literature (Decision tree, XG boost, Random forest and light gradient boosting machine). Accordingly, among the trained models, LSTM + Softmax has the highest accuracy with an F 1-score of 0.9950. When a cryptocurrency transaction occurs, RG-Guard extracts the feature vectors of the transaction and assigns a risk level between 1 and 5 to the parameter named β risk . Since transactions with β risk > = 3 are labelled as suspicious transactions, RG-Guard blocks this transaction. Thus, thanks to the use of the RG-Guard engine in metaverse applications, it is aimed to easily distinguish potential suspicious transactions from instant transactions. As a result, it is aimed to detect and prevent instant potential suspicious transactions with the RG-Guard engine in money transfers, which have the greatest risk in cryptocurrency transactions and are the target of fraud. The original dataset prepared in the proposed study and the hybrid LSTM + Softmax model developed specifically for the model are expected to contribute to the development of such studies.

Open access
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
Anomaly Detection Techniques and Applications
Digital Media Forensic Detection
Original source
Aug 1, 2024·Proceedings of the VLDB Endowment
2 cites
OFL-W3: A One-shot Federated Learning System on Web 3.0

Linshan Jiang, Moming Duan, Bingsheng He, Yulin Sun · 7 authors

Federated Learning (FL) addresses the challenges posed by data silos, which arise from privacy, security regulations, and ownership concerns. Despite these barriers, FL enables these isolated data repositories to participate in collaborative learning without compromising privacy or security. Concurrently, the advancement of blockchain technology and decentralized applications (DApps) within Web 3.0 heralds a new era of transformative possibilities in web development. As such, incorporating FL into Web 3.0 paves the path for overcoming the limitations of data silos through collaborative learning. However, given the transaction speed constraints of core blockchains such as Ethereum (ETH) and the latency in smart contracts, employing one-shot FL, which minimizes client-server interactions in traditional FL to a single exchange, is considered more apt for Web 3.0 environments. This paper presents a practical one-shot FL system for Web 3.0, termed OFL-W3. OFL-W3 capitalizes on blockchain technology by utilizing smart contracts for managing transactions. Meanwhile, OFL-W3 utilizes the Inter-Planetary File System (IPFS) coupled with Flask communication, to facilitate backend server operations to use existing one-shot FL algorithms. With the integration of the incentive mechanism, OFL-W3 showcases an effective implementation of one-shot FL on Web 3.0, offering valuable insights and future directions for AI combined with Web 3.0 studies.

Open access
2 source records
cs.DC
Privacy-Preserving Technologies in Data
Cryptography and Data Security
Original source
Aug 1, 2024·IEEE Transactions on Information Forensics and Security
23 cites
Enhancing Ethereum Fraud Detection via Generative and Contrastive Self-Supervision

Chengxiang Jin, Jiajun Zhou, Chenxuan Xie, Shanqing Yu · 6 authors

The rampant fraudulent activities on Ethereum hinder the healthy development of the blockchain ecosystem, necessitating the reinforcement of regulations. However, multiple imbalances involving account interaction frequencies and interaction types in the Ethereum transaction environment pose significant challenges to data mining-based fraud detection research. To address this, we first propose the concept of meta-interactions to refine interaction behaviors in Ethereum, and based on this, we present a dual self-supervision enhanced Ethereum fraud detection framework, named Meta-IFD. This framework initially introduces a generative self-supervision mechanism to augment the interaction features of accounts, followed by a contrastive self-supervision mechanism to differentiate various behavior patterns, and ultimately characterizes the behavioral representations of accounts and mines potential fraud risks through multi-view interaction feature learning. Extensive experiments on real Ethereum datasets demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of our framework in detecting common Ethereum fraud behaviors such as Ponzi schemes and phishing scams. Additionally, the generative module can effectively alleviate the interaction distribution imbalance in Ethereum data, while the contrastive module significantly enhances the framework's ability to distinguish different behavior patterns. The source code will be available in https://github.com/GISec-Team/Meta-IFD.

Open access
3 source records
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
Imbalanced Data Classification Techniques
Spam and Phishing Detection
Original source