Blockchain Papers

G. Sowmya, R. Sridevi, K. Subba Rao

No abstract is available for this record.

Huiying Zhang, Wenmao Liu, Wei Ren, Xianchao Zhang

No abstract is available for this record.

Xinyu Ren, Xuanrui Xiong, Dan Hu, Sensen Qiu · 6 authors

The proliferation of resource-constrained Internet of Things (IoT) devices poses formidable security challenges, rendering traditional centralized authentication mechanisms impractical. To address this issue, this paper proposes AMAKA (Anonymous Mutual Authentication and Key Agreement), a novel blockchain-fortified protocol specifically designed for IoT environments. AMAKA utilizes smart contracts to establish a robust framework for device lifecycle management, including registration, updates, and revocation, enabling fine-grained access control under the authority of the equipment manufacturer. The protocol's core synergizes Schnorr signatures with noninteractive zero-knowledge proofs to deliver strong guarantees of mutual authentication, user anonymity, unlinkability, perfect forward secrecy, and conditional traceability. We formally verify AMAKA's security against a wide range of attacks by employing the ProVerif tool under an active adversary model. Furthermore, a prototype deployed on a private Ethereum network demonstrates its practical viability, confirming low on-chain overhead, minimal storage demands, and high computational efficiency. Therefore, AMAKA provides a balanced, secure, and scalable authentication solution for large-scale IoT ecosystems.

IGOR, CHECHELNITSKY

This work proves a formal impossibility theorem stating that no observable behavioral or biometric signal can serve as a cryptographic secret under standard semantic security notions (IND-CPA / IND-CCA), in any computational model admitting machine learning approximation and side-channel observability. The result holds in classical, post-quantum, and hybrid adversarial models. We further derive strict architectural consequences for biometric authentication, fuzzy extractors, and behavioral identification systems, showing that such signals may only function as zero-knowledge liveness proofs, not as entropy sources for cryptographic key material.

Tejas Sharma, Ashish Kundu

Random numbers are basic building blocks for cryptography. For example, they are heavily utilized in Decentralized Finance (DeFi) and blockchain applications. Cryptographers and practitioners frequently employ bit selection, arithmetic, and logical operations to generate cryptographically secure random numbers (CSPRNs), thereby achieving the desired level of entropy and security. There is a need to analyze the security of such operations on CSPRNs. In this paper, we have studied and analyzed the security properties of arithmetic and some string operations on CSPRNs, and reviewed Boolean logic operations with a focus on the preservation or loss of entropy. We have analyzed and presented several proofs of security or lack of it for such operations. We have implemented and conducted experiments to corroborate these results using the NIST test suite. Our work applies not only to classical random numbers but also to quantum random numbers.

Xia, Yu

Secure Multi-party Computation (MPC) considers the problem where a set of mutually distrusting parties want to jointly compute a function over their private inputs, without revealing any extra information about these inputs other than what it can be inferred from the output of the function. This setting is well-motivated, and it has many real-world applications such as auction, voting, etc. MPC can be also seen as a generalization of many natural cryptographic primitives. For example, zero-knowledge (ZK) can be viewed as a special case of two-party secure computation. In ZK, a party, called prover aims to convince a second party, called verifier, that the prover’s private input witness w and a public input statement x belong to a relation R. An important research direction in secure computation is to find the trade-off between the required setup (e.g., the use of the broadcast channel, the use of common reference string (CRS) / public key infrastructure (PKI), the upper bound of the parties that can be corrupted, etc.), and the security guarantees that can be achieved. The setups can be viewed as some general assumptions that the protocol needs to satisfy, and they influence the usability of the protocol in real-world scenarios. In principle, having simpler (or no) setups mean that the protocol is more general and can be more useful in real-world scenarios. At the same time, having simpler setups may lead to weaker security guarantees. Therefore, finding the trade-off between setup and security guarantees is important and meaningful. In this thesis, we target MPC and ZK, and we focus on how to minimize the setup for MPC and ZK while still providing meaningful levels of security. More specifically: Regarding MPC, we focus on the dishonest majority (i.e., the adversary can corrupt all but one party), and we aim at 1) minimizing the use of broadcast channels. 2) studying the MPC with pre-processing when no setup is available. • Informally, a broadcast channel guarantees that when a message is sent, this reaches all the parties, without ambiguity. It also guarantees that if an honest party receives a message from a corrupted party, then it is guaranteed that all the honest parties have received the message. To realize broadcast, parties in the protocol could run the broadcast protocol, which may require many rounds of peer-to-peer communications. An alternative way is to rely on physical or external infrastructure such as blockchain. In both cases, broadcast is expensive, as such, we want to minimize its use. In particular, this thesis presents the following results: – When assuming no setup, we give a complete characterization with respect to the use of broadcast channels, and we obtain the optimal results. – We consider the same problem for the case that we only want to allow the black-box use (i.e., do not have access to the code of the algorithm) of the oblivious transfer protocol. We also give a characterization. • In the standard definition of MPC, the parties’ private inputs are fixed before the start of the protocol. However, there is another type of MPC named MPC with pre-processing, where the protocol can pre-compute some messages without using parties’ inputs, and these messages can accelerate computations in the online phase (i.e., other computations that require parties’ inputs). Since some expensive computations can be pre-computed, the online phase could be more lightweight. Therefore, we want to remove the dependency of the input from as many rounds as possible, so that we can do some pre-processing. In this direction, we explore the protocol with no setup. We provide a compiler that can turn a big class of MPC protocol that may require the inputs already to compute the first round, into a new protocol that needs the inputs only in the last two rounds. We also propose new MPC definitions that capture this delayed-input features. Regarding ZK, we do the following: • In standard single-theorem ZK definition, the security of the ZK protocol is guaranteed to hold only when one proof is issued. In the case where multiple zero-knowledge proofs need to be issued (i.e., to prove multiple NP statements), each new zero-knowledge proof requires a freshly generated setup. In the multi-theorem ZK definition, instead, one setup is sufficient for generating multiple zero-knowledge proofs for multiple instances. We propose a multi-theorem protocol (in the format of a compiler) that follows the Fiat-Shamir paradigm and relies on correlation intractable hash functions. Moreover, our protocol remains zero-knowledge and sound even against adversaries that choose the statement to be proven (and the witness for the case of zero-knowledge) adaptively on the key of the hash function. Prior works could achieve this adaptive security only inefficiently via NP reductions. • ZK protocols are secure only when all setups are correctly generated, but in real-world scenarios, some of the setups may not be correctly generated. For instance, to run a non-interactive zero-knowledge (NIZK) protocol, the setup CRS could be chosen with bias. In this case, the security of the NIZK protocol does not hold anymore. Instead of finding a secure ZK candidate, one alternative solution is to have multiple instantiations of ZK candidates and assume that only for a subset of them the setup is generated correctly. More formally, we consider the case where only a subset of the instances are secure. In more detail, given access to n candidate instantiations of a NIZK for some language, we want to have a construction that itself implements a NIZK for the same language without relying on any additional computational assumptions. We refer to this type of construction as combiner, and the combiner is secure assuming at least t of the given candidates are secure. In this work, we provide three different constructions of robust NIZK combiners and show that combiners are impossible to realize unless the majority of the input candidates are secure.

V. A. Pasenchuk, T. N. Demchenko

This paper presents a novel hybrid cryptographic architecture for blockchain-based document signing that addresses fundamental interoperability challenges across heterogeneous blockchain platforms. The proposed system introduces technical innovations including a unified cryptographic protocol combining classical ECDSA signatures with post-quantum Dilithium algorithms, biometric authentication mechanisms, and zero-knowledge proof systems. The architecture enables seamless document signing across Ethereum, Hyperledger Fabric, and Solana networks through standardized smart contract interfaces and novel cross-chain verification protocols. Key technical contributions include mathematical formalization of hybrid signature schemes, implementation of privacy-preserving verification using NIZK proofs, and design of platform-agnostic verification mechanisms that maintain cryptographic security across different consensus architectures while achieving sub-second verification times.

Nnaemeka Kingsley Ugwumba

Abstract This research presents the Aegis Framework, a groundbreaking secure and upgradeable digital token contract system that fundamentally addresses cryptocurrency scam prevention through innovative smart contract architecture. The framework implements a novel timelock-protected proxy pattern that eliminates instant rug pull vulnerabilities while maintaining essential upgrade capabilities. Developed through systematic implementation of advanced smart contract patterns, the Aegis Framework comprises three core components: AegisToken (a secure, pausable ERC20 token with role-based access control), AegisProxy (an upgradeable proxy system using UUPS pattern), and AegisTimelock (a revolutionary mandatory delay mechanism for all upgrades). Technical validation confirms successful compilation of all contracts with AegisToken (2782 bytes, 17 functions), AegisProxy (1771 bytes, 8 functions), and AegisTimelock (680KB comprehensive security contract). The framework's security architecture prevents single-point-of-failure risks by separating roles (Owner, Minter, Pauser, Upgrader) and enforcing minimum delay periods (configurable from 1–7 days) for all contract upgrades. Implementation results demonstrate complete prevention of instant malicious upgrades, transparent upgrade processes with community notification periods, and emergency response capabilities through instant pausable mechanisms. Compared to existing solutions, the Aegis Framework introduces the first integrated timelock security system specifically designed for token contracts, addressing critical gaps identified in recent smart contract security literature. The complete system includes Python-based deployment tools, comprehensive validation scripts, and production-ready compiled contracts, establishing a new standard for secure token implementations in decentralized finance applications.

Elvira Albert, Samir Genaim, Pablo Gordillo, Alejandro Hernández-Cerezo · 6 authors

No abstract is available for this record.

Mahendra Kumar Jhariya, Vasudev Dehalwar, Jyoti Bharti, R. K. Pateriya · 5 authors

No abstract is available for this record.

Alejandro Peñuelas-Angulo, Claudia Feregrino-Uribe, Morales-Sandoval Miguel

Multi-authority Attribute-based Encryption (MAABE) schemes distribute the responsibility of managing the scheme attributes and attribute keys among several attribute authorities. However, MA-ABE schemes often assume that the attribute authorities are always fully trusted parties and lack authenticity checks. This paper proposes a Ciphertext-Policy MAABE scheme that incorporates a user-authority mutual authentication mechanism exploiting the properties of Zero-Knowledge Proofs. A batch version of the Schnorr protocol validates the authority identity and the possession of claimed attribute keys. The complete scheme is enhanced using asymmetric pairings to improve security and performance. Furthermore, outsourced decryption is considered to exploit the available computing resources under a fog-enabled IoT environment. The proposed scheme's analysis shows the overall construction's efficiency and, particularly, the efficiency and suitability of the mutual verification protocol.

Swati Kumari, Hridoy Sankar Dutta, Hitesh Tewari

Contemporary Online Social Networks (OSNs) present critical vulnerabilities in user authentication and data integrity protocols. Since the social network is a multi-user platform, it requires a well-performing authentication mechanism that works along with the blockchain to ensure secure transactions. The existing methodologies exhibit significant limitations, particularly susceptibility to quantum cryptanalysis and privacy vector compromises. This study proposes a novel blockchain-based framework for decentralized OSNs, implementing smart contracts and InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) protocols to establish a distributed authentication architecture that mitigates these vulnerabilities while maintaining computational efficiency. Initially, we propose a post-quantum digital signature followed by a blockchain system using the signatures. Unlike previous OSNs, our solution uses post-quantum approaches, making it secure against both classical and quantum attacks. To enhance the data authentication of social network users, this research leverages the post-quantum multimodal biometric-based approach, where an improved version of Crystals Dilithium 3 is utilized in place of ECDSA in the XRP Ledger (XRPL) blockchain. We have integrated different post-quantum algorithms with XRPL using the open quantum safe library (liboqs) and compared the results in terms of resource consumption. The research explores the advantages of the proposed approach, highlighting its potential to mitigate the shortcomings of conventional methods and ensure secure data transmission in the era of quantum computing.

Mallikarjuna Chevula

This article examines the evolutionary trajectory of contactless payment systems across closed-loop and open-loop architectures, tracing their development from magnetic stripe foundations through EMV chip technology to contemporary NFC implementations with cryptogram-based security. The comparative analysis highlights how closed-loop systems deliver enhanced customer loyalty and data ownership, while open-loop networks provide global accessibility and financial inclusion. The security architecture of contactless payments is explored through a detailed examination of cryptogram-based authentication, tokenization mechanisms, vulnerability mitigation strategies, and biometric integration. Future directions reveal emerging trends, including digital-only credential issuance, integration with adjacent technologies such as IoT and distributed ledgers, evolving consumer trust dynamics, and the developing regulatory landscape. The article illuminates how contactless innovation continues to reshape retail finance while balancing convenience, security, and commercial objectives across payment environments by analyzing these technological and ecosystem factors.

Yuanfeng Xie, Weiwei Jiang, Hanqing Luo, Jian Ping Gan

This study presents an innovative authentication scheme that integrates Physical Unclonable Functions (PUFs) and Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKP) to provide efficient and secure authentication for Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Traditional PUF-based protocols offer strong security but incur high resource costs and slow authentication. To address this, we propose a joint scheme. First, a unified architecture combining a PUF–True Random Number Generator (TRNG) is introduced. This architecture utilizes a feedback permutation obfuscation mechanism and an arbitration delay deviation with a metastable design from a ring oscillator, ensuring the PUF–TRNG system possesses both attack resistance and true random properties. The architecture provides synchronization for both PUF and TRNG in the protocol. Next, we integrate Schnorr’s ZKP with a PUF-based key encapsulation and reconstruction scheme to construct an end-to-end anonymous identity authentication protocol that does not require real-time participation of a trusted third party. The protocol requires only two handshakes, significantly reducing the number of protocol rounds compared to related protocols. Finally, the PUF–TRNG architecture has been implemented on the Xilinx XC7A100T development board. Experimental results show that the PUF circuit effectively resists various modeling attacks. Formal verification with ProVerif demonstrates confidentiality, mutual authentication, and robustness against mainstream attacks. The protocol reduces area overhead and computational time by 43.04% and 42.99%, respectively, compared to similar protocols.

Ananya.N , Greeshma.M.S , Panchami.G , Vandhana.K.M , Rakshitha.P

Abstract In today’s era of digital transformation, online transactions have become vital to financial systems, e-commerce, and decentralized applications. However, increasing dependence on digital payment infrastructures has also raised major security concerns such as hacking, identity theft, and unauthorized access. To address these challenges, the proposed project “Blockchain Secure Transaction” presents a decentralized framework that ensures transparency, integrity, and confidentiality in digital transactions. The system uses blockchain technology to record and validate each transaction in a distributed ledger, eliminating centralized control and making data immutable and tamper-proof. The workflow begins with user registration, where users provide details and set a picture password for secure recognition. During login, the system verifies credentials and performs biometric authentication to confirm user identity. Unregistered users are redirected to the registration page, maintaining process integrity. Once authenticated, users access the dashboard to initiate secure transactions. To preserve privacy, Zero-Knowledge Proof (ZKP) is used, allowing users to prove transaction authenticity without revealing sensitive information. Transactions then pass through smart contract verification, which ensures compliance with predefined conditions. Successful verifications result in completed transactions, while suspicious or invalid ones are blocked or frozen automatically. All user data and transaction logs are securely stored in Firebase, with backend processing handled in Java and the frontend designed using React (app.jsx). By combining blockchain’s immutability, smart contract automation, ZKP privacy proofs, and biometric authentication, the Blockchain Secure Transaction System offers a multi-layered, tamper-resistant, and transparent solution for secure online payments — enhancing trust and reliability in the digital economy.

Atharva Lele, Hitesh Tewari

Privacy in blockchain-based cryptocurrencies has become a critical area of research and development. This is driven by the transparent nature of public ledgers and the growing demand for confidential transactions. This study provides a comprehensive exposition of a prominent privacyenhancing protocol, Zcash. We begin by elucidating the design and operation of Tornado Cash, a smart contract-based mixer on Ethereum that leverages zero-knowledge proofs to enable unlinkable transactions. Building on this foundation, we explore the Zcash protocol, tracking its evolution from Bitcoin and its innovative use of zk-SNARKs. We also examine the intricate mechanisms that highlight its privacy guarantees, including circuit design, Merkle tree structures and transaction relations. By systematically analyzing and comparing these protocols, this study aims to clarify their inner workings, highlight their strengths and limitations, and provide information on the future of privacy in decentralized finance.

Hansa Vaghela, Vivek Khirasaria, Rachit Adhvaryu, Krupali Gosai

Blockchain technology has transformed commercial transactions with its decentralized platform, transparency, and security. Self-executing contracts with coded terms are at the foundation of smart contracts, resulting in increased efficiency, lower operating costs, and greater transparency. Smart contracts offer tremendous benefits across businesses, but their immutability raises serious security risks. Contract code faults and vulnerabilities remain unmodifiable or erasable once published. This can pose irreparable problems, especially with financial or sensitive data. Transparency makes these contracts more vulnerable to manipulation by malicious actors. This study examines smart contract vulnerabilities, including reentrancy attacks, overflow and underflow issues, and unauthorized access. Smart contract creation involves specific risks and a full security framework. This framework reduces vulnerabilities with formal verification, automated analysis, and optimal coding practices. This research aims to improve smart contract security, reliability, and integrity. The study improves blockchain technology security and promotes its adoption across businesses, making smart contracts secure, efficient, and trustworthy.

Kassem Danach, Abbas Tarhini, Wael Hosny Fouad Aly, Hussin Hejase

Blockchain technology relies on cryptographic mechanisms for transaction security and data integrity. However, the growing computational complexity, high transaction costs, and scalability issues pose significant challenges to blockchain adoption. Traditional cryptographic methods—such as hashing, key generation, encryption, and decryption—introduce excessive computational overhead, leading to energy inefficiencies and increased latency. This research proposes an optimization-driven crypto analysis framework that integrates metaheuristic algorithms, combinatorial optimization, reinforcement learning, and game theory to enhance the efficiency and security of blockchain cryptographic processes. The framework focuses on optimized cryptographic computation, gas fee reduction in smart contracts, security enhancement against cryptanalysis, and improved scalability of consensus mechanisms. Experimental evaluations demonstrate up to 39.4\% reduction in cryptographic execution time, 29.4\% savings in smart contract gas fees, and 33.3\% improvement in decentralization of Proof-of-Stake validators. These results validate the effectiveness of the proposed framework in achieving secure, scalable, and cost-efficient blockchain operations.

Raja Wasim Ahmad, Tahir Maqsood, Atta ur Rehman Khan

No abstract is available for this record.

Dr. Emily R. Thompson

Blockchain technology has emerged as a transformative solution for decentralized and secure data management. However, the security of blockchain networks heavily relies on robust cryptographic protocols. This article provides a comprehensive analysis of key cryptographic techniques employed in blockchain security, including hash functions, digital signatures, consensus algorithms, and zero-knowledge proofs. We evaluate their roles in ensuring data integrity, authentication, confidentiality, and resistance to common attacks such as double-spending and Sybil attacks. A comparative study highlights the strengths and limitations of these protocols, guiding future enhancements for blockchain security frameworks

Purnima Ahirao, Yogita Borse, Deepti Patole, Shreshtha Agarwal · 6 authors

The Denial-of-service (DoS) attacks pose a significant risk in smart contracts. They often arise from unexpected failures in external calls. This papers thoroughly examines DoS vulnerabilities in smart contracts and looks at effective ways to reduce these risks. The authors explore contract scenarios that are vulnerable to refund-failure DoS attacks. In these cases, bad actors can disrupt contract operations. The experiments show that some methods completely defend against these attacks, but they might some with a cost and hamper overall user experience. Other methods find a middle ground, improving security and usability by improving DoS and re-entrancy risks without interfering with single interaction flows. The research provides a solid evaluation for DoS mitigation strategies and offers practical advice for developing secure smart contracts.

Kajal Dubey, Dhiraj Pandey

The MegaETH blockchain introduces new twists into improving healthcare transactions in efficiency and safety. MegaETH follows the hybrid consensus approach of PoS with BFT for solving some of the big issues in healthcare data management. Its strong encryption and zero-knowledge proof further enable significantly better protection of sensitive patient data, while reducing the risk of data breaches. It manages healthcare transactions fast and reliably, with a remarkable transaction throughput of about 10,000 transactions per second and a block duration of about one minute. Another important virtue of MegaETH architecture is that it uses less energy compared to more conventional Proof of Work systems. The demands of healthcare data are effectively managed with the scalability of the platform, underpinned by layer-2 solutions and sharding. MegaETH also illustrates excellent interoperability, as it will integrate with the existing systems of an institution and strictly abide by the rule of law. Moreover, smart contract executions are rather cheap, which enhances fraud prevention and accelerates administrative processes. The impacts from the adoption of MegaETH will be huge on reducing costs, ensuring data integrity, and finally improving patient care. Among the different options for solving current and future issues in health transaction administration, MegaETH is one of a kind.

Narendra Kumar Dewangan, Gauri Shankar

Decentralized authentication in dynamic mobile networks faces significant challenges due to high node mobility, resource constraints, and vulnerabilities to side-channel attacks. In this work, we present MobiAuth , a blockchain-driven framework based on Hyperledger Iroha and OMNET ++ that enables secure, peer-to-peer authentication using compact Ed25519 signatures and ephemeral session keys. Our protocol eliminates single points of failure by distributing trust across a permissioned ledger and employs constant-time cryptographic operations to thwart timing and power-analysis attacks. We validate MobiAuth through co-simulation in OMNET ++ integrated with Iroha via a Python gRPC bridge and benchmark its performance with Hyperledger Caliper. Simulation yields 95% packet delivery with an authentication latency ranging from 12 ms in the only OMNeT ++ and baseline to 20–150ms in the full ledger-integrated system, and a ledger write throughput of 250tps. Comparative experiments demonstrate a 33% reduction in communication overhead and robust operation under random Control Point failures and Byzantine Access Node behavior. Analysis of on-device ledger synchronization further highlights practical storage growth and bandwidth requirements for long-term deployment. These results indicate that MobiAuth achieves strong security and privacy with modest energy impact, scalable performance, and compatibility with mobile devices in real-world network environments. • Vulnerabilities of mobile network devices in a dynamic environment. • Blockchain-based automatic authentication for mobile devices. • Enhanced security and privacy with Ed25519 curve cryptography. • OMNET++ simulation on Hyperledger Iroha for mobile network. • Protocol verification using Scyther for testing security protocol strength.

Shivakumar M, Rakshitha N, Ruqsar, Sahana M · 5 authors

In today's hyperconnected digital environment, authentication and security are paramount. As technology evolves, traditional methods of authentication such as usernames and passwords have proven increasingly vulnerable to cyberattacks, phishing scams, and identity theft. This has led to a growing need for a more secure, decentralized, and tamper-proof system to safeguard digital identities. This paper titled “NextGen Security: A secure and Decentralized authentication protocol using Non- transferable Blockchain-based Tokens” addresses this concern by proposing an innovative framework that leverages blockchain technology to implement a robust, distributed authentication mechanism. This paper envisions a future where authentication is not controlled by a centralized authority, but is instead managed through a distributed ledger. Blockchain, with its decentralized and immutable nature, ensures that user credentials and identity records are stored securely across multiple nodes, eliminating the single point of failure problem that plagues traditional systems. The proposed framework integrates Ethereum-based smart contracts, Keccak-256 (SHA- 3) hashing, and non-transferable Soulbound Tokens (SBTs) to ensure secure and decentralized identity verification. The system leverages wallet-based authentication through MetaMask and Web3.py, enabling cryptographically verifiable and tamper- proof login events on the blockchain.