Green transportation such as electric vehicles are emerging as an alternative to the traditional vehicles primarily due to the increasing cost and need of petroleum energy worldwide. These electric vehicle operate by using electric charging and the way to charge an electric car is to use a mobile charger or use a charging infrastructure. Therefore, when a mobile charger is used, a billing system is required through which a user is billed who has charged the electric vehicle. In this paper, we propose a mobile charger billing system that utilizes Blockchain technology. This technology has been applied to achieve more secure online transactions in a peer-to-peer manner. Moreover, we analyze the requirements of mobile charger for billing and propose a lightweight scheme that can overcome the challenge of data size in existing Blockchain.
JointCloud computing is a new generation of cloud computing mode based on the cooperation among multicloud service entities. Through the deep integration of multicloud resources, it facilitates developers to customize cloud services by the method of “software definition", and to create cloud value. Achieving successful cloud service transactions is the most important challenge that JointCloud faces. This paper originally puts forward a supporting environment of cross-stakeholders' peer-to-peer transactions, including resources and services, named JointCloud Cooperation Environment (JCCE). The core of JCCE architecture involves distributed cloud transaction, distributed cloud community, distributed cloud monitoring, and the blockchain-based distributed ledger system. In such primary services, the related information exchange techniques, especially value exchange techniques, are conducive to breaking the information asymmetry among the participants in JointCloud, creating win-win opportunities for each party, and forming strong support for the JointCloud computing business innovation. From the perspective of cloud service consumers, cloud service providers, and cloud service brokers, JCCE's consumption service mode, supply service mode, and consultation service mode are put forward to guide the transaction participants to apply the value-exchange service of JCCE efficiently and conveniently. Finally, with regard to the support service of value exchange, the operation mechanism of JCCE is expounded in different scenarios including cloud resource transaction, data transaction, and custom software service transaction.
The aim of the article is to identify the structural features of the local finance system as an aggregate of socio-economic relations under conditions of decentralization. The features of formation and development of the local finance system are analyzed. It is noted that the main place in the system belongs to local budgets as an important tool for the development of the socio-economic sphere. The importance of local finance in the formation of financial resources of local authorities under conditions of decentralization is studied. The shortcomings of the national budgetary policy at the local level are revealed. It is substantiated that the budgetary policy at the local level should be aimed at achieving an optimal balance between its economic and social aspects. Recommendations for improving the regulatory framework for the development of the finance system of the local self-government in Ukraine under conditions of decentralization are proposed. The need for providing access of the public to information and to participation in solving these issues is grounded.
C. E. Veni Madhavan, Ch. Srikanth, H.V. Kumar Swamy
We present a computational system for handling, in an integrated manner, distributed transactional information and the associated monetary payment information, arising in typical organizational applications. Our paper contains three ideas: (i) a conceptual architectural design for chains of blocks of content transaction chains, (ii) a conceptual architectural design for blocks of financial instrument transaction chains including a proposed form of denominational digital cash, and (iii) a new, versatile cryptographic hash function to support all the chaining operations. In the total design, the transactional and financial information are chained together. We call these chains the VSK chains. Our system consists of centralized, auditable chains to manage distributed transactions of: (i) financial instruments (such as coins, tokens, or coupons used as a medium of exchange) and (ii) associated transactions of plain content (such as documents, or mail). The digital cash and the blockchains of our system can be adapted to models of decentralized blockchains, akin to cryptocurrencies, using proof-of-work/proof-of-stake computational principles. We have recently proposed a new key stream generator based on certain types of collections of arithmetic progressions of integers. Our scheme provides for enhanced flexibility and versatility with respect to parametric choices.We build our hashchains using the integer sequences derived from this collection. We present an outline of prototype development and implementation of certain modules of the VSK chains system.
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
Cryptography and Data Security
Advanced Steganography and Watermarking Techniques
Fabio Angeletti, Ioannis Chatzigiannakis, Andrea Vitaletti
Our personal data is now more valuable than ever. The uncontrolled growth of internet-centered services has led us to accept many compromises about how we share it. In the era of Internet of Things, personal data is collected continuously. Now, more than ever, we are in need of privacy-preserving applications where users always retain control of their personal data. In this paper, we present a secure way to control the flow of personal data in the specific case of the recruitment of participants for clinical trials. We take special care to protect the interests of both parties: the individual can keep its data private until an agreement is reached, and the Clinical Research Institute can be assured that it is acquiring useful and authentic data. We provide a proof-of-concept implementation and study its performance based on a real-world evaluation.
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
Neuroethics, Human Enhancement, Biomedical Innovations
Bitcoin is an emerging financial technology that is gaining a lot of popularity all over the world and starting to change the way people make financial transaction. In Indonesia however, bitcoin is more famous for its negative issue, such as money laundering, rather than its usage in financial transaction. One interesting fact to observe is the absence of regulations that explicitly governs the usage of bitcoins. This paper analyzes the factors influencing Indonesian authorities in defining regulations for bitcoins and how the existing regulations left open some opportunities for a bad guy to perform money laundering with the help of bitcoins. A qualitative approach is used in this research for data collection and analysis. Interview with two experts representing bitcoin exchange company and legal consultant was conducted in data collection. The outcome of this research is to find out vulnerabilities in bitcoin that allows money laundering and give suggestions on how to prevent money laundering with bitcoin from the perspective of regulations and bitcoin company in Indonesia.
A blockchain maintains a permanent record of all the transactions that happen in a bitcoin network. It is an append-only ledger which is distributed to every node in the network. We have made use of blockchain technology for recording the transactions of peers without any supervision of a central authority. A cryptographic protocol using the Merkle tree and SHA-256 hashing technique is described which makes it possible to confirm the transactions are integrity protected and to archive the transactional history using Merkle tree in an append only ledger. Paper also discusses miners, who contribute to proof of work and validation of transactions in the peer to peer network.
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
Advanced Steganography and Watermarking Techniques
Currently in this digital world, passport is still a physical entity. It is carried at all places along with other travel related documents such as VISA and Immigration stamps that are also part of the passport(s). Each country maintains its own database of travel related information of the people entering and leaving the country. This paper is written with a vision of digitizing Passport, VISA and Immigration documents. Digitizing Passport and VISA helps in streamlining and simplifying Passport and VISA issuing, renewing, revoking, verification and validation process. For this process, we are proposing a solution based on distributed ledger for storing and retrieving information. Once implemented, this framework will help do-away with fake passports and VISA, unauthorized and repetitive data verification process. Blockchain-based distributed ledger implementation will solve several issues pertaining to paper-based authentication and make services more streamlined, improving efficiency and potentially lower costs at all levels.
Nabil Rifi, Elie Rachkidi, Nazim Agoulmine, Nada Chendeb Taher
In the past few years, the number of wireless devices connected to the Internet has increased to a number that could reach billions in the next few years. While cloud computing is being seen as the solution to process this data, security challenges could not be addressed solely with this technology. Security problems will continue to increase with such a model, especially for private and sensitive data such as data personal and medical data collected with more and more sophisticated connected devices (forming the IoT). Thus the need for a fully decentralized peer to peer and secure technology to overcome these problems. The blockchain Technology is a promising approach giving the properties it brings to the field. This paper illustrates an architecture based on blockchain technology, and a protocol for data access, using smart contracts and a publisher-subscriber mechanism.
Recently, blockchains have been gathering a lot of interest. Many applications can benefit from the advantages of blockchains. Nevertheless, applications with more restricted privacy or participation requirements cannot rely on public blockchains. First, the whole blockchain can be downloaded at any time, thus making the data available to the public. Second, anyone can deploy a node, join the blockchain network and take part in the consensus building process. Private and consortium blockchains promise to combine the advantages of blockchains with stricter requirements on the participating entities. This is also the reason for the comparably small number of nodes that store and extend those blockchains. However, by targeting specific nodes, an attacker can influence how consensuses are reached and possibly even halt the blockchain operation. To provide additional security to the blockchain nodes, ChainGuard utilizes SDN functionalities to filter network traffic, thus implementing a firewall for blockchain applications. ChainGuard communicates with the blockchain nodes it guards to determine which origin of the traffic is legitimate. Packets from illegitimate sources are intercepted and thus cannot have an effect on the blockchain. As is shown with experiments, ChainGuard provides access control functionality and can effectively mitigate flooding attacks from several sources at once.
When Bitcoin was first introduced to the world in 2008 by an enigmatic programmer going by the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto, it was billed as the world's first decentralized virtual currency. Offering the first credible incarnation of a digital currency, Bitcoin was based on the principal of peer to peer transactions involving a complex public address and a private key that only the owner of the coin would know. This paper will seek to investigate how the usage and value of Bitcoin is affected by current events in the cyber environment. Is an advancement in the digital security of Bitcoin reflected by the value of the currency and conversely does a major security breech have a negative effect? By analyzing statistical data of the market value of Bitcoin at specific points where the currency has fluctuated dramatically, it is believed that trends can be found. This paper proposes that based on the data analyzed, the current integrity of the Bitcoin security is trusted by general users and the value and usage of the currency is growing. All the major fluctuations of the currency can be linked to significant events within the digital security environment however these fluctuations are beginning to decrease in frequency and severity. Bitcoin is still a volatile currency but this paper concludes that this is a result of security flaws in Bitcoin services as opposed to the Bitcoin protocol itself.
We propose new mathematical models of splitting attacks targeted at two major consensus protocols applied in cryptocurrencies. Obtained upper bounds of probability of successful fork maintenance by an attacker allows to get estimates on block expectation number for securing the system against splitting attacks.
Abstract Blockchain technology may have transformational potential for those music industries associated with recorded music, and for the sustainability of music careers. While predictions of widespread disintermediation may have been premature, blockchain technology does appear to have the potential to transform the role of third parties and to make musicians’ careers more sustainable. Blockchains could improve the accuracy and availability of copyright data, facilitate near‐instant micropayments for royalties, and significantly improve the transparency of the value chain.
Purwono Purwono, Alfian Ma’arif, Wahyu Rahmaniar, Qazi Mazhar ul Haq · 6 authors
Blockchain technology has a promising future in a number of industries and enterprises. Formerly connected to virtual currency like Bitcoin, blockchain has evolved into a versatile technology with many applications. In the upcoming years, it is predicted that blockchain will revolutionize a variety of industries, including banking, supply chain management, healthcare, voting systems, and more. The future of blockchain technology depends critically on its ability to increase security and transparency. By providing a decentralized and unchangeable record, eliminating the need for middlemen, and boosting participant confidence, blockchain promotes secure and traceable transactions. This transparency has the potential to transform whole industries by reducing fraud, streamlining processes, and increasing output. Blockchain also has the power to change financial systems. Blockchain-based smart contracts facilitate faster, more efficient transactions by automating and enforcing contractual agreements without the need for middlemen. By enabling speedier cross-border transactions, reducing costs, and boosting financial inclusion, tokenization and blockchain-based digital currencies have the potential to overturn conventional banking institutions. Blockchain’s key attributes, including decentralization, transparency, immutability, and security, make it a desirable choice for a range of organizations. Cross-border payments, trade finance, and smart contracts are just a few of the financial sector processes that blockchain technology has the potential to enhance and automate, lowering costs and increasing productivity. Additionally, the tamper-resistance of blockchain technology can boost transaction security and reliability, allowing for a wider use in traditional financial institutions. Outside of the financial industry, blockchain technology has a lot of promise, particularly in industries like supply chain management, healthcare, energy, intellectual property, and governance. By enabling transparent and traceable transactions, blockchain may improve supply chain efficiency, ensure product authenticity, and boost customer trust. By facilitating the secure exchange of patient data and research data, the decentralized nature of blockchain technology can enhance data security, interoperability, and privacy in the healthcare sector. A more decentralized and sustainable energy ecosystem may be supported by blockchain technology through peer-to-peer energy exchange, grid management, and monitoring of renewable energy certificates in the energy sector. Additionally, blockchain technology has the potential to transform decentralized governance structures, voting procedures, intellectual property rights, and digital identity management. By allowing people to own and manage their digital identities, blockchain can enhance privacy and reduce identity theft. Blockchain-based voting systems can offer transparency, security, and verifiability, thereby increasing voter turnout and public trust in democratic institutions. Blockchain can also enable the secure and transparent management of intellectual property rights, fostering author credit and just compensation.
Rogelio Rivera, José Guadalupe Robledo-Hernández, Víctor M. Larios, Juan Manuel Ávalos
Nowadays, in this digital world, one of the biggest concerns for business and many other public entities, is to know precisely the “identity” of the users that are behind of their systems. Since the data can define a person, there have been many tries to develop technology to determine accurately who the users are and certify their basics attributes like name, address, credit record, as well as other personal characteristics like health status, hobbies and others. That is why Digital Identity has taken a significantly important role in this area and becoming as a crucial security measure in this interconnected environment. This research is a systematic mapping review with the goal of collecting all relevant existing research of Digital Identity on Blockchain technology implemented in a smart city environment. The objective of this paper is to understand the current research topics, challenges and future directions of these areas from the technical point of view. It is expected that this paper can stimulate interest in theory and practice to further discussions and research in these areas.
Abstract Visibility of digital art and its ownership can be achieved using blockchain technology as part of a broader solution for the identification, attribution, and payment for digital work. A case study is provided of a firm using the Bitcoin blockchain as part of an integrated solution to identify and authenticate ownership of digital property. An integrated ownership ledger allows for secure attribution, transfer, and provenance of digital property. Blockchain technology enables limited‐edition digital property, while Internet‐scale web crawl and machine learning shows where and how works are being used on the Internet.
A blockchain is a public ledger for recording transactions, maintained by<br> many nodes without central authority through a distributed cryptographic<br> protocol. All nodes validate the information to be appended to the<br> blockchain, and a consensus protocol ensures that the nodes agree on a<br> unique order in which entries are appended. Consensus protocols for<br> tolerating Byzantine faults have received renewed attention because they<br> also address blockchain systems. However, amid the current hype around<br> blockchains, cryptocurrencies, fintech startups, and novel consensus<br> mechanisms, it is sometimes overlooked that assessing and gaining<br> confidence in the resilience of a protocol is a difficult task. We argue that developing consensus protocols is similar to engineering<br> cryptographic systems, and that blockchain developers should look towards<br> the established experience in cryptography and security with building<br> trustworthy systems. Otherwise, it might be dangerous to entrust<br> financial value to new protocols. Public discussion, expert reviews,<br> broad validation, and standards recommendations should be employed,<br> following the established practice in cryptography and security.<br>
Richard Adams, Glenn Parry, Phil Godsiff, Peter M. Ward
Abstract Blockchain technology provides an exciting application space for innovation in diverse domains but threatens disintermediation for organizations providing a trusted and auditable account of ownership and transactions. It needs, however, an appropriate regulation to keep pace with technological developments. Technology remains very young, akin to the Internet in the early 1990s. Use cases, practical demonstrators, standards, and lexical consistency are urgently required.
Blockchain is one of the most discussed disruptive technologies of recent times and for good reason; it has the potential of transforming how industries work into a more secure path. The technology can be applied in sectors that create value and where trust and security are of concern. In its early years, we have seen tremendous growth in Blockchain-based solutions for the financial sector with implementations in banking and cryptocurrencies and research of this technology in other sectors like IoT, Asset management etc. This paper discovers the possibility of exploring Blockchain in the telecom sector for a billing and charging solution which removes the industry's reliance on third party clearing houses by building in trust and security into the system thereby improving the speed and bringing down the costs of managing such large scale transactional data. Blockchain can be used to manage the CDR (Call Detail Records), fulfil roaming agreements between operators and even facilitate operator independent balance transfers between the users; all while maintaining state of the art cryptographic security of the system and drastically reducing the turnaround time of these transactions.