Ladan Rabieekenari, Kamran Sayrafian, John S. Baras
Public safety organizations increasingly rely on wireless technology for their mission critical communication during disaster response operations. In such situations, a communication network could face much higher traffic demands compared to its normal operation. Given the limited capacity of base stations in the network, such peak traffic scenarios could lead to high blocking probability or equivalently service interruptions during critical communications. At the same time, networking infrastructure can breakdown during a disaster. Proper deployment of mobile cells - Cells on Wheels - can help to enhance the network coverage or accommodate excess traffic in areas with high concentration of users. In addition, an intelligent relocation strategy can be used to efficiently adapt the cell locations to match variations in the spatial distribution of the traffic. In practical scenarios, these mobile base stations may not be able to relocate to all positions within the target field. Such prohibited areas introduce additional constraints on designing an intelligent relocation strategy. In this paper, we propose a decentralized relocation algorithm that enables mobile cells to adapt their positions in response to potentially changing traffic patterns in a field with prohibited areas. Extensive simulations show considerable improvement in supporting spatially variable traffic throughout the target field.
The delay overhead of transaction verification in Bitcoin, a peer-to-peer electronic currency system, is a complicated issue which makes the system vulnerable to double spend attacks. In this paper, we propose a new approach, that is based on how the clusters are formulated and the nodes define their membership, to improve the transaction propagation delay in the Bitcoin network. In this approach, the locality of connectivity in the Bitcoin network is increased by grouping Bitcoin nodes based on their geographical location. We show, through simulations, that location based-distance better defines clustering structures that optimize the performance of the transaction propagation delay. A key reason behind this improvement is mainly due to the reduction of the communication link cost measured by the distance between nodes. Compared to the existing clustering protocol (BCBSN) that we proposed in our previous work, location based clustering is more effective at reducing the transaction propagation delay.
In the modern world that we live in everything is gradually shifting towards a more digitized outlook. From teaching methods to online transactions, every small aspect of our life is given a more technological touch. In such a case âmoneyâ is not left behind either. An approach towards digitizing money led to the creation of âbitcoinâ. Bitcoin is the most efficient crypto-currency so far in the history of digital currency. Ruling out the interference of any third party which monitors the cash flow, Bitcoin is a decentralized form of online currency and is widely accepted for internet transactions all over the world. The need for digital money would be extensive in the near future.
The use of blockchain and distributed ledger technology (DLT) has fast become one of the most talked about technological advances in the finance sector over recent years.
Deepak K. Tosh, Sachin Shetty, Xueping Liang, Charles Kamhoua · 6 authors
The blockchain technology has emerged as an attractive solution to address performance and security issues in distributed systems. Blockchain's public and distributed peer-to-peer ledger capability benefits cloud computing services which require functions such as, assured data provenance, auditing, management of digital assets, and distributed consensus. Blockchain's underlying consensus mechanism allows to build a tamper-proof environment, where transactions on any digital assets are verified by set of authentic participants or miners. With use of strong cryptographic methods, blocks of transactions are chained together to enable immutability on the records. However, achieving consensus demands computational power from the miners in exchange of handsome reward. Therefore, greedy miners always try to exploit the system by augmenting their mining power. In this paper, we first discuss blockchain's capability in providing assured data provenance in cloud and present vulnerabilities in blockchain cloud. We model the block withholding (BWH) attack in a blockchain cloud considering distinct pool reward mechanisms. BWH attack provides rogue miner ample resources in the blockchain cloud for disrupting honest miners' mining efforts, which was verified through simulations.
Haneffa Muchlis Gazali, Rusni Hassan, Rizal Mohd Nor, M. M. Hafizur Rahman
The issue of default payments from borrowers of the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) is worrisome. Many borrowers fail to pay their loans and claims that the PTPTN has poor management and filing system. This study proposed a prototype for managing study loan repayment utilizing blockchain and smart contracts. Borrowers have full access toward their accounts and ledgers while corporation filing and management system get automatically up-to-date with the assistance of smart contracts.
Mention the word âblockchainâ to most people and, assuming that they've heard of it at all, they will most likely associate it with Bitcoin, or perhaps another crypto-currency. As a decentralised, cryptographically authenticated record of transactions, the blockchain is the key concept that makes Bitcoin feasible. Yet, as Patrick Hubbard, technical product marketing director at SolarWinds, explains in this interview, the same concept has applications far beyond the contentious world of alternative currencies â in fact, far beyond finance altogether.
Neil Gandal, JT Hamrick, Tyler Moore, Tali Oberman
To its proponents, the cryptocurrency Bitcoin offers the potential to disrupt payment systems and traditional currencies. It has also been subject to security breaches and wild price fluctuations. This paper identifies and analyzes the impact of suspicious trading activity on the Mt. Gox Bitcoin currency exchange, in which approximately 600, 000 bitcoins (BTC) valued at $188 million were fraudulently acquired. During both periods, the USD-BTC exchange rate rose by an average of four percent on days when suspicious trades took place, compared to a slight decline on days without suspicious activity. Based on rigorous analysis with extensive robustness checks, the paper demonstrates that the suspicious trading activity likely caused the unprecedented spike in the USD-BTC exchange rate in late 2013, when the rate jumped from around $150 to more than $1, 000 in two months.
Edge computing proposes a novel model for providing computational resources close to end devices that are connected to the network. It has numerous applications in Internet of Things, as well as smart grids, healthcare, smart home, etc. This paper presents ongoing research regarding the use of blockchain technology as a platform hierarchical and distributed control systems based on IEC 61499 standard. Hyperledger Fabric was selected as the blockchain solution, where function blocks are to be implemented as smart contracts on a supervisor level. The integration with the edge nodes that perform on the executive level responsible for actual process control is based on a micro-services architecture where Docker containers implement function blocks, and Kubernetes platform is used for orchestrating the execution of containers across the edge resources.
Xueping Liang, Sachin Shetty, Deepak K. Tosh, Charles Kamhoua · 6 authors
Cloud data provenance is metadata that records the history of the creation and operations performed on a cloud data object. Secure data provenance is crucial for data accountability, forensics and privacy. In this paper, we propose a decentralized and trusted cloud data provenance architecture using blockchain technology. Blockchain-based data provenance can provide tamper-proof records, enable the transparency of data accountability in the cloud, and help to enhance the privacy and availability of the provenance data. We make use of the cloud storage scenario and choose the cloud file as a data unit to detect user operations for collecting provenance data. We design and implement ProvChain, an architecture to collect and verify cloud data provenance, by embedding the provenance data into blockchain transactions. ProvChain operates mainly in three phases: (1) provenance data collection, (2) provenance data storage, and (3) provenance data validation. Results from performance evaluation demonstrate that ProvChain provides security features including tamper-proof provenance, user privacy and reliability with low overhead for the cloud storage applications.
Thomas Bocek, Bruno Rodrigues, Tim Strasser, Burkhard Stiller
Blockchains are on the top of the Gartner Hype Cycle 2016 and many start-ups are integrating blockchains into their technology portfolio. While blockchains have emerged in the context of financial applications, non-financial application areas are of interest as well. In this paper, modum.io is presented, a start-up that uses IoT (Internet of Things) sensor devices leveraging blockchain technology to assert data immutability and public accessibility of temperature records, while reducing operational costs in the pharmaceutical supply-chain. The medical industry has many complex and strict environmental control process (e.g., temperature and humidity) to ensure quality control and regulatory compliance over the transport of medical products. The sensor devices monitor the temperature of each parcel during the shipment to fully ensure GDP regulations. All data is transferred to the blockchain where a smart contract assesses against the product attributes. As modum.io is not the only non-financial start-up working with blockchains, a list of areas and other start-ups is provided that aim to reduce bureaucracy, distribute the infrastructure, and saving costs using blockchains.
Blockchain is the technology at the core of what could become the "Fintech" transformation of capital markets. It can potentially facilitate cheaper, more efficient and secure operations. The mechanism behind it is introduced in this paper, as are its uses and suggested areas for future academic research. The paper critically reviews the promise that blockchain and distributed ledgers will speed up financial settlements and transactions. In it we recommend financial institutions evaluate the adoption of blockchain and/or adapt their existing legacy systems to allow for digital clearing over the internet.
The paper discusses the future development of the cryptocurrency in the Russian Federation. At present, it can be defined as a new financial instrument based on distributed registry technology (Blokchein). It is the lack of server storage and a single issuer, the relative anonymity (pseudonymity) and mobility calculations allow us to consider financial cryptocurrency to be a technology of the future. Evaluation of the prospects for the development of the regulatory and protective law of the Russian Federation, the author begins with an assessment of the world's leading strategies for regulating the virtual currency: permissive, prohibitive and observant. The author argues the problem of searching for the optimal model of the cryptocurrency legalization, considering it to be a kind of a computer program: means of exchange, a monetary symbol, a cashless cash, an electronic money and a security, a commodity, other property, property right, etc. Particular attention is paid to the critical analysis of the draft federal law on the declaration of a crypto currency by a surrogate and the introduction of a new composition in the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - article 187.1 "Turnover of money surrogates" with the establishment of responsibility in the form of a fine of up to 500 thousand rubles or imprisonment for up to four Years for production, purchase for sale, as well as the sale of money surrogates. As one of the developers of the draft law on legalization of the cryptocurrency in the Russian Federation, the author of this paper identifies the most important aspects that need in legal control. They are identification of exchange sites and the user, verification of transactions based on documents, data and information (validation), determination of the beneficial owner, Relations and monitoring of transactions with the cryptocurrency in accordance with the risk profile.
This book is about why and how central and local governments clash over important national policy decisions. Its empirical focus is on the local politics of Japan which has significantly shaped, and been shaped by, larger developments in national politics. The book argues that since the 1990s, changes in the national political arena, fiscal and administrative decentralization, as well as broader socio-economic developments have led to a decoupling of once closely integrated national and local party systems in Japan. Such decoupling has led to a breakdown of symbiotic relations between the centre and regions. In its place are increasing strains between national and local governments leading to greater intra-party conflict, inter-governmental conflicts, and more chief executives with agendas and resources increasingly autonomous of the national ruling party.
Although being a book primarily focused on the Japanese case, the study seeks to contribute to a broader understanding of how local partisans shape national policy-making. The book theorizes and investigates how the degree of state centralization, vertical integration for party organizations, and partisan congruence in different levels of government affect inter-governmental relations.
Japanâs experience is compared with Germany, Canada, and the UK to explore sources of multi-level policy conflict.
Just like its recent predecessors, blockchain â also known as the distributed ledger technology â is considered to have the potential to cause major economic, political and social transformations in the Global South. The visible effects of this technology are already being noted there. We present early evidence linking the use of blockchain in overcoming some economic, social and political challenges facing the Global South. The article highlights the key applications and uses of blockchain in developing countries. It demonstrates how blockchain can help promote transparency, build trust and reputation, and enhance efficiency in transactions. The article looks at opportunities and key triggers for blockchain diffusion in these countries. It also delves into challenges and obstacles that developing economies are likely to encounter in the use of blockchain.
Develop real-time practical DApps using Ethereum and JavaScriptAbout This BookCreate powerful, end-to-end applications for Blockchain using EthereumWrite your first program using the Solidity programming languageChange the way you think and design your applications by using the all new database-BlockchainWho This Book Is ForThis book is for JavaScript developers who now want to create tamper-proof data (and transaction) applications using Blockchain and Ethereum. Those who are interested in cryptocurrencies and the logic and database empowering it will find this book extremely useful.What You Will LearnWalk through the basics of the Blockchain technologyImplement Blockchain's technology and its features, and see what can be achieved using themBuild DApps using Solidity and Web3.jsUnderstand the geth command and cryptographyCreate Ethereum walletsExplore consortium blockchainIn DetailBlockchain is a decentralized ledger that maintains a continuously growing list of data records that are secured from tampering and revision. Every user is allowed to connect to the network, send new transactions to it, verify transactions, and create new blocks, making it permission-less.This book will teach you what Blockchain is, how it maintains data integrity, and how to create real-world Blockchain projects using Ethereum. With interesting real-world projects, you will learn how to write smart contracts which run exactly as programmed without any chance of fraud, censorship, or third-party interference, and build end-to-end applications for Blockchain.You will learn about concepts such as cryptography in cryptocurrencies, ether security, mining , smart contracts, solidity, and more. You will also learn about web sockets, various API services for Ethereum, and much more.The blockchain is the main technical innovation of bitcoin, where it serves as the public ledger for bitcoin transactions.Style and approachThis is a project-based guide that not only gets you up and running with Blockchain, but also lets you create intuitive real-world applications that will make you an independent Blockchain developer.
The emergence of a cryptocurrency in the digital domain went unnoticed for years until the general press started to cover Bitcoin's more than tenfold raise in price in the space of a few months in 2017. Earlier on, technical and legal discussion revolved around one of its fundamental building blocks, but Bitcoin is more than the blockchain or an investment object. It is a revolutionary open source artefact that is bound to change the way we consider currency, as well as a proof-of-concept for how parts of international trade could disfranchise banks and other institutions as payment service providers.
The current literature on the coordination of operations and finance does not differentiate longâ and shortâterm debts and therefore is silent on how firmsâ debt maturity structure affects their shortârun financial and operational decisions. Through a dynamic inventory model that explicitly captures a firm's periodic decisions on inventory replenishment quantity, the amount of dividends net of capital subscriptions, and the amount of shortâterm debt, we demonstrate that under coordinated shortâterm operational and financial decisions, the firm's optimal inventory level increases initially as its longâterm debt rises; after the firm depletes its shortâterm borrowing capacity, as the longâterm debt rises further, the inventory level decreases and then remains constant. In addition, we find that optimal coordinated decisions, in comparison with decentralized ones, yield lower inventories, require less cash, take larger shortâterm loans, incur a lower probability of financial distress, and yield higher expected dividends net of capital subscriptions. Moreover, longâ and shortâterm debts are substitutes; an optimally leveraged firm needs less longâterm debt if it coordinates its shortâterm decisions than if it decentralizes them.
Since the 2008 global financial crisis, there has been an explosion of interest in alternative and complementary currencies, by academics, governments, practitioners, and activists who are interested in the social and political possibilities generated by money's myriad forms; and by everyday users of money who are coming face-to-face with new forms of payment such as Apple Pay and PayPal, novel modes of financing such as crowdfunding and peer-to-peer lending, and new digital currencies such as Bitcoin. Much of this interest has sought to reverse the conventional wisdom that money is a socially corrosive force. This chapter offers a survey and discussion of some of the most important developments in this field and argues that they all help to confirm the value and continuing relevance of Zelizer's pathbreaking analysis of the social meaning of money and, more recently, her work on the role of monetary media in the formation of circuits of commerce.
Rizal Mohd Nor, M. M. Hafizur Rahman, Towfiqur Rahman, Adam Abdullah
There exist many online donation platform in the world and
yet issues concerning extra fees, accountability and processing delay still
exist. In this paper, we propose a decentralized, authentic and transparent
donation system to address these issues. We explored several blockchain
technologies and formulate smart contracts to be used in this sadaqa system
to provide an efficient means to raising funds and managing aid relief for
victims during disasters.
This chapter discusses Bitcoin and its underlying technology. Specifically, it addresses how new uses of that technology shed light on money as money of account. This bolsters the arguments of alternative monetary theorists like Geoffrey Ingham and Randall Wray, which were often seen in opposition to the Zelizer view. Both Zelizer and alternative monetary theorists agreed on the paucity of the mainstream economists' take on money as a neutral medium of exchange. Zelizer highlighted its social variegation. Ingham highlighted money of account, the âmeans of accounting for value.â Such accounting is always linked to the state's ability to demand taxes paid in its own token and the systems of claims and counterclaims in credit-money that ultimately relied on states' and banks' promises to pay. Whatever social variegation may exist, Ingham argued, would still be determined by and denominated in money of account. The chapter asks whether developments like Bitcoin and other forays into new payment services more generally have the potential to open up these relations between states and banks with regard to money.