Modern database systems are expected to handle dynamic data whose characteristics may evolve over time. Many popular database benchmarks are limited in their ability to evaluate this dynamic aspect of the database systems. Those that use synthetic data generators often fail to capture the complexity and unpredictable nature of real data, while most real-world datasets are static and difficult to create high-volume, realistic updates for. This paper introduces CrypQ, a database benchmark leveraging dynamic, public Ethereum blockchain data. CrypQ offers a high-volume, ever-evolving dataset reflecting the unpredictable nature of a real and active cryptocurrency market. We detail CrypQ's schema, procedures for creating data snapshots and update sequences, and a suite of relevant SQL queries. As an example, we demonstrate CrypQ's utility in evaluating cost-based query optimizers on complex, evolving data distributions with real-world skewness and dependencies.
Distributed Hash Tables (DHT) is used for achieving robust routing and overlay for most Blockchain systems. In other words, DHT supports communication in a wide spectrum of Web3 and Blockchain applications, such as data sharing, content distribution, and distributed search engines. The decentralized nature of DHT introduces security and privacy vulnerabilities. Significant efforts have been devoted to making DHT more robust and augmenting DHT’s privacy guarantees. This paper proposes a novel design, namely NC-DHT, which has two main features: (i) NC-DHT tolerates Byzantine nodes, and (ii) NC-DHT provides initiator anonymity, query unlinkability and target privacy. To the best of our knowledge, NC-DHT is the first DHT that supports all these important features, which makes it suitable as an overlay for Blockchains. NC-DHT relies on a novel integration of quorum topology and network coding-based techniques.
Cryptography plays a vital role in ensuring the security and privacy of blockchain networks, as well as Web3 dApps and wallets. This chapter describes some common cryptographic concepts and algorithms relevant to Web3, which include: Hash Functions : Hash functions transform data into fixed-length strings (hashes). In Web3, hashes are used to verify data integrity and create unique identifiers for transactions and blocks. Public and Private Key Pairs : Web3 relies on asymmetric encryption, where each user has a public key (used for encryption) and a corresponding private key (used for decryption). Public keys are openly shared, while private keys must remain confidential. Transactions and data integrity are secured using these key pairs. Symmetric Encryption : Symmetric encryption uses a single shared secret key for both encryption and decryption. While less common in Web3, it&s;s still relevant for certain use cases. Digital Signatures : Digital signatures provide proof of authenticity and integrity. When a user signs a transaction with their private key, others can verify it using the associated public key. Zero-Knowledge Proofs : Zero-Knowledge Proofs are cryptographic protocols that allow one party (the prover) to prove the truth of a statement to another party (the verifier) without revealing any additional information beyond the statement&s;s validity. In other words, ZKPs enable verification without disclosure.
This study explores the integration of Plithogenic Hypersoft Sets (PHSS) in Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) for cryptocurrency investment analysis. Given the volatile and unpredictable nature of the cryptocurrency market, traditional decision-making models often fail to capture the complexities and uncertainties present. By incorporating the advanced concept of PHSS, which accommodates multiple membership degrees (fuzzy, intuitionistic fuzzy, neutrosophic), we propose a more robust framework for investment decision-making. The study normalizes cryptocurrency data and applies PHSS to a set of cryptocurrencies (e.g., BTC, ETH, BNB, SOL, and XRP), analyzing key attributes such as price changes, market cap, volume, and circulating supply. Our results demonstrate that PHSS can enhance the accuracy and reliability of financial decision-making, providing valuable insights for investors.
Peer-to-peer (P2P) content delivery networks (CDNs) have demonstrated immense potential to mitigate escalating network traffic. Meanwhile, blockchain emerges as a promising technology that can overcome the shortcomings confronted by P2P CDNs via acting as a trusted third party (TTP) to ensure critical security properties such as fairness and offering monetary incentivization. However, existing protocols for blockchain-based P2P CDNs still encounter the delivery efficiency issue, one of the primary reasons being the absence or failure to identify the most suitable deliverers. Specifically, some overlook the process of selecting deliverers, entrusting them haphazardly, and some merely consider a single evaluation dimension for a deliverer, resulting in a lack of comprehensiveness. Even when multiple dimensions are considered, the outcome of each dimension is not verifiable, leading to unreliability. To this end, we propose an optimized deliverer selection method in blockchain-based P2P CDNs. Our designs encompass a proof of delivery quality (PoQD) protocol to quantify the accumulative verifiable contributions of a deliverer, a comprehensive credibility evaluation mechanism based on neighborhood entropy, and a provider budget constraint optimized deliverer selection algorithm. Extensive experiments are conducted on Ethereum test network to justify our adaptive selection of k optimized deliverers, desired delivery efficiency and feasible on-chain costs. The experiment results indicate the efficacy and effectiveness of our proposed method.
W. Sarada, Pramod Kumar, G. Rekha, B. Aishwarya · 6 authors
The advances in the architecture of the new web and propelled by Web3 innovations are the major playground where the Internet is moving at a pace faster than we could imagine. It is towards that direction that this research seeks to examine the effectiveness of decentralised systems with emphasis on how Blockchains, Smart Contracts and Peer to Peer systems can revolutionalise the internet by offering more security, transparency and user ownership. Web3 technologies pin the inconvenience of Web2 as being too centralized, lacking in privacy, and problematic in terms of data ownership; Web3 can champion decentralized applications [or dApps] and smart contracts. Taking the key blockchain camps including Ethereum, Solana, and Polkadot into consideration, the study measures their effectiveness, operation capability, and security features. Success and failure rates of the decentralized architecture concept in response to problems affecting different sectors such as finance, healthcare, and digital ownership are measured by simulations as well as the case studies. Particular emphasis is created on such issues as scalability, legal requirements, and user acceptance. Application blockchains are audited by means of blockchain analytics tools and smart contract testing frameworks to identify the strengths and weaknesses of DApps in order to improve them. This research also points towards the issues that require focusing on the improvement of governance models, UX interfaces, and security frameworks in the Web3 sphere. By assessing the existing decentralized platforms and perform performance study, the research identifies the drawbacks and challenges of the blockchain platform and suggests probable solutions to tackle them. Thus, the study results indicate that decentralized web architectures as such have a rather high potential in the future, although the issues of scalability and usability will become the main factors to define their success.
Ken Huang, Youwei Yang, Fan Zhang, Xi Chen · 5 authors
Chapter 10 explores the evolving regulatory landscape surrounding Web3 technologies. It highlights the need for coordinated and adaptive regulations to foster innovation while managing potential risks. The chapter examines the impact of major crypto company collapses in 2022 on regulatory frameworks and emphasizes the importance of proactive measures to protect investors and mitigate risks. It delves into the regulatory landscapes in the United States, the European Union, China, and Web3-friendly countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Germany, and Switzerland. The chapter covers key initiatives, including the Executive Order Ensuring Responsible Development of Digital Assets and the Responsible Financial Innovation Act in the United States, as well as stablecoin regulations and regulatory challenges related to decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs). It also explores the intersection of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Web3, emphasizing the challenges of privacy and compliance. Overall, the chapter provides a comprehensive overview of regulatory considerations in Web3, addressing innovation, consumer protection, financial stability, and privacy concerns. It emphasizes the importance of regulatory coordination and adaptation to promote innovation while safeguarding against potential risks.
Ken Huang, Youwei Yang, Fan Zhang, Xi Chen · 5 authors
This chapter establishes the intellectual groundwork for the shift from traditional web paradigms to a decentralized digital future. It begins by tracing the evolution from Web1 – a static, information-centric era – to Web2, characterized by interactive, user-generated content and the rise of social media. The chapter then introduces Web3 as a transformative leap, driven by blockchain technology, digital wallets, and decentralized applications (dApps) that empower individuals with true ownership over their digital assets and data. Real-world examples in decentralized finance, non-fungible tokens, and social networks illustrate how these innovations challenge centralization and reshape online interactions. Additionally, the discussion highlights ongoing challenges such as usability, security, and regulatory uncertainty, laying a solid foundation for understanding Web3’s revolutionary potential.
The distributed ledger technology (DLT) landscape comprises a wide range of independent networks with little to none built-in interoperability. To be applied in traditional enterprises, these DLT systems must also interact with legacy systems with no support for the processes of a DLT. An important topic in DLT research is, therefore, to establish standardised protocols for cross-network transfer and exchange of data and assets. Ideally, these protocols should be general-purpose so that they can be applied on top of many different types of ledger systems. One such protocol, supporting asset transfer, is the Secure Asset Transfer Protocol (SATP or 'SAT protocol') in development by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). The SATP Core protocol draft by Hargreaves et al. (2024) describes an interoperability protocol that can facilitate asset transfer between two DLT systems, as well as between a DLT system and a non-DLT system. In either case, the SAT protocol imposes no restrictions on the underlying system implementations. Building on this work, in this paper, we present an adaptation of SATP that facilitates cross-network asset exchanges. This asset exchange protocol, named the Secure Asset Exchange Protocol, inherits the key advantages of SATP but enables asset exchanges instead of asset transfers.
The collaboration among service robots operated by multiple vendors is in demand, but it is difficult to achieve due to issues such as the lack of interoperability among vendor-specific operating systems. To tackle this problem, we propose a crowdsourcing platform leveraging distributed ledger technology (DLT), where users can request services by flexibly combining multiple tasks assigned to robots. We also present a solution to avoid collisions of mobile robots by employing a universal space identification technology, called Spatial-ID, and defining a Space of Attention (SoA) as a location that requires attention for navigating robots. Our approach does not require the sharing of navigation maps among vendors unlike conventional methods. As a case study, we compared the transaction approval latency of the Ethereum blockchain and IOTA Tangle using their test networks through computer simulations. We then evaluated the risk of transaction conflicts, concluding that IOTA Tangle is a promising technology for implementing the proposed platform.
Random numbers play a vital role in many decentralized applications (dApps), such as gaming and decentralized finance (DeFi) applications. Existing random number provision mechanisms can be roughly divided into two categories, on-chain, and off-chain. On-chain approaches usually rely on the blockchain as the major input and all computations are done by blockchain nodes. The major risk for this type of method is that the input itself is susceptible to the adversary's influence. Off-chain approaches, as the name suggested, complete the generation without the involvement of blockchain nodes and share the result directly with a dApp. These mechanisms usually have a strong security assumption and high complexity. To mitigate these limitations and provide a framework that allows a dApp to balance different factors involved in random number generation, we propose a hybrid random number generation solution that leverages IoT devices equipped with trusted execution environment (TEE) as the randomness sources, and then utilizes a set of cryptographic tools to aggregate the multiple sources and obtain the final random number that can be consumed by the dApp. The new approach only needs one honest random source to guarantee the unbiasedness of the final random number and a user can configure the system to tolerate malicious participants who can refuse to respond to avoid unfavored results. We also provide a concrete construction that can further reduce the on-chain computation complexity to lower the cost of the solution in practice. We evaluate the computation and gas costs to demonstrate the effectiveness of the improvement.
Open access
2 source records
Peer-to-Peer Network Technologies
Advanced Steganography and Watermarking Techniques
By offering fresh approaches to solve long-standing issues like too much centralisation, not involving everyone, and not giving consumers enough autonomy, Web3 technologies are rapidly altering the way typical banking systems operate. One of the most fascinating fresh developments in the field is the growing Web3 membership. These empower consumers over their financial transactions by use of distributed platforms and blockchain technology. Unlike conventional membership models, Web3 payments let users to handle their own data, create explicit arrangements, and get services free from intermediaries. This article examines how Web3 subscriptions can transform the financial climate and open everyone's access. Subscription-based services let users freely access enhanced privacy, security, and control over their personal financial data. Web3 contracts remove obstacles to access so that those without bank accounts may utilize financial services, hence fostering financial inclusion. By shifting authority from centralized financial institutions to individuals, the decentralised framework of these models also allows consumers greater autonomy and independence. This paper investigates the advantages and drawbacks of Web3 accounts including legal concerns, user behavior problems, and growth capability. Following extensive research, we find methods to enhance Web3 membership systems so that they remain scalable, secure, and open for a broad spectrum of users. Finally, this research reveals how Web3 payments could alter the dynamics of financial models, therefore promoting a more open and user-centric attitude to financial services.
Open access
2 source records
FinTech, Crowdfunding, Digital Finance
Peer-to-Peer Network Technologies
Library Collection Development and Digital Resources
Cache poisoning and DDoS attacks are just two of the many ways that the Domain Name System (DNS), an essential part of the Internet infrastructure, can be attacked. Countermeasures have been suggested, although they are not without restrictions. This article introduces D-DNS, a domain name system built on blockchain technology that can offer effective and safe DNS services. D-DNS solves two issues with current blockchain-based DNS systems: the inefficient query handling and the computationally demanding Proof-of-Work (PoW) protocol. D-DNS accomplishes this by putting in place a domain index and a Proof-of-Stake (PoS) consensus mechanism. To evaluate the security of D-DNS versus legacy DNS in terms of attack success rate, attack cost, and attack surface, a new quantitative comparison is presented.. According to experimental results, the attack surface of D-DNS is substantially less than that of legacy DNS, the attack cost is a million times higher, and the chance of a successful attack on D-DNS is 1% of a successful attack on legacy DNS. When D-DNS query performance is compared to the most advanced commercial DNS implementations, it is demonstrated to achieve equivalent or even reduced query latency.
Event-driven decentralized systems trigger off-chain functions upon consuming events emitted by decentralized applications deployed on blockchains. However, ensuring dependable, cost-efficient, and flexible event consumption is challenging due to the consensus mechanisms inherent in blockchains. Meanwhile, the need for dependable event consumption has become increasingly critical with the rise of decentralized finance. In this paper, we propose Emer, a reputation-based event consumer that adopts a distributed architecture and leverages a novel asynchronous reputation mechanism to mitigate the risk of missing or inconsistent events. Besides, Emer reduces the communication cost through reputation-based optimization and proves scalable as an infrastructure. Additionally, Emer offers trust condition customization to enable prioritizing sensitivity of timeliness or correctness for specific use cases. Furthermore, we support our claims with simulation analysis and demonstrate its applicability through a real-world scenario in decentralized finance.
Javier José Díaz Rivera, Ricard Vilalta, Raül Muñoz, Pol Alemany · 5 authors
The increasingly interconnected nature of modern network architectures demands advanced security and trust mechanisms, particularly in environments spanning multiple technology and stakeholder domains. Traditional approaches to network management systems, while effective in static settings, often lack the flexibility, security, and transparency required for dynamic and decentralized operations typical of multi-domain configurations. Distributed Ledger Technologies (DLT) offer a robust alternative by enabling decentralized management and immutable recording of network configurations, inherently increasing security against tampering and unauthorized changes. This paper introduces a DLT approach utilizing a private, permissioned ledger where topology changes are recorded as transactions. The setup enforces data integrity and restricts access to network topology information, ensuring only authorized stakeholders can make changes. Consequently, it enhances security, maintains data consistency, and builds trust among network components by keeping a verifiable record of all changes. Additionally, the paper examines the performance and operational efficiency of integrating DLT within network systems, using the ADRENALINE testbed—an advanced infrastructure for Beyond 5G and future 6G services—as the platform for analysis. Experimental results reveal the system’s performance metrics, illustrating the practical viability of implementing DLT in network operations management.
Distributed Ledger Technologies (DLTs) promise decentralization, transparency, and security, yet the reality often falls short due to fundamental governance flaws. Poorly designed governance frameworks leave these systems vulnerable to coercion, vote-buying, centralization of power, and malicious protocol exploits-threats that undermine the very principles of fairness and equity these technologies seek to uphold. This article surveys the state of DLT governance, identifies critical vulnerabilities, and highlights the absence of universally accepted best practices for good governance. By bridging insights from cryptography, social choice theory, and e-voting systems, we not only present a comprehensive taxonomy of governance properties essential for safeguarding DLTs but also point to technical solutions that can deliver these properties in practice. This work underscores the urgent need for robust, transparent, and enforceable governance mechanisms. Ensuring good governance is not merely a technical necessity but a societal imperative to protect the public interest, maintain trust, and realize the transformative potential of DLTs for social good.
Many blockchain networks aim to preserve the anonymity of validators in the peer-to-peer (P2P) network, ensuring that no adversary can link a validator's identifier to the IP address of a peer due to associated privacy and security concerns. This work demonstrates that the Ethereum P2P network does not offer this anonymity. We present a methodology that enables any node in the network to identify validators hosted on connected peers and empirically verify the feasibility of our proposed method. Using data collected from four nodes over three days, we locate more than 15% of Ethereum validators in the P2P network. The insights gained from our deanonymization technique provide valuable information on the distribution of validators across peers, their geographic locations, and hosting organizations. We further discuss the implications and risks associated with the lack of anonymity in the P2P network and propose methods to help validators protect their privacy. The Ethereum Foundation has awarded us a bug bounty, acknowledging the impact of our results.
The primary theme of the book is decentralization making this chapter one of the most important chapters in this book. This chapter delves into the concept of decentralization. The chapter is divided into nine parts. The first few parts discuss the concept of decentralization. Then the discussion turns to the governance of tech platforms and decentralized governance on Web3 platforms. The chapter ends with a few case studies on DAO-based governance on Web3 platforms.
Laura Ricci, Barbara Guidi, Andrea Michienzi, Andrea Tagarelli · 5 authors
Web3 describes the next generation of the Internet, built on top of various technologies, such as Blockchain Technology, Semantic Web, etc. Web3 proposal claims a vision of the Internet that can cut the intermediation of Big tech companies by completely decentralizing the web through blockchain technology, which enables the integration of cryptocurrencies and tokens in many social media platforms, currently referred to as Blockchain Online Social Media (BOSMs) platforms. These give the possibility both to reward users for their social actions and to define Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), digital assets representing real-world objects like art, collectibles, music, game items, videos, and even tickets creating a new form of decentralized finance, called Social Finance (SocialFi). BOSMs give users the possibility to monetize and tokenize their social influence, and they act as the common ground for the sale or transfer of NFTs. In this paper, we propose an overview of AWESOME, a framework for advanced analysis of Web3 BOSMs, specifically conceived to suit their nature based on intertwined and stratified social and economic contexts. We highlight the characteristics of the framework by describing the objectives and we present the preliminary results. Furthermore, the paper proposes a classification of current Web3 BOSMs, which improves the literature by taking into account the changes and the new applications of Web3 Social Media, which now include Virtual Worlds and Gaming platforms.
Ethereum 2.0 (ETH2) marks a significant evolution from Ethereum 1.0 (ETHl), playing a central role in the Web3.0 infrastructure. At its core, the consensus protocol Gasper greatly affects system performance. Given that Gasper's parameters are empirically determined, there is a clear necessity for parameter tuning. This paper presents a simulation-based study that models the performance of the block proposing mechanism within Gasper. Our simulation results illustrate the impact of design parameters (e.g., block proposing interval) on throughput and non-forking probability. They may enable us to find optimal parameter configure to balance the two-performance metrics. These findings help enhance the system performance of ETH2.
David Melo, Saúl E. Pomares Hernández, Lil María Rodríguez-Henríquez, Julio César Pérez-Sansalvador
Bitcoin is a payment system that generates a decentralized digital currency without ensuring temporal constraints in its transactions; therefore, it is vulnerable to double-spending attacks. Karame has proposed a formalization for a successful double-spending attack based on meeting three requirements. This focuses on fast payment scenarios where the product is delivered immediately after the payment is announced in the mempool, without waiting for transaction confirmation. This scenario is key in Bitcoin to increase the probability of a successful double-spending attack. Different approaches have been proposed to mitigate these attacks by addressing one or more of Karame’s three requirements. These include the following: flooding every transaction without restrictions, introducing listeners/observers, avoiding isolation by blocking incoming connections, penalizing malicious users by revealing their identity, and using machine learning and bio-inspired techniques. However, to our knowledge, no proposal deterministically avoids double-spending attacks in fast payment scenarios. In this paper, we introduce DiFastBit: a distributed transaction differentiation scheme that shields Bitcoin from double-spending attacks in fast payment scenarios. To achieve this, we modeled Bitcoin from a distributed perspective of events and processes, reformulated Karame’s requirements based on Lamport’s happened-before relation (HBR), and introduced a new theorem that consolidates the reformulated requirements and establishes the necessary conditions for a successful attack on fast Bitcoin payments. Finally, we introduce the specifications for DiFastBit, formally prove its correctness, and analyze DiFastBit’s confirmation time.