ECO-LEACH: A Blockchain-Based Distributed Routing Protocol for Energy-Efficient Wireless Sensor Networks

Abstract

This paper proposes a novel architecture based on blockchain technology to enhance the dependability and safety of wireless sensor networks (WSN) by authenticating WSN nodes. In a WSN, sensor nodes collect and transmit data to cluster heads (CHs) for further processing. The proposed model employs the distance and residual energy-based low-energy adaptive clustering hierarchy (ECO-LEACH) protocol to replace CHs with ordinary nodes and the Interplanetary File System (IPFS) for storing data. In addition, consensus based on proof of authority (PoA) is used to validate transactions, reducing the computational cost associated with proof of work. The proposed system was evaluated using simulations with 300 sensor nodes and compared with other protocols, including LEACH, DDR-LEACH, PEGASIS, and LEACH-PSO. The simulation results showed that the proposed ECO-LEACH outperformed the other protocols in terms of energy consumption, throughput achieved, and network lifetime improvement. Specifically, the proposed system consumed 23.5J for 300 sensor nodes, achieved 687.5 kbps, and improved the network's lifetime by 4.12 seconds for 50 rounds. Overall, this paper provides a reliable and secure solution for authenticating WSN nodes, enhancing data transfer safety, and dependability. The proposed architecture offers a promising approach for addressing the challenges of WSN design using blockchain technology and PoA consensus. The comparative analysis shows that the proposed ECO-LEACH protocol outperforms other protocols in terms of energy consumption, throughput achieved, and network lifetime improvement for 300 sensor nodes