Characteristics Of Blockchain Research Articles

Blockchain Technology Empowers China's Green Finance Innovation Development

Financial technology and green finance have an irreplaceable position in today's society. The relationship between the two is becoming increasingly close due to the diversification of economic development. For a long time, with the main support of national banks, China's green finance has been initially developed, but there are still many defects in its development, mainly facing five major challenges of imperfect information sharing, high riskiness of green projects, low participation of green industry, lack of effective regulatory mechanism and too single green financial products. By systematically analyzing the problems faced in the development of green finance in China, this paper aims to propose five specific suggestions and solutions by combining the four characteristics of blockchain: distributed ledger, decentralization, de-trust and non-tamperability, as well as its three application types of public chain, private chain and alliance chain to improve the information sharing system, use smart contracts to reduce risks, promote the transformation of small and micro enterprises through inclusive finance, introduce sandbox supervision mechanism and increase supervision, and enrich green financial service products. The use of blockchain features can provide feasibility for solving the current dilemma of green finance development and empower the innovative development of green finance.

Elevating students’ lives through immersive learning experiences in a safe metaverse

Metaverse platforms devoted to educational purposes are becoming increasingly popular among educators worldwide due to the benefits they offer in elevating students’ lives. This study explores how immersive platform features, blockchain features, a safe learning environment and new learning models contribute to the educational outcomes. Emerging literature on educational Metaverse platforms has been used to develop a genuine conceptual model. The model was tested using data collected from 100 educators located in different countries from worldwide. The data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), Random Forest and other different feature importance methods, fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), thematic content analysis and Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA). The application of PLS-SEM outlines that immersive platform features and safe learning environments positively affects educational outcomes. Random Forest and feature importance methods investigate the predictive power of items included in the model, fsQCA reveals the combinations of these factors that lead to high educational outcomes, while the qualitative insights reveal the key themes emerged from educators’ perspectives on the use of Metaverse platforms. This study contributes to Metaverse literature, which is relatively understudied in the educational sector.

Non-Changeable Document using Blockchain

The concept of Non-Changeable Documents (NCDs) using blockchain technology is a pivotal development in ensuring data integrity and security. This paper explores the innovative approach of employing blockchain to create immutable records, guaranteeing the authenticity and integrity of documents. NCDs leverage the decentralization and cryptographic features of blockchain, rendering documents unalterable. Their application spans across various industries, including legal, healthcare, and finance, promising significant advantages in terms of fraud prevention, transparency, and compliance. This research paper also delves into the technical underpinnings of NCDs, elucidating the cryptographic mechanisms and consensus protocols that safeguard their reliability. By harnessing the decentralized and tamper-proof nature of blockchain, NCDs provide a formidable solution for organizations seeking to safeguard critical data against unauthorized alterations. This transformative potential of Non-Changeable Documents underscores their ability to elevate document security and establish trust in an increasingly interconnected digital landscape. In an era marked by data breaches and concerns over document authenticity, NCDs offer a promising avenue to ensure the integrity and security of sensitive information, reinforcing trust in digital records. Key Words: Blockchain, Documents, Fraud, Smart Contract, Ethereum Blockchain, Security

Counterfeit Products detection using Blockchain

Blockchain-Based Supply Chain Management is a novel approach to enhancing the transparency, security, and trustworthiness of supply chains. In this study, we explore the design and implementation of a blockchain-based system that enables manufacturers, suppliers, and customers to collaborate seamlessly in tracking and verifying product information. The proposed system utilizes the intrinsic characteristics of blockchain, including decentralization, resistance to tampering, and transparency, to mitigate counterfeiting and establish trust within the supply chain.The proposed system leverages blockchain's inherent features, such as decentralization, tamper-resistance, and transparency, to reduce counterfeiting and build trust in the supply chain. We discuss the architecture and key components of the system, including the role of SQL databases and Metamask wallet integration. Additionally, we highlight the process flow, from manufacturers assigning unique serial numbers to customers verifying product authenticity through QR code scans. This research presents a comprehensive solution for supply chain management, offering potential applications beyond product tracking, including in banking, healthcare, and e-commerce. Key Words: Blockchain, Supply Chain Management, Counterfeiting, Transparency, Product Authentication

Securing AI‐based healthcare systems using blockchain technology: A state‐of‐the‐art systematic literature review and future research directions

AbstractHealthcare institutions are progressively integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into their operations. The extraordinary potential of AI is restricted by insufficient medical data for AI model training and adversarial attacks wherein attackers perturb the dataset by adding some noise to it, which leads to the malfunctioning of the AI models, and a lack of trust caused by the opaque operational approach it employs. This Systematic Literature Review (SLR) is a state‐of‐the‐art survey of the research on blockchain technology for securing AI‐integrated healthcare applications. The most relevant articles from the Scopus and Web of Science (WoS) databases were identified using the PRISMA model. Most of the existing literature is about protecting the healthcare data used by AI‐based healthcare systems using blockchain technology, but the modality of data (text, images, audio, and sound) was not specifically mentioned. Information on protecting the training phase and model deployment for AI‐based healthcare systems considering the variations in feature extraction based on the modality of data was also not clearly specified. Hence, the three subfields of AI, namely, natural language processing (NLP), computer vision, and acoustic AI are further studied to identify security loopholes in its implementation pipeline. The three phases, namely the dataset, the training phase, and the trained models need to be protected from adversaries to avoid malfunctioning of the deployed AI models. The nature of the data processed by NLP, computer vision, and acoustic AI, underlying deep neural network (DNN) architectures, the complexity of attacks, and the perceivability of attacks by humans are analyzed to identify the need for security. A blockchain solution for AI‐based healthcare systems is synthesized based on the findings that have demonstrated the distinctive technological features of blockchains. It offers a solution for the privacy and security issues encountered by NLP, computer vision, and acoustic AI to boost the widespread adoption of AI applications in healthcare.

A blockchain-based solution for the traceability of rare earth metals used in thin-film photovoltaics

The supply chain of rare earth metals plays a crucial role in producing thin-film solar photovoltaics (PVs), which are vital for renewable energy generation. However, this supply chain is often characterized by opacity, inefficiencies, and security concerns especially since those rare earth metals come from mainly one supplier, China. Also, the solar PVs’ certificates are purely technical and fail to consider the ethical sourcing and sustainable supply chain management conditions of mining. The working conditions of the miners are often neglected and are least prioritized. In this paper, a blockchain-based solution was proposed to leverage the intrinsic decentralized blockchain features including traceability, transparency, non-repudiation, and accountability in the supply chain of thin-film solar PVs, to safeguard not only the technical conditions of the mined products but also the ethical conditions of the workers during mining. Ethical mines must uphold good safety standards, pay their workers a fair wage, adhere to working hours, and legal working age. The solution paves the way to ethical mining where the certification of the PVs is not granted unless both technical and ethical conditions are met. The supply chain of thin-film PVs that goes from mining the rare earth metals in China, where more than 70% of the rare earth metals used are extracted from, to the disposal at the end-of-life (EOL) of the PVs was presented. Smart contracts to enable the on-chain traceability of the registration, manufacturing, assessment, delivery, and disposal of PVs were developed. The solution exploits the tamper-proof logs of the distributed ledger to ensure accountability and record transactions as part of the data provenance. The proposed solution includes a system design with sequence diagrams, smart contracts with algorithms, and a testing and analysis section.

The Impact of using Blockchain on the Auditing Profession

Rapid technological changes cause several challenges for established processes and approaches to the auditing. A special role in this context is assigned to the blockchain as a key driving force in changes in auditing. The aim of the article is to identify the key features of blockchain’s impact on auditing. The research employs economic and statistical methods, namely trend analysis, in-depth semi-structured interviews, assessment of the economic effect to identify the main changes in auditing under the influence of blockchain technologies. The experience of using blockchain was studied through a sample of 27 auditors from Azerbaijan, Israel, and Jordan. The respondents indicated changes in the operational work of auditors (88,9% of respondents) among the main areas of influence of blockchain technologies. The surveyed auditors also consider it necessary to improve auditors’ IT skills under the influence of blockchain (88,9% of respondents). The respondents emphasize the appropriateness to change the audit methodology under the influence of blockchain (77,8% of respondents). The surveyed auditors see the prospect in using real-time auditing (55,6% of respondents) and other higher value-added services (44,4% of respondents). Data from the financial statements of the 4 largest auditing companies were analyzed to determine the economic effect of the impact of blockchain on auditing. It was determined that the average annual growth rate under the basic scenario is 6.9% for 2023-2025, or $72.1 billion on average per company in 2025. The prospects for further research are studying the directions of strategic and operational transformations in auditing because of the influence of blockchain in terms of audit methodology, organizational structure of audit companies.

N-Accesses: A Blockchain-Based Access Control Framework for Secure IoT Data Management.

With the rapid advancement of network communication and big data technologies, the Internet of Things (IoT) has permeated every facet of our lives. Meanwhile, the interconnected IoT devices have generated a substantial volume of data, which possess both economic and strategic value. However, owing to the inherently open nature of IoT environments and the limited capabilities and the distributed deployment of IoT devices, traditional access control methods fall short in addressing the challenges of secure IoT data management. On the one hand, the single point of failure issue is inevitable for the centralized access control schemes. On the other hand, most decentralized access control schemes still face problems such as token underutilization, the insecure distribution of user permissions, and inefficiency.This paper introduces a blockchain-based access control framework to address these challenges. Specifically, the proposed framework enables data owners to host their data and achieves user-defined lightweight data management. Additionally, through the strategic amalgamation of smart contracts and hash-chains, our access control scheme can limit the number of times (i.e., n-times access) a user can access the IoT data before the deadline. This also means that users can utilize their tokens multiple times (predefined by the data owner) within the deadline, thereby improving token utilization while ensuring strict access control. Furthermore, by leveraging the intrinsic characteristics of blockchain, our framework allows data owners to gain capabilities for auditing the access records of their data and verifying them. To empirically validate the effectiveness of our proposed framework and approach, we conducted extensive simulations, and the experimental results demonstrated the feasibility and efficiency of our solution.

CPS in block chain smart city application based on distributed ledger based decentralized technique

This article offers a brief overview about cyber-physical systems enabled by blockchain (CPS). Dissects various blockchain-enabled CPS reported on the operations and blockchain characteristics used in the literature. Base of its time sensitiveness and throughput requirements, we identify and categories key common CPS operations that can be activated by blockchain. We also develop blockchain features and categories in terms of diverse levels of benefits to CPS like security, privacy, immutability, tolerance of defects, interoperability's, data origin, atomicity, automation, information/service sharing and trust. This paper provides an overview of the concept of intelligent cities as well as emerging technologies and a quick overview of cyber-physical systems. It then discusses CPS' potential role in the development of intelligent city apps and some real-life examples of CPS adaptation for city smart projects. A decentralized database based on distributed ledgers has been introduced. Distributed ledgers are a distributed database with a network connection node. These nodes include ledgers that list transactions with timestamps.

Enhancing Data Security in Healthcare IoT: An Innovative Blockchain-based Solution

The Internet of Things (IoT) has revolutionized the healthcare industry by enabling the seamless integration of medical devices, sensors, and data-driven applications. However, the large influx of sensitive healthcare data and the proliferation of linked devices have caused grave worries about data security and privacy. Traditional centralized security systems are unable to handle the changing threats and problems in the IoT healthcare setting. This study suggests a novel strategy for boosting data security in the healthcare industry that makes use of blockchain technology. The main goal of this research is to develop and deploy a trustworthy framework that safeguards private healthcare information in IoT networks. Blockchain, as a distributed and decentralized ledger, offers inherent security features such as immutability, transparency, and cryptographic mechanisms. In this research, it is suggested that healthcare data be gathered via the IoT and stored in the Interplanetary File System (IPFS) using Ethereum-based blockchain technology for data security. The suggested method creates a reliable environment for managing healthcare data by exploiting the special features of blockchain. The json and jpeg files are utilized five times on a distributed database housed on IPFS and a centralized database hosted on Firebase, and the upload and download times are recorded. For IoT-based healthcare systems, we have also investigated the cost and length of time required to implement smart contracts on blockchain platforms like Rinkeby, Binance, and Matic. This research suggests implementing the Blockchain platform in an IoT-based healthcare system to provide data confidentiality, integrity, and accessibility.

A Novel Blockchain-Assisted Aggregation Scheme for Federated Learning in IoT Networks

With the wide range of Internet of things (IoT) applications, Federated Learning (FL) is commonly adopted to protect the privacy of IoT data. FL enables privacy-preserving model training while keeping the data locally available. To alleviate the additional load caused by FL, an improved hierarchical aggregation framework is presented in this paper to decentralize the model aggregation tasks based on end-device clusters. However, when applying FL to IoT networks, how to keep high efficiency and reliability remains open challenges due to a large number and vulnerability of IoT end-devices. In this paper, we propose a blockchain-assisted aggregation scheme for FL in IoT networks, where the aggregation node selection is applied for efficiency improvement as well as blockchain for performance verification. During model aggregation, a selection strategy is obtained by the Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (DDPG) algorithm and aims to select the optimal subset of IoT end-devices based on multiple metrics. Furthermore, a new performance verification based on the characteristics of blockchain is applied to achieve mutual verification among a number of untrustworthy nodes with the optimal stopping theory, which provides reliable model performance proofs. Simulation results show that the proposed scheme can maintain FL efficiency and reduce the system latency while protecting data privacy.

Supply Chain Management in Agriculture using Blockchain

Block chains are now firmly established as a digital technology that combines cryptographic, data management, networking, and incentive mechanisms to support the verification, execution, and recording of transactions between parties. While block chain technologies were originally intended to support new forms of digital currency for easier and secure payments, they now hold great promise as a new foundation for all forms of transactions. Agribusiness stands to become a key beneficiary of this technology as a platform to execute ‘smart contracts’ for transactions, particularly for high-value produce. First it is important to distinguish between private digital currencies and the distributed ledger and block chain technologies that underlie them. The distributed and cross-border nature of digital currencies like Bit coin means that regulation of the core protocols of these systems by central banks is unlikely to be effective. Monetary authorities are focused more on understanding ‘on-ramps’ and ‘off-ramps’ that constitute the links to the traditional payments system rather than being able to monitor and regulate the currency itself. In contrast to the digital currency feature of block chain, the distributed ledger feature has the potential for widespread use in agribusiness and trade financing, especially where workflows involve many different parties with no trusted central entity.

Exploration of the system of evaluation system of university teachers’ titles based on blockchain technology

Abstract The purpose of this thesis is to combine blockchain technology with teacher title evaluation, and design a blockchain-based teacher title evaluation system using the characteristics of blockchain and IPFS, and other technologies. The system adopts a three-layer architecture consisting of a data storage layer, an application business layer, and a user presentation layer. Among them, the data storage layer builds a distributed network through Ethernet blockchain nodes. At the same time, each node is also an IPFS network node, responsible for uploading teacher certification materials to the IPFS network through the file encryption module in the application business layer and generating IPFS abstracts, which can be subsequently uploaded to the chain only, i.e., ensuring the privacy of file materials and reducing the overhead of storing data. To verify the effect of the title review system, the analysis was conducted in terms of role perceptions, covering teachers’ perceptions of the fairness and motivation of the title review system. In terms of fairness of the review criteria, 60.83% of teachers think it is fair, and 25.83% think it is unfair. 65.83% of teachers say that the career review is helpful for career development, and only less than 10% think it is not helpful for career development. It shows that this teacher title evaluation platform is efficient, intelligent, secure, and trustworthy.

Adapting Blockchain for Secure and Efficient Identity Management in Oman's e-Government

This research paper examines the potential application of blockchain technology in e-government identity management, with a specific focus on the case of Oman. Traditional centralized identity systems in e-government face various challenges, such as security vulnerabilities and limited compatibility among government agencies. By utilizing the decentralized and unalterable characteristics of blockchain, Oman can enhance the security, privacy, efficiency, and transparency of identity management in e-government. The advantages include improved security and privacy, streamlined processes, data sharing and interoperability, transparency, cost reduction, and empowerment of citizens. The paper presents examples of blockchain-based identity management systems implemented in different sectors and countries, along with research studies in the field. Additionally, a survey was conducted to assess awareness and willingness to adopt blockchain-based identity management in Oman's e-government. The findings emphasize the importance of considering technical requirements, legal frameworks, interoperability standards, and user acceptance for successful implementation. Overall, blockchain technology offers promising solutions to strengthen identity management in e-government and establish a trustworthy digital environment for citizens and businesses.

Short-Term Power Demand Forecasting Using Blockchain-Based Neural Networks Models

With the rapid development of blockchain technology, blockchain-based neural network short-term power demand forecasting has become a research hot spot in the power industry. This paper aims to combine neural network algorithms with blockchain technology to establish a trustworthy and efficient short-term demand forecasting model. By leveraging the distributed ledger and immutability features of blockchain, we ensure the security and reliability of power demand data. Meanwhile, short-term power demand forecasting research using neural networks has the potential to increase the stability of the power system and offer opportunities for improved operations. In this paper, the root mean-square-error model evaluation indicator was used to compare the back propagation (BP) neural network algorithm and the traditional forecasting algorithm. The evaluation was performed on the randomly selected five household power datasets. The results show that, by comparing the long short-term memory network (LSTM) model with the BP neural network model, it was determined that the average prediction impact increases by about 25.7% under stable power demand. The short-term power prediction model of the BP neural network has the average error values more than two times lower than the traditional prediction model. It was shown that the use of the BP neural network algorithm and blockchain could increase the accuracy of short-term power demand forecasting, allowing the neural network-based algorithm to be implemented and taken into account in the research on short-term power demand forecasting.

Effects of contemporary technologies, such as blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI) in enhancing consumers’ trustworthiness of online reviews

ABSTRACT The research note discusses the potential effects of contemporary technologies, such as blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI), in enhancing consumers’ trustworthiness of online reviews in the tourism and hospitality context. The study postulates that three characteristics of blockchain – decentralization, immutability, and timestamping – ensure transparency in the online review process. Using a socio-technical systems approach, the current study provides insights into how blockchain technology, AI agents, and human factors interact to facilitate such transparency and thereby enhance consumers’ trustworthiness of online reviews for their decision-making. Therefore, the study proposes that perceived transparency mediates the relationship between these three blockchain characteristics and the trustworthiness of online reviews. In proposing an investigation of the characteristics of blockchain and its interaction with AI in online reviews, the study highlights that researchers and practitioners pay attention to a specific characteristic of contemporary technologies to actualize potential benefits.

Will the blockchain solve the supply chain resilience challenges? Insights from a systematic literature review

Frequency and severity of supply chain disruptions are increasing, and new solutions for improving supply chain resilience (SCRES) are demanded. Operations managers and scholars place great hopes on recent technological innovations, particularly blockchain technology. However, the current literature lacks a comprehensive review at the intersection of SCRES and blockchain, making it difficult to understand the relations between both fields holistically. This research gap was addressed by systematically analyzing 72 peer-reviewed papers. More specifically, the link between specific blockchain characteristics, SCRES antecedents, and supply chain risk types was explored. The results reveal that visibility and validation are the most relevant blockchain characteristics for improving SCRES. The SCRES antecedents agility, collaboration, and supply chain (re-)engineering can all benefit from blockchain implementation, whereas the effect on risk management culture is widely unexplored. While there is consensus on blockchain’s usability for mitigating security, operational, and supply risks, the effect on demand risks requires further attention. To facilitate the practical implementation of this paper’s results, the findings served as a foundation for discussing SCRES opportunities from well-known blockchain applications such as smart contracts and tracking solutions. Moreover, seven future research avenues and managerial implications are presented.

An Optimized Intelligent Computational Security Model for Interconnected Blockchain-IoT System & Cities

Blockchain technology may provide a potential solution to the Internet of Things (IoT) security challenges by providing a decentralized and secure method for storing, managing, and sharing data. The Secure Hash Algorithm (SHA-256) hashed value of preliminary data (block) is retained in one block along with transaction data in tree form and timestamp in a chain of blocks. However, there are observations about blockchain limitations such as higher energy consumption, secure data, self-maintenance reliance, and higher cost. These constraints can be overcome by incorporating encryption algorithms into accepting blocks of data. In this paper, we propose a secure intelligent computational model for a large-scale interconnected IoT environment; an analytical modeling technique is considered for the proposed system. The proposed system takes advantage of the potential security feature of blockchain, which is considered the most appropriate secure communication system in an IoT. A computational model is built using the proposed blockchain technology to incorporate a secure and intelligent communication system. The proposed system uses the enhanced McEliece encryption approach’s potential to link the blockchain due to the faster mode of encryption and decryption process with a highly reduced number of steps.

Emerging Technologies: A Catalyst for Sustainable Business Model Innovation

Grand Challenges are global problems requiring coordinated effort from stakeholders at different levels. For-profit businesses, as loci of innovation, can play a pivotal role in advancing Grand Challenges by fostering social impact collaboration. Business Model Innovation is a useful mean to combine the possibilities offered by emerging technologies with the needs of sustainable challenges. Blockchain is widely recognized as an emerging technology, rapidly growing, highly novel and with a prominent impact on different sectors. We adopt a Comparative Case Study in the field of the Voluntary Carbon Market, unregulated markets where organizations can offset their impact by compensating their negative externalities on the environment by buying carbon credits generated through certified mitigation projects following international standards. As climate change is a main Grand Challenges and a threat to humanity, as recognized by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, this research aims to explore the role of blockchain as a catalyst for Sustainable Business Model Innovation. This study makes two significant contributions to the field of business model innovation, emerging technologies and Grand Challenges. First, it highlights the importance of Business Model Innovation to address Grand Challenges and overcome their managerial problems, including valuating, coordination, trust, access and reach. Our study presents a novel conceptual model anchored in the Business Model as an activity system view, revealing three actionable characteristics of blockchain that can help to design novel activities configurations able to advance managerial problems encountered by for-profit organizations while advancing effort towards Grand Challenges: asset enabler, trust machine and coordinated and collaborative action enhancer. Second, from a technology-oriented perspective, it offers insights into how an emerging technology can be leveraged to foster complementarity by converging with existing assets and technologies, thereby generating new value. For practice, our findings provide a framework for both startups and established companies to leverage blockchain technologies to create meaningful and lasting impact.

Healthcare Record Management Using Blockchain

Background. Blockchain has been in popular demand for the last decade or so, but it recently gained recognition with the popularity of Bitcoin. It has been extensively used in fields like finance, government, energy, etc. It is the need of the hour that the technology was utilized in other relevant areas as well like healthcare. Making maximum use of blockchain in the healthcare industry is expected to have numerous significant impacts and positive outcomes. The technology is defined as a decentralized and distributed ledger that can be used to record transactions securely across many computers in a peer-to-peer network, without the need for a third party. Objectives. A block consists essentially of a header and a body. The header of each block contains the hash of the previous block. Among the important features of blockchain is how it is impossible to tamper with and is censorship resistant, giving access to the timestamped transaction while maintaining anonymity at the same time. Methods. The method used is literature survey. We perform a study selection process in four steps. After each steps the number of publications is reduced as unwanted publications are omitted using search strings, inclusion and exclusion criteria. We even conducted a study quality assessment which helps us analysis the quality of findings from the final set of selected papers in answering the research questions. Results. We have summarized the findings from the 10 selected papers from the study selection process according to the research questions. Conclusions. The most prominent feature of blockchain technology is the fact that it removes the need for a centralized third party and makes it possible for two parties to carry out transactions without a centralized authority. It highly improves the transaction speed by removing any type of delay and makes the transaction cheaper as well. This project intends to explore how decentralization makes it easier to maintain transparent and open records for patients to see how, when, and where their information is being used. By employing the programming language Solidity, a smart contract will be created which will be deployed on the Ethereum blockchain. This in turn will further ensure that no recorded data can be deleted. Any data recorded by the doctor in the blockchain can be edited whereas the patients will only have viewing access to the entered medical records. This will not only ensure a high level of security, but also the credibility of the information provided.