Blockchain Smart Research Articles

Research on blockchain smart contract technology based on resistance to quantum computing attacks.

In recent years, blockchain technology has developed rapidly and has been widely used in medical, financial, energy and other fields. However, in the process of practical application, each blockchain is a small independent ecosystem, with all transactions and operations limited to the chain, resulting in a large number of mutually heterogeneous to independent blockchains. It presents challenges for cross-chain interactions, cross-organization data sharing, and cross-blockchain expansion, and hinders the wider application of blockchain technology. In addition, the traditional digital signature method based on elliptic curve cipher faces the threat of being cracked by quantum computing attacks. To solve the aforementioned problems, this paper proposed a blockchain smart contract technique based on quantum computing attack resistance(BSCTQCAT). The technique first introduces the digital signature of the lattice cipher into the blockchain to resist the quantum search algorithm attack. Then, based on the smart contract authentication scheme, the nodes on multiple heterogeneous chains are organized into an identity agent layer P2P network, through which transactions on the chain will establish a credible identity management and message authentication mechanism between different chains, solving the current problem that each chain is difficult to communicate with each other. In this paper, the performance of the algorithm is evaluated by simulating the Bitcoin transaction scenario and analyzing the experimental data.

Detection of vulnerabilities in blockchain smart contracts using deep learning

Detection of vulnerabilities in blockchain smart contracts using deep learning

Blockchain-based resale and leasing of pre-owned medical equipment

Medical equipment plays a crucial role in the global healthcare industry, towards the delivery of high-quality medical care and contributing to positive patient outcomes. The traditional method of handling pre-owned medical equipment often leads to improper disposal of functional devices in landfills, compelling healthcare providers to invest in costly brand-new equipment. Several proposals have been put forth to establish trading platforms that facilitate the resale of pre-owned medical equipment. However, existing solutions are characterized by a centralized approach, and face challenges related to traceability, certification, system se-curity, and equipment reliability. In this paper, we propose a blockchain-based solution that is capable of orchestrating the resale, leasing, and auctioning of pre-owned medical equipment. Blockchain smart contracts are utilized to automate the resale and leasing process, register stakeholders with authenticity, transfer and verify ownership, and maintain public reputation scores of entities. A comprehensive overview of the architectural components, sequence diagrams, and algorithms that define the operations of our solution is provided. In addition, we develop and test a working implementation of the smart contracts to verify the feasibility of our proposed solution in terms of execution cost and code security. Through a discussion of the proposed solution's key components and concepts, we showcase our solution's ability to fulfill the specified requirements and attain the main objectives. Moreover, we evaluate and compare our solution with existing works in terms of capabilities and robustness, and explore potential adaptations and extensions of our architecture to allow for a wide range of additional use cases. Our smart contract code has been made publicly available on GitHub.

Blockchain-Driven Demand Response System for Resilient and Sustainable MicroGrids Integrating Wind Energy Conversion Systems

This study introduces the B-DDR system, leveraging blockchain technology for real-time, decentralized energy management in MicroGrids. By integrating Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWTs), including a novel H-Darius VAWT-PMSG model with magnetic levitation and aerodynamic considerations, the proposed approach addresses challenges in optimizing energy supply and demand. Blockchain smart contracts facilitate peer-to-peer energy trading among WECS owners and users, promoting efficient renewable energy utilization. The system, analyzed through optimization models, demonstrates a notable reduction in peak demand rate from 40% to 15%, an improvement in energy efficiency from 7% to 12%, and a remarkable 92% increase in utilization efficiency. With a transaction speed of 5s during outages, the B-DDR system proves its capability to enhance MicroGrids, ensuring a robust, efficient, and sustainable energy environment. The incorporation of H-Darius VAWT-based PMSGs and blockchain technology enables precise demand response, achieving effective grid energy state equilibrium while minimizing losses. The self-executing agreements, monitored by H-Darius-PMSG nodes, provide real-time tracking and balancing, addressing the dynamic challenges posed by fluctuating demand requirements in a decentralized and efficient manner.

T ransforming A utomatically B PMN Models to S mart Contracts with Nested Trade Transactions (TABS+)

Development of blockchain smart contracts is more difficult than mainstream software development because the underlying blockchain infrastructure poses additional complexity. To ease the developer's task of writing smart contract, we use Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) modeling to describe application requirements for trade of goods and services and then transform automatically the BPMN model into the methods of a smart contract. In our previous research we described our approach and a tool to T ransform A utomatically B PMN models into S mart contracts ( TABS ). In this paper, we describe how the TABS approach is augmented with the support for a BPMN trade transaction that is a collaboration by several actors. Our approach analyzes the BPMN model to determine which patterns in the BPMN model are suitable for use as trade transactions and show those patterns to the developer who decides which ones should be deployed as trade transactions. We describe how our approach automatically transforms the BPMN model into a smart contract that provides a transaction mechanism to enforce the transactional properties of the nested transactions. Our approach greatly reduces the developer's task as synchronization of collaborative activities is provided by our approach, so that the developer needs to code only isolated tasks with well-defined inputs and outputs. We also overview the TABS+ tool we built as a proof of concept to show that our approach is feasible, and we provide estimates on the cost of supporting the nested trade transactions.

A Decentralized Energy Management System Inculcating Supply–Demand Ratio (SDR) and Miners’ Stake Through Blockchain Smart Contract for Community Microgrid Operation

A Decentralized Energy Management System Inculcating Supply–Demand Ratio (SDR) and Miners’ Stake Through Blockchain Smart Contract for Community Microgrid Operation

Proxy Re-Encryption for Secure Data Sharing with Blockchain in Internet of Medical Things

The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) is crucial in our daily health monitoring and assisting doctors in treatment. However, the existing schemes mainly use cloud servers to solve the storage of large amounts of data generated by smart devices, ignoring the guarantee mechanism of ciphertext integrity, which may result in data being tampered with or replaced in data sharing. To address this issue, we propose a secure data sharing scheme named Proxy Re-Encryption for Secure Data Sharing with Blockchain in Internet of Medical Things (PRE-IoMT). Specifically, we propose a new proxy re-encryption data sharing approach by introducing identity hash during the key generation phase to realize the binding of public key and user identity, thus enhancing the security of data sharing in PRE-IoMT. Moreover, we adopt BlockChain transactions to design a pairing function ciphertext check mechanism, which can effectively prevent the ciphertext stored in the cloud server from being tampered with. We add the user to the accumulator by invoking the BlockChain smart contract to realize the management and fast query of users. Finally, we conduct the performance analysis experiments on the four-stage computation of proxy re-encryption, communication overhead, storage overhead, transmission delay, and the delay of BlockChain transactions, compared with existing schemes, our scheme improves the computation efficiency of encryption, re-encryption, decryption, and re-decryption by about 23.8%, 71.4%, 48%, and 15.3% respectively. The security proof also exhibits that PRE-IoMT can resist IND-ID-CPA.

BLOCKCHAIN AS A MEAN ENHANCING INTERNATIONAL TRADE

The foundation of the world economy is the international commerce system, but it faces difficulties like fraud, inefficiency, and a lack of confidence. The transformational potential of blockchain technology to improve the international trade landscape includes paperwork, delays, and hazards that complex relationships between importers, exporters, financial institutions, and regulatory authorities. Blockchain presents itself as a revolutionary force that provides efficiency, security, and transparency. Blockchain's smart contracts speed up verification of letters of credit (LCs) in trade finance. The precise blockchain security contributes to safety and fraud prevention by thwarting unauthorized access and tampering. This study explores the case studies to determine how blockchain technology might resolve issues, speed up transactions, and restore confidence in the global commerce ecosystem. Blockchain’s use ultimately is able to reshape trade procedures, promoting a climate of dependability, transparency, and cooperative development.

Integrating economic load dispatch information into the blockchain smart contracts based on the fractional-order swarming optimizer

The modern power generation systems are increasing their reliance on high penetrations of distributed energy resources (DERs). However, the optimal dispatching mechanisms mainly rely on central controls which receive the load demand information from the electricity utility providers and allocate the electricity production targets to participating generating units. The lack of transparency and control over the DER fuel inputs makes the physical power purchase agreements (PPAs) a cumbersome task. This research work proposes an innovative fractal moth flame optimization (FMFO) approach to tackle the problem of integrated load dispatch (ILD). The proposed methodology provides a mechanism to integrate the information of the proposed optimizer, i.e., FMFO into the smart contracts enabled by the blockchain technology. This problem entails the allocation of loads to power-generating units in a manner that minimizes the total generation cost in a decentralized manner. To improve the efficiency of dispatch operations in the presence of a substantial integration of wind energy, this study proposes a novel framework based on the principles of fractal heritage, drawing inspiration from the classical MFO method. To assess the effectiveness and adaptability of the algorithm suggested, various non-convex scenarios in the context of optimization for ILD are considered. These scenarios incorporate valve-point loading effects (VPLEs), capacity limitations, power plants with multiple fuel options, and the presence of stochastic wind (SW) power uncertainty, following a Weibull distribution. The findings demonstrate exceptional performance in terms of minimizing fuel generation costs compared to traditional algorithms.

VM Matters: A Comparison of WASM VMs and EVMs in the Performance of Blockchain Smart Contracts

Beyond an emerging popular web applications runtime supported in almost all commodity browsers, WebAssembly (WASM) is further regarded to be the next-generation execution environment for blockchain-based applications. Indeed, many popular blockchain platforms such as EOSIO and NEAR have adopted WASM-based execution engines. Most recently, WASM has been favored by Ethereum, the largest smart contract platform, to replace the state-of-the-art EVM. However, whether and how well current WASM outperforms EVM on blockchain clients is still unknown. This article conducts the first measurement study to understand the performance on WASM VMs and EVM for executing smart contracts for blockchain-based applications. To our surprise, the current WASM VM does not provide expected satisfactory performance. The overhead introduced by WASM is really non-trivial. Our results shed the light on challenges when deploying WASM in practice, and provide insightful implications for improvement space.

Compliance checking for cross-border construction logistics clearance using blockchain smart contracts and oracles

ABSTRACT This research aims to develop a deployable blockchain smart contract and oracle model for automated and transparent customs compliance checking in cross-border construction logistics. A scene analysis is conducted to extract requirements, and then a blockchain-enabled model is prototyped and tested in two case studies. We find that the prototype is feasible, and the performance is satisfactory in terms of compliance checking time (t = 1523–1530 s), accuracy (a = 55.9% to 100%), private data collection (p = 100%), and information transparency (l = 0.787–1). The innovation of this research is to combine blockchain smart contracts and oracles to achieve automation and transparency in cross-border construction logistics.

ANNProof: Building a verifiable and efficient outsourced approximate nearest neighbor search system on blockchain

Data-as-a-service is increasingly prevalent, with outsourced K-approximate nearest neighbors search (K-ANNS) gaining popularity in applications like similar image retrieval and anti-money laundering. However, malicious search service providers and dataset providers in current outsourced query systems cause incorrect user query results. To address this, we propose ANNProof, a novel framework supporting verifiable outsourced K-ANNS on the blockchain. ANNProof utilizes two innovative authenticated data structures (ADS), the Merkle HNSW node tree, and the Merkle vector identifier tree, for efficient K-ANNS query verification. Additionally, we employ the Merkle sharding tree as an ADS optimization technique, reducing the overhead of delivering verifiable queries. We implement the ADS construction protocol based on blockchain smart contracts to ensure tamper-evident datasets and enhance execution efficiency via a contract state consistency checking scheme. Extensive evaluations show that ANNProof reduces VO generation time, result verification time, and VO size by 160, 120, and 28×, respectively, compared to the state-of-the-art systems. Moreover, ADS construction using ANNProof takes at most 2% of the index construction time, resulting in a negligible overhead for implementing verifiable queries. Meanwhile, the sharding optimization accelerates ADS updates by 53×.

Attribute-Based Encryption With Reliable Outsourced Decryption in Cloud Computing Using Smart Contract

Outsourcing the heavy decryption computation to a cloud service provider has been a promising solution for a resource-constrained mobile device to deploy an attribute-based encryption scheme. However, the current attribute based encryption with outsourced decryption schemes only enable the mobile device to verify whether the cloud service provider has returned a correct decryption result, they lack a mechanism to enable the cloud service provider to escape from a mobile device's wrong claim if it has returned a correct decryption result. This paper, for the first time, proposes an attribute based encryption with reliable outsourced decryption scheme using the blockchain smart contract. In the proposed scheme, not only can the mobile device verify whether the cloud service provider has returned a correct decryption result, but also the cloud service provider can escape from a wrong claim if the returned decryption result is correct. Moreover, our system achieves the fairness property, which means the cloud service provider can get the reward from the mobile device if and only if it has returned a correct decryption result. Finally, we conduct an implementation to demonstrate that the proposed scheme is practical and efficient.

A Systematic Literature Survey on Electronic Health Record System Using Blockchain

Abstract-Compared with traditional paper-based medical records , Electronic health records (EHRs) are widely used because of their efficiency, secu- rity, and reducing data redundancy.The Electronic Health Record (EHR) system is a major technolog- ical development in healthcare that has completely changed how patient data is collected, stored, and used. Through the use of cutting-edge digital tech- nologies, the EHR system offers a safe, centralized location for all patient data. Healthcare personnel may easily access, edit, and share patient informa- tion thanks to its user-friendly interfaces, which helps them make more informed clinical decisions and provide better treatment.The system developed using the Ethereum network using Ganache. The measured approach is to store patients data and execute functions in a decentralized system using blockchain smart contracts. To further protect pa- tient privacy and adhere to privacy laws, the system places a high priority on data security and uses strong authentication and encryption mechanisms. Keywords-Blockchain, Decentralized, Ethereum, Healthcare, Smartcontacts,

Assessing the predictive benefits of Waqftech smart contracts on corporate waqf crowdfunding among Malaysian enterprises

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the adoption of waqf technology (Waqftech) using blockchain smart contracts for corporate waqf crowdfunding. Despite the growing interest in Waqftech, Malaysian enterprises have not fully embraced this emerging technology because of uncertainty regarding the benefits it offers to contributors. The research incorporates two theoretical frameworks: the electronic data interchange (EDI) model for firms’ technology adoption, and the triple bottom line theory (TBL) for corporate social responsibility.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative method using a cross-sectional survey design with a five-point Likert scale questionnaire was used. Data was collected from 210 decision-makers representing small and medium-sized enterprises and analyzed using partial least squares-structural equation modeling.FindingsThe findings from this research suggest that Malaysian enterprises are influenced by both corporate and social predictive benefits when using blockchain crowdfunding, but not by environmental benefits. The adoption of blockchain smart contracts does not correlate with predictive environmental benefits because of misconceptions about the disruptive technology’s impact on biological and digital environmental preservation.Research limitations/implicationsThis research focuses on organizational behavior rather than individual users of waqf crowdfunding, and it is limited, primarily focusing within Malaysia and regions with similar waqf structures.Practical implicationsThe Waqftech framework allows innovative mechanisms for executing corporate waqf investment returns to the intended beneficiaries through the smart contracts’ platform. In addition, this study supports relevant corporate social responsibility and creating shared value technology adoption theories, including EDI and TBL. Aside from this, the study provides empirical implications for waqf management using fintech platforms.Originality/valueThis groundbreaking study focuses on creating a Waqftech model for corporate waqf crowdfunding. The results of this study are important for the development of government policies that support the use of Waqftech in charitable fundraising. More research on biological and digital environmental perspectives is proposed to foster investors’ confidence in the visibility of digital tracking and lead to swift investments in future metaverse fundraising platforms.

Data Mesh Meets Blockchain

Effective dataset management is crucial for enterprises to make informed decisions and remain competitive. However, centralized dataset management approaches often result in poor scalability, unclear governance, inaccessible data silos, and duplication of efforts. This paper proposes a distributed blockchain-based framework inspired by the data mesh architecture to address these challenges. Our proposed framework leverages blockchain’s decentralized nature to enable efficient and transparent dataset sharing across enterprise business domains. By turning datasets into digital assets and business domains into peers, our framework utilizes blockchain smart contracts to allow business domains to view, request, and share datasets. In this paper, we describe the details of our framework, and we analyze it from scalability, accessibility, security, and data governance perspectives. To validate our framework, we provide a proof-of-concept implementation with a publicly available source code.

Security issues of the gold industry chain based on smart blockchain in the context of the Internet of Things

The purpose is to solve the safety production and management problems of the gold Industrial Chain and give early warning of the safety situation of the gold Industrial Chain. According to the theory of industrial chain security governance and the basic situation of the gold Industrial Chain, this work establishes a gold Industrial Chain model based on smart blockchain and system dynamics (SD), and discusses the application of the gold Industrial Chain in the Internet of Things (IoT) environment. The overall goal of the application of IoT technology to the safety management of intelligent gold mines is to take the gold mine production demand as the driving force. The digitalization of production, electromechanical, safety, dispatching, and other information realizes intelligent digital perception, assists decision-making, guides the safety management of gold mining operations, continuously improves the operation efficiency of the gold mining industry, and drives the development of the industry. Finally, it takes the resource reserve of China’s gold industry from 2011 to 2021 as the research data introduces the weighting method to assess the security situation of China’s gold Industrial Chain from 2011 to 2021. The safety performance of China's environmental industry chain is evaluated through the detailed introduction of the basic information of the gold Industrial Chain. The result shows that the security situation of China’s gold Industrial Chain from 2011 to 2021 shows an overall growth trend, 88.42% higher than in 2014. The security situation of China’s gold Industrial Chain from 2011 to 2021 positively impacted the opening of the domestic gold market and entering the international gold market, improving the security level of China’s gold Industrial Chain. In this work, a gold Industrial Chain security model based on smart blockchain and SD is established to solve the safety problem of the gold Industrial Chain, which can improve the safety level of the gold industry and promote its sustainable development.

ICOE: A Lightweight Group-Consensus-Based Off-Chain Execution Model for Smart Contract-Based Industrial Applications

Programmable smart contracts facilitate the application of blockchain to many areas of industry, e.g., supply chains, energy, and healthcare. The off-chain execution model for blockchain smart contracts is a promising approach to achieve scalability for industrial applications, which executes each smart contract in one of the small-scale consensus groups. However, previous work based on such a model cannot efficiently handle cross-group contract transactions that involve multiple cross-group invocations between smart contracts, because of the heavyweight state synchronization and repeated executions. In this paper, we propose <sc xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">ICOE</small> , a lightweight group-consensus based off-chain execution model for cross-group contract transactions without the need of state synchronization and duplicate executions, and also prove its correctness. The key novelty of our <sc xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">ICOE</small> is to let the invoked smart contract only executed in its residing group and only return the execution result to the invoking smart contract, while leveraging the two-phase commit(2PC) protocol guarantees consistent commits across multiple groups within the same invoking smart contract transaction. We implement <sc xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">ICOE</small> and extensive experimental results show that our <sc xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">ICOE</small> achieves a 14x improvement of throughput on average compared to the state-of-the-art model.

Balancing User Privacy and Legal Demands while Conducting Businesses on the Blockchain

Blockchain technology offers a promising way to improve business processes by providing a secure and transparent transaction platform. However, using this technology brings its own set of challenges, especially when trying to balance user privacy with legal and regulatory needs. This article explores the challenges of keeping user information private, adhering to regulatory frameworks, and fulfilling legal requirements on the blockchain. A key point in this research is the challenge of keeping or maintaining confidentiality while being transparent. The article also discusses the issues of applying legal rules to a system not controlled by one central authority, the risks of privacy and security breaches, and the need to follow data protection laws. The article highlights how some blockchain-based companies have tackled these challenges, mainly through smart blockchain management and innovative technology, by looking at real-world examples from major companies like IBM, Bitpay, Ripple, and Coinbase. The systematic literature review (SLR) methodology involved reviewing literature from the past 15 years (2008-2023) from trusted sources like Google Scholar, ACM Digital Library, IEEE, Springer, and Science Direct. The findings indicate that cutting-edge technologies prioritizing privacy, such as zero-knowledge proofs, ring signatures, and encryption methods, would enable Bitcoin (BTC) platform operations to maintain or balance privacy and transparency. Furthermore, the study indicates the importance of clear privacy guidelines, adhering to relevant regulations, working closely with regulators and law enforcement, and educating users. In summary, it is crucial to approach blockchain carefully, prioritizing user privacy while meeting all legal and regulatory requirements.

Implementing trades of the National Football League Draft on blockchain smart contracts

PurposeDemonstrate proof-of-concept for conducting NFL Draft trades on a blockchain network using smart contracts.Design/methodology/approachUsing Ethereum smart contracts, the authors model several types of draft trades between teams. An example scenario is used to demonstrate contract interaction and draft results.FindingsThe authors show the feasibility of conducting draft-day trades using smart contracts. The entire negotiation process, including side deals, can be conducted digitally.Research limitations/implicationsFurther work is required to incorporate the full-scale depth required to integrate the draft trading process into a decentralized user platform and experience.Practical implicationsCutting time for the trade negotiation process buys decision time for team decision-makers. Gains are also made with accuracy and cost.Social implicationsFull-scale adoption may find resistance due to the level of fan involvement; the draft has evolved into an interactive experience for both fans and teams.Originality/valueThis research demonstrates the new application of smart contracts in the inter-section of sports management and blockchain technology.