Lightweight Blockchain-Based Architecture for 5G Enabled IoT

Abstract

This paper introduces a lightweight Blockchain-based architecture for 5G-enabled Internet-of-Thing (IoT) networks that employs a low-complexity consensus algorithm suitable for resource-constrained IoT devices. By combining 5G technology with a lightweight Blockchain consensus algorithm, the proposed architecture guarantees high availability, real-time data delivery, security, reliability, and low-latency connectivity. Two transaction types are considered in this architecture, i.e., local and public. Local transactions are exchanged within devices located in the same Small Cell (SC) or Macro Cell (MC) private Blockchains, while public transactions exchange data among different MCs in the public Blockchain and store verified data in the distributed ledger. Performance evaluation reveals that the proposed architecture outperforms conventional 5G (without Blockchain) regarding security against data manipulation and fraud. The proposed architecture improves hashing and encryption protocols compared to conventional 5G but slightly reduces the data traffic rate and increases local transaction processing time. In contrast, the proposed architecture reduces the consensus processing time in the public Blockchain compared to Proof of Elapsed Time (PoET) by about thirty percent due to adding a Distributed Trust Algorithm (DTA). We evaluate the proposed architecture’s performance against conventional 5G and PoET in terms of processing time and power consumption. The results indicate that the proposed architecture provides superior performance, and the DTA algorithm’s addition enhances the public transaction’s consensus processing time.