Blockchain for Edge of Things: Applications, Opportunities, and Challenges

TL;DR

This paper reviews the integration of blockchain with Edge of Things (EoT), highlighting its applications, opportunities, and challenges across various industries, and discusses future research directions in this emerging field.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of BEoT, including recent advances, applications, security challenges, and future research directions, which is a novel synthesis in this area.

Findings

BEoT enhances security and traceability in IoT applications.

Blockchain integration enables new services in smart cities and healthcare.

Security challenges include authentication, privacy, and attack detection.

Abstract

In recent years, blockchain networks have attracted significant attention in many research areas beyond cryptocurrency, one of them being the Edge of Things (EoT) that is enabled by the combination of edge computing and the Internet of Things (IoT). In this context, blockchain networks enabled with unique features such as decentralization, immutability, and traceability, have the potential to reshape and transform the conventional EoT systems with higher security levels. Particularly, the convergence of blockchain and EoT leads to a new paradigm, called BEoT that has been regarded as a promising enabler for future services and applications. In this paper, we present a state-of-the-art review of recent developments in BEoT technology and discover its great opportunities in many application domains. We start our survey by providing an updated introduction to blockchain and EoT along with their recent advances. Subsequently, we discuss the use of BEoT in a wide range of industrial applications, from smart transportation, smart city, smart healthcare to smart home and smart grid. Security challenges in BEoT paradigm are also discussed and analyzed, with some key services such as access authentication, data privacy preservation, attack detection, and trust management. Finally, some key research challenges and future directions are also highlighted to instigate further research in this promising area.