Reviewerly/exHarmony huggingface dataset:
Blockchain-based Federated Learning for Decentralized Energy Management Systems

The Internet of Energy (IoE) is a distributed paradigm that leverages smart networks and distributed system technologies to enable decentralized energy systems. In contrast to the traditional centralized energy systems, distributed Energy Internet systems comprise multiple components and communication requirements that demand innovative technologies for decentralization, reliability, efficiency, and security. Recent advances in blockchain architectures, smart contracts, and distributed federated learning technologies have opened up new opportunities for realizing decentralized Energy Internet services. In this paper, we present a comprehensive analysis and classification of state-of-the-art solutions that employ blockchain, smart contracts, and federated learning for the IoE domains. Specifically, we identify four representative system models and discuss their key aspects. These models demonstrate the diverse ways in which blockchain, smart contracts, and federated learning can be integrated to support the main domains of IoE, namely distributed energy trading and sharing, smart microgrid energy networks, and electric and connected vehicle management. Furthermore, we provide a detailed comparison of the different levels of decentralization, the advantages of federated learning, and the benefits of using blockchain for the IoE systems. Additionally, we identify open issues and areas for future research for integrating federated learning and blockchain in the Internet of Energy domains.
Towards Privacy-Aware Federated Learning for User-Sensitive Data

Federated Learning (FL) has been envisioned as a promising approach for collaboratively training learning models while preserving private individuals' data. In the FL training procedure, participants train a global model by exchanging the model parameters and keeping the raw data private. Nevertheless, exchanging those model parameters causes insecure interaction among participants that might disclose the individual's identity or private information. To this end, several approaches have considered secure multiparty computation (SMC) and differential privacy. Those approaches suffer from several drawbacks, such as limited accuracy, computational capacities, or functional behavior, and cannot guarantee participants' identity during the learning process. To this end, in this paper, we propose a novel Threshold Signature-based Authentication (TSA) scheme for secure FL. The TSA scheme secures the participants' identity against any chosen cipher-text attack and forbids external adversaries from malicious attacks. Moreover, the TSA scheme can successfully defend the identity leaks from the trained models against property and membership inference attacks. The experimental results show that the TSA can achieve 91% training accuracy, which is superior to the existing methods.
Cross-Chain Atomic Swaps without Time Locks

Since the introduction of the blockchain technology in the form of the Bitcoin [1] cryptocurrency, numerous blockchains have been introduced with applications beyond cryptocurrency. Introduction of smart contracts and tokenization of assets has made blockchain technology a decentralized, replicated and transparent program execution engine with the capability to represent real-world assets as tokens. However, with the diversity of blockchain platforms, and diversity of applications, interoperability between applications has become an important problem. Especially with the increasing use of asset tokenizations, cross-chain token transfer which guarantees safety and live-ness properties became necessary. Atomic cross chain transactions are building blocks for the cross chain execution of the smart contract. Atomic cross-chain swap is the simplest kind of the cross chain transaction. In this paper we present a novel atomic cross chain swap protocol. Our protocol does not use time locks unlike previously proposed solutions. Time-locking leaves the funds locked at the whim of the proposer, and hash-time locking protocol is probabilistic, in the sense that there is a possibility that proposer might not complete the transaction and cheat the other party. Our protocol is deterministic and ends in a finite number of steps. We also provide formal proofs of safety and liveness properties of our protocol.
Blockchain-Enabled Private 5G Networks: A Primer

Private 5G Networks (P5GNs) are a newly emerging paradigm that the telecommunication sector and industry verticals are about to witness. The concept of P5GN is to build a 5G network with just enough infrastructure, which is required to fulfill the specific and local needs of an industry vertical. Broadly, P5GNs offer two-fold benefits. First, it creates new business opportunities for new entrants with small investments, and second, it satisfies the specific need of industry verticals with contextual and location-aware services and content. However, there are numerous challenges like spectrum scarcity, roaming fraud, limited infrastructure, confined coverage, security vulnerabilities, and management of massive small data. Thus, this paper aims to explore various existing challenges and discuss how blockchain technology, in conjunction with smart contracts, can be leveraged to mitigate them. Further, the implementation challenges in rolling out blockchain-enabled solutions are presented with possible solutions to overcome them.
Blockchain CBDC Security Threats Using STRIDE

In strategic response to the increasing threats from crypto payment systems, cryptocurrencies, and stablecoins, central banks globally are contemplating the introduction of their digital currencies, termed Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs). This trend, especially the emergence of CBDCs built on blockchain technology, instigates significant discourse on security and privacy concerns. This research paper delves into the potential security risks of blockchain-based CBDCs, distinguishing between permissionless and permissioned network architectures and token-based and account-based access mechanisms. We employed STRIDE, a threat modeling methodology, to elucidate these risks, on architectural constructs derived from CBDC proposals and use cases, identifying 39 distinct threats. Our study intends to enrich the ongoing dialogue on the evolution of blockchain-based CBDCs. The findings provide a robust foundation to guide and inform prudent design decisions by offering a detailed understanding of potential security and privacy risks, thereby contributing to developing more secure CBDCs.
Qwallet: A Hybrid Cryptocurrency Wallet using Quantum RNG

Blockchain wallets use two primary key generation schemes: non-deterministic (ND) and hierarchical deterministic (HD). ND key generation scheme provides better fund distribution but have issues with backup complexity and memory utilization. HD key generation scheme simplifies the backup process but is vulnerable to privilege escalation and brute-force attacks. In addition, deterministic pseudo-random algorithms used in these key generation schemes are predictable, which makes Quantum Random Number Generators (QRNGs) a promising alternative. This paper proposes Qwallet: a hybrid wallet based on the user's behavior that utilizes both HD and ND key generation architecture while leveraging QRNG to generate the keys. The wallet is optimized through deep learning, which trains on user behavior to select the optimal key generation scheme for maximum efficiency in blockchain wallet usage. We implemented and evaluated our proposed solution to support Ethereum transactions. Our results show that Qwallet reduces risk by up to 98% compared to traditional HD wallets, while consuming similar memory resources.
DocCert: Nostrification, Document Verification and Authenticity Blockchain Solution

Many institutions and organizations require nostrification and verification of qualification as a prerequisite for hiring. The idea is to recognize the authenticity of a copy or digital document issued by an institution in a foreign country and detect forgeries. Certificates, financial records, health records, official papers and others are often required to be attested from multiple entities in distinct locations. However, in this digital era where most applications happen online, and document copies are uploaded, the traditional signature and seal methods are obsolete. In a matter of minutes and with a simple photo editor, a certificate or document copy may be plagiarized or forged. Blockchain technology offers a decentralized approach to record and verify transactions without the need for huge infrastructure investment. In this paper, we propose a blockchain based nostrification system, where awarding institutions generate a digital certificate, store in a public but permissioned blockchain, where students and other stakeholders may verify. We present a thorough discussion and formal evaluation of the proposed system.
WRA-MF: A Bit-Level Convolutional-Weight-Decomposition Approach to Improve Parallel Computing Efficiency for Winograd-Based CNN Acceleration

FPGA-based convolutional neural network (CNN) accelerators have been extensively studied recently. To exploit the parallelism of multiplier–accumulator computation in convolution, most FPGA-based CNN accelerators heavily depend on the number of on-chip DSP blocks in the FPGA. Consequently, the performance of the accelerators is restricted by the limitation of the DSPs, leading to an imbalance in the utilization of other FPGA resources. This work proposes a multiplication-free convolutional acceleration scheme (named WRA-MF) to relax the pressure on the required DSP resources. Firstly, the proposed WRA-MF employs the Winograd algorithm to reduce the computational density, and it then performs bit-level convolutional weight decomposition to eliminate the multiplication operations. Furthermore, by extracting common factors, the complexity of the addition operations is reduced. Experimental results on the Xilinx XCVU9P platform show that the WRA-MF can achieve 7559 GOP/s throughput at a 509 MHz clock frequency for VGG16. Compared with state-of-the-art works, the WRA-MF achieves up to a 3.47×–27.55× area efficiency improvement. The results indicate that the proposed architecture achieves a high area efficiency while ameliorating the imbalance in the resource utilization.
Towards the Optimization of the Spanish Land Registry System

Governments spend plenty of resources and time on registering and managing the taxes of their citizens. Thanks to the use of blockchain technology, many proofs of concept are being implemented with which to automate processes such as those associated with the land registry. One of the problems of blockchain-based systems is the type of blockchain network to be used. Besides, legal problems arise due to the use of smart contracts that govern the platform. Also, the transparency provided by these blockchain-based systems can collide with the users' privacy rights. The present work focuses on providing solutions to those problems and on applying them to the Spanish land registry, by making use of stealth addresses, token ring signatures, and a permissioned network administrated by the Spanish state.
Blockchain for Email Security: A Perspective on Existing and Potential Solutions for Phishing Attacks

Email security is critical to all types of businesses, as it represents 80% of the plethora of official communication tools used by most organizations worldwide. Attackers use several techniques to trick users to perform harmful actions, mainly via emails. Identifying such activities or circumventing them is better than relying on the end-user's behavior of being unaware. Traditional e-mail systems use centralized servers to provide services, making them a single point of failure if servers are attacked or at least private information is leaked. Thus, a decentralized e-mail system can provide more trust and reliability. This study is an initial attempt to explore the use of Blockchain-based solutions to improve the security and privacy of traditional e-mail systems. This paper presents two-fold coverage of this problem. First, a summary of common email security architectures is presented, outlined, and criticized for various parameters. Second, we propose a technique for solving the problem of phishing emails by targeting changes in the email system structure using Blockchain technology thereby preventing a considerable number of phishing attempts. We discuss the approach along with its advantages and disadvantages.
Enhancing Parcel Tracking with Blockchain: A Secure and Efficient Solution for Large Shipments of Medicines and Drugs

Blockchain technology can potentially revolutionize how parcels are tracked. By leveraging blockchain's distributed ledger technology, parcel tracking can become more secure, efficient, and cost-effective. The use of blockchain for parcel tracking can provide a secure and immutable record of the entire journey of a parcel. This record can be used to track the parcel from its origin to its destination and verify the authenticity of the parcel. Thus, it reduces the risk of fraud and ensures that the parcel is delivered to the correct recipient. This paper presents a blockchain solution for a large shipment of medicines and drugs that provides confidentially and reliability to ensure that the products reach the right customer through a chain of trusted partners.
Blockchain-Based Countermeasures for Luxury Goods Counterfeiting: A Focused Survey

This study explores the potential of blockchain-based product authentication systems in mitigating the proliferation of counterfeit luxury goods. By leveraging secure hardware and blockchain technology, these systems integrate unique identifier codes into product tags stored as blocks within a decentralized ledger. The key research question addressed in this paper is: To what extent are blockchain-enabled systems effective in reducing the prevalence of counterfeit luxury items in the marketplace? Despite the secure nature of blockchain technology and its ability to maintain the integrity of stored codes, there remains a critical challenge. Counterfeiters can still manipulate physical goods and imitate product tags, highlighting a disconnect between physical products and their digital counterparts. A comprehensive literature analysis will evaluate the proposed system's efficiency and the existing gap between physical and digital product authentication. The primary objective of this research is to delineate the system's architecture and elucidate its potential utility from an economic standpoint. The analysis aims to better understand the current challenges and potential solutions within blockchain-empowered luxury goods authentication.
Dynamic Membership Management for a Permissioned Blockchain

Managing membership is a significant challenge in permissioned blockchains to ensure their liveness and safety. Current blockchain systems utilize a consensus protocol that can withstand malicious actors, necessitating a communication-heavy Byzantine fault tolerant (BFT) consensus protocol that is unnecessary in normal-case operations. Furthermore, prior consensus protocols assume a scale of nodes in orders of magnitude higher than is valuable for a permissioned blockchain. Additionally, permissioned blockchains such as Ripple [1] lack an algorithmic structure for membership management, compromising their decentralization. We present a novel and equitable membership protocol design tailored for lightweight consensus mechanisms to address these limitations. Our self-regulating protocol dynamically adjusts the permissioned node set per consensus round, responds to network anomalies, and maintains byzantine fault tolerance. Our membership protocol provides a loose coupling of resilience from the consensus protocol, which can be coupled with an elementary consensus protocol, making it a promising solution for managing membership in permissioned blockchains.
SoK: Blockchain for Industrial Internet of Things

The proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT) technology has significantly contributed to the realization of ubiquitous computing, facilitating widespread Internet connectivity across diverse application domains and thereby bridging billions of devices and individuals for seamless information collection, data processing, and decision-making. Over the past years, IoT technology has witnessed exponential growth in its applications, particularly in various industrial sectors. Despite these advancements, many existing industrial IoT (IIoT) implementations still rely on centralized architectures, which introduce vulnerabilities to single-point-of-failure attacks and necessitate substantial computational resources at the central entity. To address these challenges and enhance the efficiency and security of IIoT platforms, emerging blockchain technology offers promising prospects. As a distributed and decentralized tamper-resistant ledger, blockchain enables data consistency across multiple locations, making it a compelling solution to tackle issues prevailing in traditional IIoT networks, including heterogeneity, interoperability, and security concerns. The integration of blockchain technology into IIoT platforms, however, presents several critical challenges, inherent to both IIoT and blockchain paradigms, such as standardization, scalability, and interoperability. In this paper, we conduct a comprehensive review of recent advances in architectural design and technology development that aim to address these challenges. We approach this review from a practical perspective by analyzing existing solutions and avoiding potential pitfalls in design. Moreover, we present a selection of representative industrial use cases that stand to benefit from the incorporation of blockchain technology. Finally, we delve into the current research trends and open issues in the domain of blockchain-enabled IIoT platforms, providing insights into future directions for research and development in this burgeoning field.
Secure Multi-Party Computation for Digital Assets Custody Purpose - Analysis of Open-Source Implementations

The increasing incidents of digital asset theft have highlighted vulnerabilities in their secure management and storage. In this context, Multi-party computation (MPC) emerges as a game-changing solution, offering robust cryptographic protocols that allow multiple parties to compute over their inputs while preserving data privacy. This study examines contemporary open-source multi-party computation (MPC) algorithms and protocols, with a focus on their applications for the custody of digital assets. The paper provides a thorough chronology of the evolution and development of various MPC methods. Following a detailed examination of current open-source implementations, the most promising solutions are put to the test experimentally against a wide range of benchmarks. The best MPC-based approach for digital asset management is determined using stringent evaluation criteria that take performance, security, and usability into account. The presentation of a real-world application of an MPC-based system, demonstrating its significant impact on digital asset management and storage, is an important contribution of this study. This exhaustive exploration provides invaluable insights for developers, researchers, and organizations keen to leverage MPC's benefits. The paper concludes by outlining prospective directions for MPC research in the future, emphasizing the challenges and immense opportunities in its practical applications, underscoring its potential to usher in a safer digital future.
A Dynamic Decision Support System for the Best-Fitting Blockchain Platform Selection

Blockchain technology has been used in a variety of applications due to its security, decentralization, and immutability features, making it an ideal solution for an untrusted environment where multiple parties write data to a shared ledger based on consensus. However, with the exponential growth of blockchain platforms and their increasingly complex selection criteria, it has become difficult to determine the optimal platform for a particular use case or domain. To address this challenge, we propose a dynamic decision support system that enables users to identify the most suitable blockchain platform for their use cases and preferences. The proposed system allows users to add new categories, features, and platforms at any time, providing a flexible and adaptable solution for selecting the most appropriate blockchain platform. To develop this system, we analyzed and categorized the features of 36 blockchain platforms, focusing on Boolean and Non-Boolean characteristics. Then, we developed a decision-support system that prioritizes requirements according to their relevance and importance in the context of the specific use case. Finally, the system has been validated using different blockchain platforms. This system has the potential to significantly improve the decision-making process for selecting a suitable platform, saving time and resources while enhancing the success of blockchain-based solutions across a range of industries by simplifving the platform selection process.
Breaking Boundaries: Exploring Blockchain's Impact on UAE Organizations

In the dynamic landscape of the UAE, the blockchain ecosystem is experiencing a remarkable surge, giving rise to a multitude of innovative applications across diverse sectors. With its transformative potential, blockchain stands poised to redefine the operations of businesses and governments. By fostering a proactive stance towards adoption and regulation, the UAE has established itself as a trailblazer in blockchain innovation. This scholarly paper illuminates six compelling use cases of organizational blockchain within the UAE. These include ground-breaking implementations such as leveraging the blockchain in healthcare for organ donations, the trailblazing initiatives of the Abu Dhabi Digital Authority, the revolutionary Dubai Blockchain Business Registry for seamless business registration and licensing, the cutting-edge DubaiPay Blockchain Settlements System, the trailblazing ChequeChain by Emirates NBD, and the ground-breaking endeavour of Al Mawakeb School, which leads the world in issuing digital academic credentials to students and graduates. As blockchain technology evolves and matures, we can anticipate an influx of novel applications emerging not only within the UAE but also on a global scale. Furthermore, this research underscores critical limitations inhibiting the widespread adoption of blockchain and the persisting uncertainties that surround it. Consequently, the paper puts forth insightful suggestions for future research directions to address these challenges and foster the advancement of blockchain technology.