# Blockchain for Future Wireless Networks: A Decade Survey
###### Abstract
In addition, the 3G network offers technologies, such as enhanced data rates for global evolution (EDGE), code division multiple access (CDMA), and early development of long-term evolution (LTE) that offer high data rates (14 Mbps), which raises the connectivity of mobile devices and improves the existing cellular systems. Furthermore, with the availability of IP-based communication, many users worldwide are getting connected by 3G networks to use semantic web services. However, it also raises different security vulnerabilities, such as denial-of-service (DoS), overbilling, and signaling-level attacks [7]. To overcome these issues, the international telecommunication union (ITU) has fostered the development of the fourth generation (4G) network that makes efficient use of the radio spectrum and increases the capacity, data rates, and bandwidth to deliver low latency multimedia services [8]. Similar to other legacy systems (1G-3G), the 4G network is also leveraged by several security threats and vulnerabilities, such as manipulation of access points, distributed denial of service (DDoS), data integrity, and replay attacks that deteriorate the QoS of 4G-based applications. To tackle such security hindrances, the previous generation WNs (2G to 4G) offer several security solutions, such as configuring the first line of defense  
Figure 1: Evolution of wireless networks. by installing firewalls and intrusion detection systems, secure data by encapsulating, encryption and authentication, and incorporating demilitarized zones to protect sensitive data and critical infrastructure from the adversaries [9; 10]. However, there is an increase in privacy concerns as user demands are increasing. When a user uses wireless communication to connect to the Internet, it leaves many footprints that an adversary can collect from different WNs-based applications to perform user tracking and social engineering attacks. The development of the internet-of-things (IoT) technology enables portability and more openness to the wireless network. Since a portable device is easy to attack and track instead of an entire infrastructure of the organization, it increases the privacy leakage issues in various technology, such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi-based laptops, and smartphones [11; 12]. 5G has added another dimension to the WN by satisfying the user's demands of high data rates, reliability, scalability, and low latency communication [13]. The primary objective of a 5G network is to transform a standard cellular network into an intelligent network by incorporating AI, blockchain, edge computing, and IoT technologies. It also brings effective radio access techniques, such as massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), device-to-device (D2D), millimeter-wave (mmWave), and ultra-densification connectivity, which prolongs the user scalability in WN [14; 15]. However, the 5G network has abstracted design principles and is not appropriately documented; as a result, there is a high risk that malicious adversaries can maneuver the standards and regulations of a 5G network [5; 16]. Additionally, integrating modern technologies with WN creates a different horizon of challenges, such as lower network resiliency, data integrity, downtime, single-point failure, coordinated attacks, and unauthenticated access control [17]. One of the plausible solutions to overcome a few of the above-mentioned security issues from WN is to adopt cryptographic techniques, where most of the WN-based applications and devices use end-to-end encryption by incorporating asymmetric and symmetric key encryption, message digest, and hashing [18]. However, to fully secure WN from attackers, we need a stronger and considerable size key length, which is computationally expensive and not feasible. Though with modern computing capabilities, one can generate such keys and secure the WNs. However, the problem lies in sharing the keys with communicating parties, which formally use a public channel, i.e., the internet, to share the keys.