## 3 Results and Discussion
Let \(=\left[x_{ij}\right]_{m\times n}\), which is the decision matrix, where its elements represent the performance of the alternative \(A_{i}\) with respect to criterion \(C_{j}\). Stage 2. Formation of a set of alternatives (consensus protocols). The main goal of decision making is to get the best alternative or a list of ranked alternatives using MCDM methods based on the decision matrix X, criteria weights, and other constraints (if any). As a rule, the number of alternatives is not limited. However, some MCDM methods can only be effectively applied to a few criteria and alternatives. Therefore, compiling the most appropriate list of alternatives is a responsible task. The scientific literature and documentation of blockchain consensus protocols can be used to solve this. A large number of works are devoted to consensus protocols for blockchain-based IoT networks, for example [12; 13; 14; 15; 16]. For example, the paper [13] presents a new approach to surveying blockchain consensus algorithms that are suitable for resource-limited IoT systems. The authors introduce an ontology, which is a tool for organizing and explaining knowledge, that is specifically designed to classify consensus algorithms in terms of their adaptability to IoT. The ontology is divided into two parts: CONB for generic consensus algorithms and CONIoT for algorithms proposed for IoT. Using this ontology, the article provides a detailed analysis of major consensus algorithms and their suitability for IoT based on their design and implementation goals. The authors also discuss open research challenges and future directions for research in this area. The paper [14] explored the potential use of blockchain to ensure data security and integrity in IoT networks. It focused on the current consensus methods and their feasibility for IoT devices and networks with limited resources. The article discussed the advantages and disadvantages of current blockchain implementations and suggested that private blockchains and Tangle may be better suited for IoT networks than public blockchains. Among the discussed implementations, Hyperledger Fabric, Sawtooth, Iota, and Ethereum were considered to be the most promising for IoT applications, as they had addressed some of the existing limitations of the blockchain. However, none of them had fully addressed all the limitations to an acceptable degree. The authors suggested that a hybrid framework combining multiple existing frameworks or a modified method of consensus may be necessary to achieve a large-scale, low-latency blockchain-based IoT network. Ref. [15] aimed to provide researchers with an overview of blockchain consensus mechanisms and their applications in IoT networks. The authors classified the consensus mechanisms into four categories based on their focus on security, scalability, energy efficiency, and performance improvement. They analyzed the advantages and disadvantages of each of these consensus mechanisms and suggested future directions for the development of blockchain consensus mechanisms, with a focus on security, scalability, performance improvement, and resource consumption. It is likely that in the future, the combination of blockchain and the Internet of Things will seek more secure, energy-efficient, highly scalable, and efficient blockchain consensus mechanisms. In the considered works, benchmarking, i.e., comparison and testing in accordance with a set of specific evaluation criteria, was used as the main decision-making method when comparing and choosing consensus protocols. The choice could involve the use of existing surveys and studies of blockchain consensus mechanisms for IoT networks.