# Blockchain Applications in the Military Domain:
## 5 Discussion
### Energy-Efficient Blockchain Implementations  
Energy-efficient blockchain implementations have emerged as a key innovation in solving the challenges wrought by traditional energy-intensive systems, especially in resource-constrained military applications. Recent studies have shown that lightweight architectures play an important role in enhancing the feasibility of blockchain for such environments. Researchers in a study [63] have shown that integrating decentralized storage solutions optimizes data handling and transaction latency, providing scalable and energy-conscious solutions for IoT-based systems. These works are a precursor to the required shift from traditional blockchain models, where efficiency is prioritized with minimal compromises on robustness. However, the trade-offs between reduced energy consumption and potential vulnerabilities due to protocol simplification require further investigation. The application of blockchain in creating energy markets introduces dynamic resource management capabilities. Researchers in their study [66] showed this in a framework that can be employed for secure energy trading among UAVs, overcoming some of the major operational limitations resulting from battery life. This illustrates how blockchain can enable not only static data storage but also real-time resource optimization and operational flexibility. These frameworks do not answer whether such frameworks are scalable in larger networks or resilient under adversarial settings. Another promising direction in energy efficiency is the integration of optimization algorithms with blockchain. Additionally, other researchers in their study [85] revealed the effectiveness of particle swarm optimization in handling UAV scheduling and energy utilization to achieve impressive results in energy utilization and the reduction in latency. Such a synergy between algorithmic decision making and blockchain transparency reflects the adaptability of blockchain systems to dynamic, complex environments. However, larger deployments have the computational demands brought about by such integrations offset energy gains; hence, there is a need for models to quantify and validate such trade-offs. The advent of fog and edge computing is thus paradigmatic in making blockchains efficient. Also, researchers [55] showed how such decentralized computing paradigms reduce energy consumption by offloading tasks to edge devices, hence increasing operational scalability and efficiency. While promising, these systems bring new security challenges in physical and logical integrity within localized nodes. Ensuring that edge-fog architectures maintain blockchain's integrity in a decentralized way and surmount the associated vulnerabilities will be important for their wider diffusion within military contexts. Energy-efficient routing protocols forming integral components of blockchain-based networks extend their utility, even to the foundational network operations. Furthermore, researchers in their study [91] illustrated how cluster-based routing protocols in SDN environments could leverage blockchain technologies to optimize throughput and latency. These innovations further stress the adaptability of blockchain in solving network-layer issues, though maintaining routing stability in high mobility or adversarial settings remains a critical challenge. The present review would improve by focusing on possible energy-efficient solutions or emerging low-energy blockchain protocols. Indeed, protocols designed for low-power environments, using either proof of authority (PoA) or proof of stake (PoS) consensus mechanisms, have shown promising prospects toward replacing traditional energy-intensive models, like proof of work. These consensus mechanisms greatly reduce computational demands while preserving the security and integrity of the blockchain. Second, further development of hybrid blockchain models that blend centralized and decentralized elements achieve even better energy use with little performance sacrifice.