Proof-of-Authentication Consensus Algorithm: Blockchain-based IoT Implementation

Internet of Things (IoT) refers to the network of interconnected smart physical objects that collect and exchange information for enabling smart applications and services. IoT devices are often battery powered and lack computational resources and as a consequence, traditional measures of providing security is not feasible in IoT systems which leads to major security vulnerabilities. Blockchain technology has proven to be a secure medium of transaction in trustless public networks and has the potential to resolve the security vulnerabilities intrinsic to IoT systems. However, reaching consensus throughout a blockchain network is computationally demanding and requires large amount of energy. Moreover, typical transactions in blockchain based applications are slow, compounding the issues in adopting blockchain technology in IoT systems. In this work, a lightweight consensus algorithm called Proof-of-Authentication (PoAh), was implemented on resource-constrained IoT edge nodes and evaluated in terms of latency and energy consumption. The implemented consensus algorithm reduces latency in block validation to 29.35 ms and energy consumption to 44.31 mJ for each transaction, demonstrating promise and potential, to feasibly implement blockchain technology in IoT systems.