Blockchain-Enabled Secure Data Sharing in Distributed IoT Networks: A Paradigm for Smart City Applications

Abstract

The advent of blockchain technology presents transformative opportunities for enhancing data security and transparency in distributed IoT networks, particularly in the context of smart cities. This study proposes a blockchain-enabled secure data-sharing framework designed to address challenges such as data integrity, unauthorized access, and latency in interconnected IoT systems. The framework leverages decentralized consensus mechanisms and advanced cryptographic techniques to ensure secure, tamper-proof data exchange among IoT devices. Performance evaluation was conducted using a simulation of a smart city IoT network with 5,000 interconnected devices across various sectors, including healthcare, transportation, and energy management. The proposed solution demonstrated a 98.5% success rate in preventing unauthorized access and a 34% improvement in data integrity compared to traditional centralized systems. Additionally, latency analysis revealed an average reduction of 22% in data transmission delays due to optimized block propagation algorithms. Energy efficiency, a critical factor in IoT environments, was also evaluated, with the proposed framework achieving a 15% reduction in energy consumption per transaction compared to existing blockchain models. Scalability tests indicated the system's capacity to handle up to 10,000 transactions per second while maintaining high throughput and security standards. These results underscore the potential of blockchain technology to revolutionize secure data sharing in distributed IoT networks, enabling reliable and efficient operations in smart city applications. The study provides a roadmap for integrating blockchain with IoT to support sustainable, secure, and scalable urban infrastructures.