Blockchain-Enabled SDN Solutions for IoT: Advancements, Discussions, and Strategic Insights
Hicham Lakhlef, Thomas Lerner, Aness Kebir, Nadia El Atia, Xingyu Du, Valentine Ingardin · 2024
The convergence of Software-Defined Networking (SDN) and Blockchain technologies has emerged as a promising solution for addressing critical challenges in Internet of Things (IoT) networks. This paper presents a comprehensive review of recent research papers exploring the integration of SDN and Blockchain to enhance the security, scalability, and efficiency of IoT ecosystems. The surveyed literature highlights diverse architectures, algorithms, and frameworks proposed to tackle various IoT-related challenges, ranging from data security and privacy to energy efficiency and resource management. Through structured summaries and comparative analyses, this study elucidates the evolving trends in the interdisciplinary domain of SDN-Blockchain integration for IoT networks, identifying key research gaps and future directions. Moreover, the paper discusses the benefits, challenges, and considerations associated with this convergence, offering insights into optimizing consensus mechanisms, leveraging edge computing, standardizing interoperable protocols, enhancing privacy-preserving technologies, and fostering cross-disciplinary collaborations. In conclusion, while acknowledging the transformative potential of SDN-Blockchain integration in shaping the future of interconnected smart ecosystems, this paper underscores the importance of concerted research efforts and collaborative initiatives to address the multifaceted challenges and realize the full potential of this convergence.