Blockchain-Based Task Placement and Resource Management in Edge Computing: A Survey

Abstract

As the metaverse progresses, it requires real-time, low-latency, and secure computing capabilities that conventional cloud-based systems cannot fully support. Multiaccess edge computing (MEC) addresses this demand by moving processing closer to the user; however, it also introduces new challenges in task placement, resource management, security, and trust. The blockchain is a promising enabler to address the limitations of trust, transparency, and centralized control in these systems. This survey systematically reviews 61 high-quality studies that explore blockchain-based solutions for task offloading and resource allocation in MEC. This work identifies the prevailing trends and research gaps using a structured method. The analysis reveals that over 60% of studies employ artificial intelligence-based techniques. Additionally, this work quantifies the adoption of various performance metrics from the literature and examines the case study distribution across application domains. Finally, this work outlines the technical challenges and opportunities for future research toward scalable, efficient, and trustworthy blockchain-enabled MEC frameworks.