Blockchain Technologies in the Design and Operation of Cyber-Physical Systems

Abstract

A blockchain is an open, distributed ledger that can record transactions between two parties in an efficient, verifiable, and permanent way. Once recorded in a block, the transaction data cannot be altered retroactively. Moreover, smart contracts can be put in place to ensure that any new data added to the blockchain respects the terms of an agreement between the involved parties. As such, the blockchain becomes the single source of truth for all stakeholders in the system. These characteristics make blockchain technology especially useful in the context of Industry 4.0, distributed in nature, but with important requirements of trust and accountability among the large number of devices involved in the collaboration. In this chapter, we will see concrete scenarios where cyber-physical systems (CPSs) can benefit from blockchain technology, especially focusing on how blockchain works in practice, and which are the design and architectural trade-offs we should keep in mind when adopting this technology both for the design and operation of CPSs.