A Comprehensive Survey of Blockchain Applications in Communication Networks

A Comprehensive Survey of Blockchain Applications in Communication Networks | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Systematic Review A Comprehensive Survey of Blockchain Applications in Communication Networks muddasar naeem, Zaib Ullah, Fadi Al Turjman, Abdullah waqas, Nasir Saeed, and 1 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8622215/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 12 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Blockchain technology, characterized by its distributed ledger system, has revolutionized currency and the global digital economy. Its potential applications extend beyond finance, captivating academia and industry alike. This article delves into the latest advancements in blockchain technology, exploring its innovative state-of-the-art applications in various futuristic communication domains such as the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing, security, privacy, artificial intelligence (AI), wireless network optimization, intelligent grids, smart transportation, and more. The article also provides an overview of blockchain's operational principles, including smart contracts and consensus algorithms, highlighting their contributions to decentralization, security, and transparency. Moreover, through statistical analysis of research articles, we identify current challenges and outline future research directions in the field. Communication Networks blockchain Internet of Things security and privacy and wireless networks optimizationCommunication Networks blockchain Internet of Things security and privacy and wireless networks optimization Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Reviews received at journal 16 Apr, 2026 Reviews received at journal 12 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 06 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 06 Apr, 2026 Reviews received at journal 02 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 28 Mar, 2026 Reviews received at journal 19 Mar, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 23 Feb, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 13 Feb, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 29 Jan, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 29 Jan, 2026 First submitted to journal 29 Jan, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8622215","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Systematic Review","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":590715573,"identity":"65be9ef7-51a8-47d1-aca8-d5bcb6274ff1","order_by":0,"name":"muddasar naeem","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA6ElEQVRIie3RvQrCMBSG4RRBl+qsiHoFQiRQEG+moUMndweHBEGXXkC9i0yK4JAi6CJ0DcRBKTjHTfAHo4tTSt0c8k5nefiGA4DN9se1AXCI+okgTWgMANR3qRjBRJtipEuqiVKjRcjkhJLL+o6XlTQ5gtHGSDxeCxrxXg7ZIaE0PkO8ioISBPs84sJmdaqJwLPM5RAzHpTrzjSXoNvjKUMoMJ18SJpp8swlXtMh0v8S8V4hOWTjev1oK3tzTWjMEWIiQ9Dfhmayi5C4jmWnJsITUbzdYik+HdV4YCSGJ/hmYLPZbLYCvQCXuV/aM5wCjgAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"","institution":"Giustino Fortunato University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"muddasar","middleName":"","lastName":"naeem","suffix":""},{"id":590715574,"identity":"bf70e12f-0d5d-419a-92d8-84572bd4e6fe","order_by":1,"name":"Zaib Ullah","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Giustino Fortunato University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Zaib","middleName":"","lastName":"Ullah","suffix":""},{"id":590715575,"identity":"ebc53430-1199-46b3-9013-e8b0c7b5aaab","order_by":2,"name":"Fadi Al Turjman","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Near East University Nicosia","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Fadi","middleName":"Al","lastName":"Turjman","suffix":""},{"id":590715576,"identity":"73d989db-8b2f-4f23-a899-98d4e243df59","order_by":3,"name":"Abdullah waqas","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"National University of Technology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Abdullah","middleName":"","lastName":"waqas","suffix":""},{"id":590715578,"identity":"1f5f1d9d-50c9-4d96-a47c-953e6ea73410","order_by":4,"name":"Nasir Saeed","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Al Ain University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Nasir","middleName":"","lastName":"Saeed","suffix":""},{"id":590715580,"identity":"ddd86c0c-e41b-427d-8bdd-8d6ea22c6e7e","order_by":5,"name":"Antonio Coronato","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Giustino Fortunato University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Antonio","middleName":"","lastName":"Coronato","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-01-16 21:23:14","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8622215/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8622215/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":102963711,"identity":"b1ea1e6e-a1ef-4919-a850-17260226144d","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-19 04:20:12","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":606851,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"BlockchainCommunication.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8622215/v1_covered_33997ee8-3d9d-4b40-b70f-8decfef63cbf.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"A Comprehensive Survey of Blockchain Applications in Communication Networks","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"discover-applied-sciences","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"Learn more about [Discover Applied Sciences](https://link.springer.com/journal/42452)","snPcode":"42452","submissionUrl":"https://submission.springernature.com/new-submission/42452/3","title":"Discover Applied Sciences","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Discover Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Communication Networks, blockchain, Internet of Things, security and privacy, and wireless networks optimizationCommunication Networks, blockchain, Internet of Things, security and privacy, and wireless networks optimization","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8622215/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8622215/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"Blockchain technology, characterized by its distributed ledger system, has revolutionized currency and the global digital economy. Its potential applications extend beyond finance, captivating academia and industry alike. This article delves into the latest advancements in blockchain technology, exploring its innovative state-of-the-art applications in various futuristic communication domains such as the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing, security, privacy, artificial intelligence (AI), wireless network optimization, intelligent grids, smart transportation, and more. The article also provides an overview of blockchain's operational principles, including smart contracts and consensus algorithms, highlighting their contributions to decentralization, security, and transparency. Moreover, through statistical analysis of research articles, we identify current challenges and outline future research directions in the field.","manuscriptTitle":"A Comprehensive Survey of Blockchain Applications in Communication Networks","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-02-18 07:37:59","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8622215/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-04-16T13:11:44+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-04-12T05:38:59+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"176050880586595990244253271179231534124","date":"2026-04-06T13:07:31+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"92093112253564045628591706998159089390","date":"2026-04-06T12:43:48+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-04-02T13:23:39+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"1858627000397972395920795703399266934","date":"2026-03-28T13:02:11+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-03-19T05:13:45+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"67390643065437750442057443272598098773","date":"2026-02-24T04:53:24+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2026-02-13T07:04:50+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2026-01-30T04:52:00+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2026-01-29T12:38:52+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Discover Applied Sciences","date":"2026-01-29T12:36:32+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"discover-applied-sciences","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"Learn more about [Discover Applied Sciences](https://link.springer.com/journal/42452)","snPcode":"42452","submissionUrl":"https://submission.springernature.com/new-submission/42452/3","title":"Discover Applied Sciences","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Discover Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"6d157465-45ab-4a88-be33-1e841efcf11a","owner":[],"postedDate":"February 18th, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"under-review","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-02-18T07:37:59+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-02-18 07:37:59","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8622215","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8622215","identity":"rs-8622215","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}