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The Internet of Things (IoT) Blockchain Technology has been a sprawling, growing industry for over a decade. It became popular in the early 2010s, and technological advancements have enabled us to start using it in almost any sector known to man.
This ecosystem of smart devices needs to continuously be connected to the internet to be able to provide its best services. That said, data management and security have always been a challenge in IoT.
In this article, we take a closer look at how blockchain technology can improve the IoT environment thanks to its programmable, immutable ledger. We will try to analyze what benefits cryptocurrencies bring to this growing industry and provide a bit of perspective on blockchain in IoT for the near future.
Why Blockchain Can Be Useful for IoT Devices
Before we delve deeper into the advantages of blockchain for IoT, let’s first briefly analyze both technologies and how they can complement each other.
IoT comprises an environment of interconnected devices that can be controlled remotely to execute several various tasks. Smart domestic devices, for instance, can be considered to be IoT. They control certain functions of your home, such as the lights, heating, or security.
These devices are continuously connected to the internet and gather real-world data thanks to various sensors embedded in their design. Moreover, because they are perpetually online, you can control them through your smartphone and require them to execute precise tasks.
It’s also a permissionless, open network that anyone can freely join, regardless of their geographical situation.
As you can see, IoT devices need to store all the data they collect somewhere, either locally or in the cloud. This makes blockchain the perfect addition to ensure the data recorded by IoT devices remains secure but still easily accessible. It doesn’t present a single failure point that malicious actors can exploit, making IoT inherently more secure.
But that’s just scratching the toponline4u. Below, we delve deep into the possible benefits of the adoption of blockchain for IoT.
Advantages of Distributed Ledger Technology
Thanks to the immutable ledger and programmability with smart contracts, blockchain could improve the IoT ecosystem considerably. Let’s delve in.
Privacy Improvement
Blockchain transactions, while transparent, are also pseudonymous. As such, IoT devices that connect through blockchain remain unidentifiable on the grid.
Moreover, blockchain requires no intermediaries to function. This way, IoT devices can directly communicate with each other through smart contracts.
Decentralized Network for Data Storage
The blockchain relies on a network of thousands of computers that store its decentralized ledger. Consequently, even if compromised, participants in the network can immediately verify the data’s validity and compare it to their copy of the ledger.
There’s another benefit to this decentralization of data storage. IoT devices do not have to rely on local storage solutions that are both costly and inefficient.
Direct Transfer of Data
Blockchains rely on peer-to-peer technology for data transfers. Because there’s no intermediary, the exchange of information is highly efficient and less prone to human error. This also alleviates the strain on the IoT devices themselves as they don’t need to transfer huge amounts of data, shortening transaction times considerably.
Secure Authentication Process
Blockchain technology relies on asymmetric cryptography for access – a public address and private key.
Minimize Costs
And finally, connecting IoT to blockchain minimizes the costs for users. This is incredibly useful in industries such as the supply chain, as automation reduces errors, and therefore costs.
Challenges With Blockchain Adoption
With all that in mind, there are still some challenges for blockchain adoption in IoT that need to be overcome.
- Transaction throughput. IoT devices stream data continuously, which can be an issue for blockchains. These networks have a limited number of transaction slots, which could reduce the speed at which devices can communicate with each other.
- Migrating already established IoT ecosystems onto the blockchain is a tedious and costly procedure.
- Regulation. Blockchain applied to IoT is still uncharted terrain regarding legality. Due to the transparency of the data, privacy issues may occur.
As blockchains develop and improve, some of these challenges may become irrelevant.
The perspective of IoT and Blockchain Collaboration
Adoption will encounter many hurdles on the way due to the nascent nature of both technologies. That said, many blockchain companies are already working towards solutions to the aforementioned challenges. Energy-efficient networks with higher transaction throughput. This would ultimately transform the technological landscape as we currently know it, and for the better.
