Scalable Blockchain Consensus Mechanisms for Real-Time IoT Communication Networks

Abstract

As the integration of blockchain with Internet of Things (IoT) technologies continues to expand, traditional consensus algorithms such as Proof of Work (PoW) and Proof of Stake (PoS) reveal critical performance bottlenecks, particularly concerning latency and throughput. These limitations become pronounced in real-time applications such as smart grids and smart agriculture, where quick decision-making and communication are essential. This paper proposes a lightweight and scalable consensus mechanism tailored to the specific constraints of real-time IoT communication networks. By integrating Delegated Byzantine Fault Tolerance (dBFT) with a novel communication-aware node selection strategy, the proposed model significantly reduces transaction finality time and communication overhead. Performance evaluation through extensive simulations in smart grid and precision agriculture environments demonstrates superior scalability, energy efficiency, and fault tolerance compared to traditional approaches. The results confirm that the proposed consensus algorithm enables rapid, secure, and decentralized coordination among IoT devices while preserving system integrity under dynamic network conditions.