Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
6.1
2.6
Journals
Electronics
Special Issues
Blockchain Technologies: Emerging Trends and Real-World Applications
share announcement

Blockchain Technologies: Emerging Trends and Real-World Applications

A special issue of Electronics (ISSN 2079-9292). This special issue belongs to the section "Computer Science & Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 May 2026 | Viewed by 3795

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Tim Weingaertner

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Blockchain Lab, Computer Science and Information Technology, Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Rotkreuz, Switzerland
Interests: blockchain technology; smart contracts; digital identity; applications of blockchain; innovation
Dr. Victoria Lemieux

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Blockchain@UBC, Institute of Computimg, Information and Cognitive Systems, University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, BC, Canada
Interests: blockchain technology; trustworthy records; records and information management; risk management; information visualization and visual analytics; transparency and the public interest; international development
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Introduction:

Blockchain technology has evolved beyond its initial application in cryptocurrencies, now playing an important role in various industries, including finance, energy, healthcare, and supply chain. Its decentralized, transparent, and immutable nature is driving innovation and transforming traditional systems. As research and development in this field continue to expand, it is crucial to explore emerging trends, address challenges, and highlight real-world applications.

Aim of the special issue:

Showcase recent advances in blockchain technologies and their practical implementations across diverse sectors.

This Special Issue focuses on recent developments, challenges, and future directions in blockchain technologies, covering both theoretical and practical aspects. It aims to provide a platform for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to share insights into the latest trends and innovations. Topics of interest include novel blockchain architectures, interoperability solutions, security enhancements, combinations with other technologies like AI or IoT, and real-world applications in various domains.

Suggested themes and article types for submissions:

  • Blockchain-based security and privacy solutions
  • Decentralized Finance (DeFi) and cryptocurrency innovations
  • Smart contracts and their applications in various sectors
  • Blockchain interoperability and scalability challenges
  • Supply chain and logistics applications
  • Healthcare and data management solutions using blockchain
  • Applications in the energy sector
  • Regulatory and legal implications of blockchain technology and tokenomics
  • Consensus mechanisms and their evolution
  • Blockchain integration with Artificial Intelligence and IoT
  • Sustainability and energy efficiency in blockchain networks

Dr. Tim Weingaertner
Dr. Victoria Lemieux
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Electronics is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • blockchain
  • emerging technologies
  • smart contracts
  • decentralized Finance (DeFi)
  • cryptocurrency
  • security
  • privacy
  • supply chain
  • energy
  • healthcare
  • interoperability

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

29 pages, 5706 KB  
Article
A Blockchain-Based Architecture for Energy Trading to Enhance Power Grid Stability
by Hongyan Sun and Tim Weingärtner
Electronics 2025, 14(23), 4629; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics14234629 - 25 Nov 2025
Viewed by 574
Abstract
The integration of renewable energy sources (RES) and distributed energy resources (DER) into local energy markets is transforming modern power grids toward a decentralized architecture. To enhance the efficiency of decentralized energy trading, blockchain technology has been widely adopted in constructing peer-to-peer energy [...] Read more.
The integration of renewable energy sources (RES) and distributed energy resources (DER) into local energy markets is transforming modern power grids toward a decentralized architecture. To enhance the efficiency of decentralized energy trading, blockchain technology has been widely adopted in constructing peer-to-peer energy trading platforms, providing incentives for renewable energy generation and utilization. However, the rapid growth of small-scale suppliers and intermittent DERs introduces significant challenges to grid stability, including supply–demand imbalances and voltage fluctuations. To address these challenges, we propose a blockchain-based energy trading system architecture designed to enable a self-regulating, sustainable, and resilient grid. The proposed system architecture achieves grid stability through three key components: (i) precise endpoint control via AI Agents with lightweight forecasting models integrated into existing hardware systems, (ii) flexible distributed control through an efficient incentive mechanism, named Proof of Prediction, based on a blockchain-based automated trading process, and (iii) macro-level coordination via global regulation roles. We implemented a prototype of the proposed architecture on the Ethereum Blockchain and applied it to a microgrid-scale distributed automated trading environment. Our evaluation results show that using the architecture we proposed achieves a peak-shaving rate of up to 29.6%, while maintaining the overall supply–demand deviation of around 5% on average, demonstrating its strong potential as a foundation for building stable and modern power grids. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Blockchain Technologies: Emerging Trends and Real-World Applications)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

42 pages, 5651 KB  
Article
Towards a Trustworthy Rental Market: A Blockchain-Based Housing System Architecture
by Ching-Hsi Tseng, Yu-Heng Hsieh, Yen-Yu Chang and Shyan-Ming Yuan
Electronics 2025, 14(15), 3121; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics14153121 - 5 Aug 2025
Viewed by 2175
Abstract
This study explores the transformative potential of blockchain technology in overhauling conventional housing rental systems. It specifically addresses persistent issues, such as information asymmetry, fraudulent listings, weak Rental Agreements, and data breaches. A comprehensive review of ten academic publications highlights the architectural frameworks, [...] Read more.
This study explores the transformative potential of blockchain technology in overhauling conventional housing rental systems. It specifically addresses persistent issues, such as information asymmetry, fraudulent listings, weak Rental Agreements, and data breaches. A comprehensive review of ten academic publications highlights the architectural frameworks, underlying technologies, and myriad benefits of decentralized rental platforms. The intrinsic characteristics of blockchain—immutability, transparency, and decentralization—are pivotal in enhancing the credibility of rental information and proactively preventing fraudulent activities. Smart contracts emerge as a key innovation, enabling the automated execution of Rental Agreements, thereby significantly boosting efficiency and minimizing reliance on intermediaries. Furthermore, Decentralized Identity (DID) solutions offer a robust mechanism for securely managing identities, effectively mitigating risks associated with data leakage, and fostering a more trustworthy environment. The suitability of platforms such as Hyperledger Fabric for developing such sophisticated rental systems is also critically evaluated. Blockchain-based systems promise to dramatically increase market transparency, bolster transaction security, and enhance fraud prevention. They also offer streamlined processes for dispute resolution. Despite these significant advantages, the widespread adoption of blockchain in the rental sector faces several challenges. These include inherent technological complexity, adoption barriers, the need for extensive legal and regulatory adaptation, and critical privacy concerns (e.g., ensuring compliance with GDPR). Furthermore, blockchain scalability limitations and the intricate balance between data immutability and the necessity for occasional data corrections present considerable hurdles. Future research should focus on developing user-friendly DID solutions, enhancing blockchain performance and cost-efficiency, strengthening smart contract security, optimizing the overall user experience, and exploring seamless integration with emerging technologies. While current challenges are undeniable, blockchain technology offers a powerful suite of tools for fundamentally improving the rental market’s efficiency, transparency, and security, exhibiting significant potential to reshape the entire rental ecosystem. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Blockchain Technologies: Emerging Trends and Real-World Applications)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

15 pages, 292 KB  
Review
When Incentives Feel Different: A Prospect-Theoretic Approach to Ethereum’s Incentive Mechanism
by Hossein Arshadi and Henry M. Kim
Electronics 2025, 14(24), 4916; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics14244916 - 15 Dec 2025
Viewed by 163
Abstract
This study asks whether Ethereum’s proof-of-stake (PoS) incentives not only make economic sense on paper but also feel attractive to real validators who may be loss-averse and sensitive to risk. We take a canonical Eth2 slot-level model of rewards, penalties, costs, and proposer-conditional [...] Read more.
This study asks whether Ethereum’s proof-of-stake (PoS) incentives not only make economic sense on paper but also feel attractive to real validators who may be loss-averse and sensitive to risk. We take a canonical Eth2 slot-level model of rewards, penalties, costs, and proposer-conditional maximal extractable value (MEV) and overlay a prospect-theoretic valuation that captures reference dependence, loss aversion, diminishing sensitivity, and probability weighting. This Prospect-Theoretic Incentive Mechanism (PT-IM) separates the “money edge” (expected accounting return) from the “felt edge” (behavioral value) by mapping monetary outcomes through a prospect value function and comparing the two across parameter ranges. The mechanism is parametric and modular, allowing different MEV, cost, and penalty profiles to plug in without altering the base PoS model. Using stylized numerical examples, we identify regions where cooperation that pays in expectation can remain unattractive under plausible loss-averse preferences, especially when penalties are salient or MEV is volatile. We discuss how these distortions may affect validator participation, economic security, and the tuning of rewards and penalties in Ethereum’s PoS. Integrating behavioral valuation into crypto-economic design thus provides a practical diagnostic for adjusting protocol parameters when economics and perception diverge. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Blockchain Technologies: Emerging Trends and Real-World Applications)
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-3
Back to TopTop