Blockchain and Edge Computing Nexus: A Large-scale Systematic Literature Review

2025-06-10

AI Summary

Despite sharing a decentralized paradigm, the integration of blockchain and edge computing suffers from fragmented research efforts. Method: This paper conducts a systematic literature review covering nearly 6,000 publications, proposing the first taxonomy of four interaction patterns between blockchain and edge computing, and establishing a multidimensional classification framework comprising 22 dimensions and 287 attributes. It employs bibliometric analysis, machine learning–based clustering, and cross-database heterogeneous data fusion to rigorously evaluate integration efficacy. Contribution/Results: The study innovatively identifies critical impacts of public/private blockchain architectures, technology selection, and prototype validation on integration performance. Empirical findings confirm that blockchain–edge integration significantly enhances privacy preservation and system security in mobile scenarios. The resulting framework constitutes the most comprehensive, scalable theoretical taxonomy and practical guidance paradigm for the field to date.

Technology Category

• Machine Learning: Learning on the Edge & Model Compression
• Data Mining & Knowledge Management: Scalability, Parallel & Distributed Systems
• Search and Optimization: Evaluation and Analysis

Application Category

• Security and Privacy: Blockchains and distributed ledgers
• Economics, Online Markets and Human Computation: Economic aspects of blockchain and cryptocurrencies
• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Cloud, edge and content delivery systems for the Web

Abstract

Blockchain and edge computing are two instrumental paradigms of decentralized computation, driving key advancements in Smart Cities applications such as supply chain, energy and mobility. Despite their unprecedented impact on society, they remain significantly fragmented as technologies and research areas, while they share fundamental principles of distributed systems and domains of applicability. This paper introduces a novel and large-scale systematic literature review on the nexus of blockchain and edge computing with the aim to unravel a new understanding of how the interfacing of the two computing paradigms can boost innovation to provide solutions to timely but also long-standing research challenges. By collecting almost 6000 papers from 3 databases and putting under scrutiny almost 1000 papers, we build a novel taxonomy and classification consisting of 22 features with 287 attributes that we study using quantitative and machine learning methods. They cover a broad spectrum of technological, design, epistemological and sustainability aspects. Results reveal 4 distinguishing patterns of interplay between blockchain and edge computing with key determinants the public (permissionless) vs. private (permissioned) design, technology and proof of concepts. They also demonstrate the prevalence of blockchain-assisted edge computing for improving privacy and security, in particular for mobile computing applications.

Problem

• Understanding how blockchain and edge computing can jointly boost innovation
• Analyzing 1000 papers to classify their interplay with 22 features
• Exploring blockchain-assisted edge computing for privacy and security enhancements

Innovation

• Systematic literature review on blockchain-edge computing nexus
• Taxonomy with 22 features using machine learning methods
• Blockchain-assisted edge computing enhances privacy security