The Internet of Things (IoT) is making headlines because it is used more and more in business and industrial applications. At the same time, blockchain technology is growing in popularity as more and more industrial manufacturers begin to see the benefits it can offer their businesses.
Blockchain technology will add $ 3.1 trillion in business value by 2030.
The coming together of these two technologies is extremely interesting: Blockchain and IoT go together because of their essential characteristics. The combination of both technologies opens up several possibilities that can drive the next big future project forward. In the following article, you will learn what advantages the combination of the two technologies offers.
Table of Contents
What Is The Internet Of Things?
The Internet of Things (IoT) is an organization of actual gadgets, vehicles, home gadgets, and different things that work in hardware, programming, sensors, actuators, and networks. This empowers these items to speak with each other and trade information. Everything” can be recognized by an inserted PC framework and connect with the current web structure.
A few instances of IoT applications incorporate intelligent home gadgets like Amazon Echo, wearables like wellness trackers, medical services, patient observing, self-driving vehicles, and many associated gadgets in assembling, horticulture, and merchandise following. Those assist businesses with working.
What Is The Blockchain?
When people think of blockchain, they often associate it with the cryptocurrency Bitcoin. However, blockchain technology brings profound changes to several different industries, including finance, retail, shipping and logistics, healthcare, automotive, manufacturing, industry, agriculture, and building automation. A blockchain is a constantly growing list of data records, Alleged “blocks” connected and shielded from control or changes by cryptography.
Each square is connected to the past block and contains a timestamp and exchange information. By plan, a blockchain is intrinsically impervious to information change. A shared organization regularly oversees it that holds fast to a convention for approving new squares by and large. Once recorded, information in a specific square can’t be changed reflectively without changing every resulting block, which would require an agreement of the organization’s more significant part.
Blockchain Expands The Possibilities Of The IoT
The flood of new IoT devices available on the market has made data security much more critical, and therefore solutions for protecting data are in great demand. Many IoT devices are independent systems. As a result, they lack the authentication required for adequate data protection. When multiple IoT devices are introduced into an ecosystem, the risk of cyberattacks increases exponentially as there are many more vulnerabilities.
Attempting to introduce additional layers of security can become an expensive and resource-intensive task that requires gateways and intermediate stations. If processes and security are managed by internal management, there is also the risk of secret agreements throughout the system.
Fortunately, the blockchain can deal with a number of these problems while providing a scalable, reliable, and secure infrastructure for business and industrial applications, which is characterized as follows:
- The blockchain can track and log sensor data measurements while preventing unauthorized duplication of malicious data.
- IoT devices’ identification, authentication, and data transmission take place seamlessly within a distributed ledger architecture.
- IoT devices exchange data via a secure and trustworthy blockchain and not via a third party.
- IoT devices are protected from data manipulation due to the cryptographic processes inherent in the system in the blockchain.
- The costs for the initial provision and operation of IoT devices are reduced by eliminating an intermediate station.
- Brilliant contracts based on a blockchain are automatically activated when a particular condition is met and enable device autonomy that eliminates technical bottlenecks and inefficiencies without human intervention.
- IoT devices are directly addressable within the blockchain and provide a history of the networked devices and their data for troubleshooting and analysis purposes.
Plant Operation And Maintenance
The blockchain provides operational data and maintenance records that are extraordinarily tamper-proof and forgery-proof, from heavy agricultural machinery to elevators. With IoT devices, companies can effectively track the status of safety-critical machines and systems and their maintenance records. They can rely on third-party providers to monitor preventive maintenance and update records on the blockchain. Operational records can then be exchanged with the responsible bodies for compliance testing.
Logistics And Transport
The transport of goods is a complex process in which different parties with different priorities are involved. Using the blockchain in the IoT, goods can be tracked by all parties involved, ensuring transparent and punctual delivery. Position monitoring provides information on arrival times and freight status. At the same time, temperature, alignment, and vibration sensors can ensure that correct handling procedures have been followed throughout the process.
Solar Power
the blockchain to track solar energy production so that residents can purchase electricity credits from excess solar power generated. The connected local power grid is a microgrid and distributes the energy resources to improve the power grid’s resilience and efficiency. The significant advantage is that the microgrid can work independently of the larger grid in power failures and emergencies.
With this networked solar power network, people can bundle their purchasing power, distribute the maintenance effort and trust that the devices record the actual solar power production, which can then be traced using the blockchain.
Conclusion
The blockchain and the IoT are undoubtedly the most significant technological upheaval since integrating IT and transaction processing systems. The applications of these two technologies will soon have such a significant impact on our society that we can no longer imagine our lives without them.
