A Post-Quantum Sensor-to-Blockchain Transaction Framework with CRQC-Aware Exposure Minimization for Next-Generation Sensor Networks
Makaleler > Tam Makale · 2026
Yazarlar: Bora Buğra SEZER
Sensors, Uluslararası, Wos, 2026, cilt 26, ss 4327-4327
DOI: 10.3390/s26144327
Özet
Blockchain-based sensor networks rely on public-key cryptography for transaction verification, auditability, and data integrity. However, widely used public-key mechanisms are quantum-vulnerable in the presence of Cryptographically Relevant Quantum Computers (CRQCs), requiring sensor-to-blockchain transactions to address both post-quantum security and exposure control. This paper proposes a post-quantum sensor-to-blockchain transaction framework that minimizes CRQC-aware exposure while preserving low-cost auditability. It defines a transaction workflow that represents sensor data through hash-based commitments instead of storing raw measurements on-chain. The workflow combines Module-Lattice-Based Digital Signature Algorithm (ML-DSA)-based authentication, threshold-based authorization, Module-Lattice-Based Key Encapsulation Mechanism (ML-KEM)-protected relay communication, and an event-based smart contract (EBSC) for compact audit recording. A Quantum Exposure Score (QES) is introduced as a transaction-level metric to quantify CRQC-induced exposure across cryptographic, relay, key-lifecycle, migration-readiness, and authorization dimensions. The framework is evaluated using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) electrochemical sensor data, Constrained Application Protocol (CoAP) communication, and a Ganache-based blockchain, with scalability runs of up to 10,000 sensor transactions and ablation baselines. Compared with full on-chain storage, EBSC reduces gas consumption by approximately 80%, while QES decreases from 100 in the classical open scenario to 4 in the full framework. These results demonstrate that the proposed design provides a practical path for post-quantum secure sensor-to-blockchain transactions.