# Design and Prototype Implementation of a Blockchain-Enabled LoRa System With Edge Computing

**Authors:** Lu Hou, Kan Zheng, Zhiming Liu, Xiaojun Xu  
**arXiv:** [2105.10103](https://arxiv.org/abs/2105.10103)  
**Date:** 2021-05-21  
**Summary page:** https://www.summarizepaper.com/en/paper/2105.10103v1/

## Key points

- Efficiency and security are crucial factors in the development of long-range (LoRa) systems for Internet-of-Things (IoT) applications.
- The centralized work method in the LoRa system is vulnerable to security risks such as data falsification or loss.
- Blockchain technology has the potential to provide a decentralized and secure infrastructure for LoRa systems.
- This article proposes a design and implementation of a blockchain-enabled LoRa system with edge computing called HyperLoRa using open-source Hyperledger Fabric.
- The proposed system utilizes multiple ledgers to store specific kinds of LoRa data based on their features.
- Edge computing abilities of LoRa gateways are utilized for join procedure handling and application package processing.
- The authors implemented a HyperLoRa prototype on embedded hardware to demonstrate its feasibility in deploying blockchain into LoRa gateways with limited computing and storage resources.
- Various experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed system.
- An overview of related works on IoT systems with blockchain technology is discussed along with an overview of LoRa technology.
- The article also presents a security analysis of HyperLoRa.

## Summary

Efficiency and security are crucial factors in the development of long-range (LoRa) systems for Internet-of-Things (IoT) applications. The centralized work method in the LoRa system, where all packages are processed and kept in the central cloud, cannot fully utilize the resources in LoRa gateways and is vulnerable to security risks such as data falsification or loss. Blockchain technology has the potential to provide a decentralized and secure infrastructure for LoRa systems. To address this issue, this article proposes a design and implementation of a blockchain-enabled LoRa system with edge computing called HyperLoRa using open-source Hyperledger Fabric. The proposed system utilizes multiple ledgers to store specific kinds of LoRa data based on their features. LoRa gateways can participate in blockchain operations and share ledgers that keep time-critical network data with small size. Edge computing abilities of LoRa gateways are utilized for join procedure handling and application package processing. The authors implemented a HyperLoRa prototype on embedded hardware to demonstrate its feasibility in deploying blockchain into LoRa gateways with limited computing and storage resources. Various experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed system. In addition, an overview of related works on IoT systems with blockchain technology is discussed along with an overview of LoRa technology. The article also presents a security analysis of HyperLoRa. Overall, this article provides valuable insights into designing efficient and secure IoT systems using blockchain technology while overcoming limitations posed by edge devices like LoRa gateways.