Welcome to IEEE Blockchain Technical Briefs!

^{Welcome The Dawn of the TDLT Era}

As we enter 2026, the blockchain landscape has shifted from experimental integration to foundational ubiquity. The previous year saw the maturation of enterprise solutions and the successful bridging of disparate networks through advanced interoperability protocols. This year marks a pivotal milestone for the IEEE community with the anticipation of the launch of the IEEE Transactions on Distributed Ledger Technologies (TDLT) in Q1 2027. This dedicated, gold open-access periodical represents a “natural next step” in consolidating global research into a flagship publication focused on the theoretical and practical foundations of decentralization.

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Message from Dr. Justin Y. Shi, Editor in Chief

Awesome question — this goes right to the heart of one of the biggest debates in modern computing and fintech: can decentralization scale and even outperform central systems? 

Short Answer: In most current real-world scenarios, a decentralized transaction processing system cannot yet outperform a centralized one in terms of speed, cost, and throughput. But — it’s catching up fast and can outperform in other dimensions like security, transparency, and resilience, especially in multi-party systems.

Let’s break it down

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Please send potential IEEE Tech Brief articles to: [email protected]

Blockchain Technology in Defense: Mathematical Foundations and Applications

By Muharrem Tuncay GENÇOĞLU, Technical sciences Vocational School, Fırat University, [email protected], Elâzığ, Türkiye

The Ethereum blockchain protocol offers a broad range of applications due to its transparent and immutable data management capabilities. However, while transparency is advantageous, it poses a significant risk for military operations requiring high levels of confidentiality. This study examines the use of Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKPs) on Ethereum as a solution to mitigate this risk. ZKPs enable verification without revealing sensitive information, making them a revolutionary approach for authentication, supply chain management, operational security, and command-and-control processes in military systems. The research delves into the mathematical foundations of ZKPs, their integration with Ethereum’s smart contract infrastructure, and their applicability in the defense sector. Specifically, the study focuses on the implementation of ZK-SNARKs and ZK-STARKs, detailing their verification mechanisms. Application examples include NATO’s supply chain projects, blockchain trials conducted by the U.S. Department of Defense, and operational encryption efforts of the Israel Defense Forces.

In conclusion, Ethereum-based ZKP solutions are demonstrated to be powerful tools for enhancing data privacy and security in military systems. The study emphasizes the need for the development of more cost-effective and faster algorithms for future implementations. By highlighting both the practical benefits and the associated challenges of blockchain technology in military applications, this paper provides insights into potential solutions and future research directions.

Blockchain Technology, an Integral Part of Systems and Applications Used in Romanian Elections

By Aloman Alexandru, Bratu Alexandru, Grigore Eugen-Viorel, Purcăruș Raluca-Ioana, Bărtușică Răzvan-George, Mihai Mădălin-Virgil, Special Telecommunications Service – Romania

The necessity for a robust trust medium in the digital age has led to the development of a comprehensive blockchain-based infrastructure by a coalition of public authorities and academic organizations. This infrastructure, composed of multiple nodes, aims to enhance the reliability and security of critical national services and software systems. By leveraging the decentralized and tamper-proof nature of blockchain technology, this trust medium ensures data integrity, transparency, and traceability across various applications. The blockchain nodes, distributed among different institutions, provide a resilient framework for secure transactions and data anchoring. This paper explores the architecture and implementation of this blockchain infrastructure, highlighting its role in reinforcing trust and confidence in national digital services.

DLT and Blockchain Technology Outlook

By Justin Y. Shi, PhD, Associate Professor of CIS Department, College of Science and Technology, Temple University, USA; Boleslaw Szymanski, PhD, Claire and Roland Schmitt Distinguished Professor of Computer Science, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, USA; Lakshmi Shankar Ramachandran, PhD, Assistant Professor of Banking and Finance, Case Western Reserve University, USA; Imran Bashir, Author and Researcher, J.P. Morgan, UK; Nicolae Goga, PhD, Professor, University Politehnica of Bucharest, Romania; Constantin Viorel Marian, PhD, Associate Professor, National University of Science and Technology Politehnica, Romania

From a software architecture perspective, the starkest contrast of blockchain-based DLT methods compared to traditional transaction processing is the complete program and data decoupling from physical hardware components, such as networks, processors, and storage devices. Therefore, the blockchain service has no single-point failures. Storing the distributed ledgers in cryptographic proof chains afforded a level of security that is more reliable and less expensive than human-powered trust management systems. However, it is still not clear if all applications should be decentralized. For long term sustainability, the ledger immutability and scalable performance continued to be non-trivial challenges.

Trusted Registry of Correlation Patterns and Next Best Action for Networks

By Rakesh Girija Ramesan Nair, Senior Technology Architect, Infosys, Netherlands

The paper is envisaged to explain how we can leverage blockchain based technology to create a trusted registry of frequently observed correlation patterns and their next best action across network domains. One of the key challenges across Telecom service providers is the network operations area with multi-vendor multi-cloud kind of scenarios across domains like core, access and mobile. Service Providers across the globe have been looking at AIOPs tools/modules for proactively identifying the issues, patterns and the best action that need to be performed for correcting the same. Identifying the next best action is difficult as the type of network, vendor involvement will vary across various service providers. This article covers the possibilities to be explored with blockchain, the challenges it poses and how it can help telcos across the globe.