Blockchain and Metaverse For Peer-to-peer Energy Marketplace: Research Trends and Open Challenges

Blockchain is an innovative technology destined to shape the future of businesses and markets around the globe. It promises the democratization of influence and transparency of information among its members. Academic researchers, as well as companies, are investing time, money, and effort to bring it to the market hoping that they maximize their projects' value. In this article, we take a look at the energy sector, specifically peer-to-peer (P2P) trading, which is moving rapidly towards digitization and integration of cutting-edge technologies, such as blockchain, to become smarter and more efficient like never before. Also, we investigate the feasibility and requirements of a blockchain-based P2P energy marketplace in the metaverse. Then, we discuss the current limitations of the P2P trading systems, the opportunities brought by blockchain to achieve market readiness, the current research trend, the existing pilot projects, and finally the open research challenges.