Unlocking Spectrum Potential: A Blockchain-Powered Paradigm for Dynamic Spectrum Management

The rise of mobile users, IoT devices, and data-intensive applications has led to an unprecedented surge in spectrum demand. However, current Spectrum Sharing (SS) methods, characterized by centralized control and inflexible architectures, fall short of meeting this escalating challenge. The solutions of Dynamic Spectrum Access (DSA) and Dynamic Spectrum Management (DSM) have emerged to enhance spectral efficiency and facilitate novel services in the realm of 5G networks. The successful implementation of DSM requires rapid sensing, coordination, and management, all the while upholding stringent standards for security and privacy. Unfortunately, existing DSM approaches relying on spectrum databases and Cognitive Radio (CR) techniques face issues related to reliability, security, and privacy. Blockchain (BC) emerges as a promising solution for decentralized DSM, offering superior security and privacy capabilities. Distinct features of BC, such as Smart Contracts (SCs), empower the establishment of complex Service Level Agreements (SLAs) among operators. Additionally, the utilization of tokens within BC ensures a reliable and trustworthy environment for spectrum trading. Furthermore, BC’s seamless integration with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and related Machine Learning (ML) techniques presents an opportunity to automate and enhance the adaptability of DSM frameworks. Despite the potential, there exist research gaps that warrant attention. This paper aims to comprehensively analyze BC-based DSM as the primary solution to DSM challenges and offers clear future directions for addressing BC deployment challenges.