Researchers have introduced a new blockchain-enabled framework that could significantly advance dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS) in future 6G wireless networks, addressing long-standing challenges in latency, security, and high-density spectrum coordination. Published in Blockchain, this work presents HierSpectrumChain, a hierarchical blockchain architecture that integrates smart-contract–driven Stackelberg auctions to coordinate spectrum access efficiently and securely among diverse wireless users.
Dynamic spectrum sharing is essential for next-generation systems, where billions of devices from autonomous vehicles to IoT sensors must coexist within limited frequency resources. Traditional centralized approaches struggle to deliver low latency, transparency, and trust across operators. To overcome these barriers, the research team led by Dr. Qin Wang at Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, with contributors including Muntasir Al Mamun, developed a complete blockchain-based DSS system capable of real-time spectrum allocation at the network edge.
"HierSpectrumChain is designed to meet the stringent performance requirements of 6G," explains Dr. Qin Wang. "By combining a main chain for global governance with localized sub-chains for edge-level transactions, the framework minimizes latency while maintaining a verifiable and secure global spectrum registry." The system automates spectrum leasing through a two-stage Stackelberg auction encoded in smart contracts, allowing providers to publish available spectrum and secondary users to submit encrypted bids. All auction logic equilibrium computation, winner selection, and token settlement executes on-chain without requiring manual intervention.
A key innovation lies in pushing transaction processing to lightweight sub-chains, which reduces congestion on the main chain and supports high-frequency, micro-scale spectrum trades. The prototype implementation on a Ganache-based Ethereum test environment demonstrated that complete on-chain auction cycles can be executed in under 300 ms for up to 20 concurrent bidders illustrating the potential for real-time responsiveness in dense 6G scenarios. The experiments also reached throughput levels exceeding 80 transactions per second, with stable performance across repeated trials.
To ensure robust and scalable operation, the researchers conducted an in-depth analysis of consensus mechanisms, examining PoW, PoS, BFT, and DAG-based designs and highlighting how different models affect latency, fairness, and energy consumption. Building on this analysis, the team proposes an adaptive sub-chain consensus strategy capable of switching between PoS during low-traffic periods and BFT during peak demand, helping the system maintain predictable confirmation times while keeping energy usage low.
"Blockchain has long promised decentralized trust, but real-time wireless environments require extreme efficiency," notes the research team. "Our hierarchical design demonstrates how both goals can be achieved simultaneously." Beyond the architecture itself, the study also discusses practical considerations such as cross-chain interoperability, privacy preservation through encrypted bidding, and regulatory compliance for decentralized spectrum transactions.
Looking ahead, the team plans to extend HierSpectrumChain to permissioned platforms such as Hyperledger Fabric and FISCO-BCOS, conduct multi-peer experiments under realistic network latency, and integrate zero-knowledge proofs to further strengthen privacy in competitive bidding scenarios. The authors believe that this research could lay the groundwork for secure and transparent spectrum markets, enabling more efficient wireless communication and smoother coexistence among operators in the 6G era.
This paper, "Blockchain-Enabled Dynamic Credible Spectrum Sharing in 6G Networks," was published in Blockchain.
Wang Q, Mamun M.A., et al. Blockchain-Enabled Dynamic Credible Spectrum Sharing in 6G Networks. Blockchain 2025. https://doi.org/10.55092/blockchain20250014
