ECC‐PoARV: A Lightweight Blockchain Architecture With Rotational Validation for Scalable IoT Networks

ABSTRACT

The wide adoption of Internet of Things (IoT) devices has created an urgent need for secure, scalable data management solutions that can operate within the constraints of resource‐limited hardware. While blockchain technology offers compelling security through decentralisation, traditional consensus mechanisms like Proof‐of‐Work (PoW) are fundamentally incompatible with IoT environments due to excessive energy consumption and low throughput. This article introduces ECC‐PoARV, a novel blockchain architecture combining elliptic curve cryptography with proof‐of‐authority using rotational validation, designed specifically for the demands of modern IoT networks. Through a comprehensive simulation‐based evaluation of a 100‐node network, our architecture demonstrated a sustained throughput of 140 transactions per second (TPS) with a deterministic 0.05‐second finality time. These results represent a 14‐fold throughput improvement and a staggering >5000‐fold latency reduction compared to Proof‐of‐Work's (PoW) probabilistic finality of ∼283 s, all while consuming over 95% less energy per transaction. Critically, unlike standard Proof‐of‐Authority systems that can suffer from centralisation risks, our rotational validation mechanism ensures equitable validator participation and enhances fault tolerance. These findings establish Elliptic Curve Cryptography—Proof‐of‐Authority based on Rotational Validation (ECC‐PoARV) as a practically deployable solution that successfully bridges the performance gap between insecure centralised systems and computationally intensive blockchains, providing a viable blueprint for next‐generation IoT security.