ACM MobiHoc Workshop on Blockchain for Network Resource Sharing (BlockNet)

Call For Papers

Blockchains’ ability to provide a decentralized ownership and trust model promises to enable novel network resource allocation and sharing models. For instance, dynamic spectrum allocation using blockchain leaves an auditable and transparent trail of usage and ownership, potentially giving rise to new micro-spectrum usage models. Blockchains can also enable new edge networking applications: the proliferation of Internet of Things and the growing use of 5G networks has resulted in increasing deployment of computing, storage, and bandwidth capabilities at the network edge, offering the promise of edge-driven applications that do not rely on resources in cloud servers or the network core. Realizing this promise, however, will require developing mechanisms for users, devices, and applications with heterogeneous resource needs to effectively share these resources. For instance, crowdsourced edge resources may be used as needed by untrusted and unknown end-users by establishing digitally enforceable contracts for resource use, as and when needed in real time. Such useful applications for blockchain-based resource sharing can also be extended to other parts of the network. For example, users can be incentivized to help expand the last mile or middle mile using community owned networks that use blockchain-based payments to reward users for forwarding traffic on their routers. We solicit research contributions that explore ideas and tackle challenges in areas including, but not limited to:

• New and useful applications of decentralized ledger technologies for network resource allocation and resource sharing.
• Addressing blockchain-induced limitations such as scalability and finality, which could be especially problematic for network use-cases that require immediate resource allocation.
• Economics of token-based allocation mechanisms addressing challenges such as token value stability, dynamic network resource demand/supply, etc.
• Pricing, valuation and usage strategies for crypto-tokens of such resource-sharing systems, e.g. addressing end-user purchase and redemption behavior.
• Modeling factors such as resource availability and QoS in token-based resource allocation.
• Empirical studies of deployed blockchain-based networks.
• Architectural contributions addressing network-specific challenges in integrating blockchain-based resource sharing in existing networks, e.g. telecom.
• Addressing deployment challenges, e.g. token onramp and offramp issues in global networks where certain regions may have few exchanges or be under-banked.

This workshop will address a wide range of research questions that arise in the realization of decentralized networks. We solicit theoretical as well as empirical research on all aspects of blockchain-enabled network resource allocation and sharing, including contributions to the state-of-the-art, discussions of open issues, and results of ongoing research. We also invite position papers on the broader role of blockchain in 5G and non-traditional telecoms networks, edge networking, etc.

Submission Instructions

Submitted papers must be in English, unpublished, and must not be currently under review for any other publication. Papers must be at most 6 single-spaced (US letter size) double column. Please note that the standard ACM format must be used (sigconf for latex). Posters and Demos must be at most 1 single-spaced (US letter size), and have “poster” or “demo” in their titles. All figures, references, and appendices must fit within these limits. Submissions that do not meet the size and formatting requirements will not be reviewed. All submissions must be in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). Authors can keep their names on the submissions, i.e., submissions are not required to be double blind. Full Papers: 6 pages. Posters and Demos: 1 page (with “poster” or “demo” in the title).

Presentation Form

All accepted submissions will be presented at the workshop and included in the ACM workshop proceedings. One author of each accepted paper is required to attend the workshop and present the paper for it to be included in the proceedings.

The submission website is here.

Committees