Title: Critical infrastructures challenges and requirements meet blockchain features and benefits: a literature review

Authors: Hosny Abbas; Ibrahim E. Ibrahim; Hamada Esmaiel; Bassem Abd-El-Atty

Addresses: Department of Information Technology, Faculty of Computers and Information, Luxor University, Luxor 85957, Egypt ' Department of Information Technology, Faculty of Computers and Information, Luxor University, Luxor 85957, Egypt ' Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, College of Engineering, A'Sharqiyah University, Ibra 400, Oman; Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Aswan University, Aswan 81542, Egypt ' Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Computers and Information, Luxor University, Luxor 85957, Egypt

Abstract: Since its invention by Satoshi Nakamoto in 2008 (Nakamoto, 2008) as the backbone of the first successful bitcoin digital cryptocurrency, blockchain technology has evolved and experienced several innovative breakthroughs. It has become a disruptive solution for developing distributed and decentralised applications in many domains beyond cryptocurrencies. One example of these domains is the contemporary, riskily interdependent ICT-based critical infrastructure. This multi-domain literature review explores the literature of blockchain and critical infrastructure domains, attempting to match the features and benefits provided by the former to the challenges and requirements encountered in the latter. The review concludes that despite the known limitations of blockchain technology regarding scalability, interoperability, implementation complexity, and real-time requirements, it represents a promising enabling technology for addressing several challenges and requirements in the design and development of contemporary integrated and highly interdependent CIs. Future research directions are also highlighted.

Keywords: critical infrastructures; critical infrastructures requirements and challenges; interdependency modelling; risk assessment; complexity; blockchain technology; consortium blockchains; cross-sector integration.

DOI: 10.1504/IJCIS.2025.150793

International Journal of Critical Infrastructures, 2025 Vol.21 No.6, pp.592 - 639

Received: 08 Feb 2024
Accepted: 22 May 2024
Published online: 23 Dec 2025 *

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