A novel Peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading scheme for a Virtual Power Plant (VPP) is proposed by using Smart Contracts on Ethereum Blockchain Platform. The P2P energy trading is the recent trend the power society is keen to adopt carrying out several trial projects as it eases to generate and share the renewable energy sources in a distributed manner inside local community. Blockchain and smart contracts are the up-and-coming phenomena in the scene of the information technology used to be considered as the cutting-edge research topics in power systems. Earlier works on P2P energy trading including and excluding blockchain technology were focused mainly on the optimization algorithm, Information and Communication Technology, and Internet of Things. Therefore, the financial aspects of P2P trading in a VPP framework is focused and in that regard a P2P energy trading mechanism and bidding platform are developed. The proposed scheme is based on public blockchain network and auction is operated by smart contract addressing both cost and security concerns. The smart contract implementation and execution in a VPP framework including bidding, withdrawal, and control modules developments are the salient feature of this work. The proposed architecture is validated using realistic data with the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) environment of Ropsten Test Network.

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The tremendous boost in the next generation sequencing technologies and in the “omics” technologies resulted in the generation of hundreds of gigabytes of data per day. Nowadays, via integrating -omics data with other data types, such as imaging and electronic health record (EHR) data, panomics studies attempt to identify novel and potentially actionable biomarkers for personalized medicine applications. In this respect, for the accurate analysis of -omics data and EHR, there is a need to establish secure and robust pipelines that take the ethical aspects into consideration, regulate privacy and ownership issues, and data sharing. These days, blockchain technology has picked up significant attention in diverse fields, including genomics, since it offers a new solution for these problems from a different perspective. Blockchain is an immutable transaction ledger, which offers secure and distributed system without a central authority. Within the system, each transaction can be expressed with cryptographically signed blocks, and the verification of transactions is performed by the users of the network. In this review, firstly, we aim to highlight the challenges of EHR and genomic data sharing. Secondly, we attempt to answer “Why” or “Why not” the blockchain technology is suitable for genomics and healthcare applications in detail. Thirdly, we elucidate the general blockchain structure based on the Ethereum, which is a more suitable technology for the genomic data sharing platforms. Fourthly, we review current blockchain-based EHR and genomic data sharing platforms, evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of these applications, and classify these applications using different metrics. Finally, we conclude by discussing the open issues and introducing our suggestion on the topic. In summary, to facilitate the diagnosis, monitoring and therapy of diseases with the effective analysis of -omics data with other available data types, through this review, we put forward the possible implications of the blockchain technology to life sciences and healthcare.

Over time, distribution systems have begun to include increased distributed energy resources (DERs) due to the advancement of auxiliary power electronics, information and communication technologies (ICT), and cost reductions. Electric vehicles (EVs) will undoubtedly join the energy community alongside DERs, and energy transfers from vehicles to grids and vice versa will become more extensive in the future. Virtual power plants (VPPs) will also play a key role in integrating these systems and participating in wholesale markets. Energy trading on a peer-to-peer (P2P) basis is a promising business model for transactive energy that aids in balancing local supply and demand. Moreover, a market scheme between VPPs can help DER owners make more profit while reducing renewable energy waste. For this purpose, an inter-VPP P2P trading scheme is proposed. The scheme utilizes cutting-edge technologies of the Avalanche blockchain platform, developed from scratch with decentralized finance (DeFi), decentralized applications (DApps), and Web3 workflows in mind. Avalanche is more scalable and has faster transaction finality than its layer-1 predecessors. It provides interoperability abilities among other common blockchain networks, facilitating inter-VPP P2P trading between different blockchain-based VPPs. The merits of DeFi contribute significantly to the workflow in this type of energy trading scenario, as the price mechanism can be determined using open market-like instruments. A detailed case study was used to examine the effectiveness of the proposed scheme and flow, and important conclusions were drawn.

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