An Enhanced Cloud Network Integrity and Fair Compensation Scheme Through Data Structures and Blockchain Enforcement

The expansion of cloud-based storage has intensified concerns about integrity, security, and fair compensation for third-party auditors. Existing authentication methods often compromise privacy with high computational costs, punctuating the need for an efficient and transparent verification system. This study proposes a privacy-preserving authentication framework that combines blockchain-driven smart contracts with an optimized ranked-based Merkle hash tree (RBMHT). Experimental results demonstrated that our approach lowers computational costs by 24.02% and reduces communication overhead by 86.22% compared to existing solutions. By minimizing redundant operations and limiting auditor–cloud interactions, the systems improve reliability and scalability. This makes it well-suited for applications where privacy and trust are critical. Beyond performance gains, the scheme constitutes self-executing smart contracts, preventing dishonest collusions. By bridging security, dependability, and fairness, our findings set a new standard for reliable cloud attestation for a more secure and transparent auditing system.