Enhancing Blockchain Security and Decentralization Using the ASCON Algorithm for Lightweight Applications

Blockchain is a decentralized digital ledger technology that records transactions across multiple machines while maintaining security, immutability, and transparency. Due to its decentralized architecture, which remains unaffected by fraud and tampering, one of its main advantages is increased security. Additionally, blockchain technology promotes openness by giving all stakeholders access to the same data, ensuring accountability. Eliminating intermediaries also speeds up and reduces transaction costs and enhances traceability, making tracking the origin and history of assets easier. It is suggested in this paper that a lightweight post-quantum ASCON algorithm is used with blockchain technology to improve decentralization and security in situations where devices are limited. The system aims to increase overall security and provide resilience against quantum attacks by using ASCON instead of the traditional SHA-256 algorithm. ASCON, a component of the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Post-Quantum Cryptography Standardization Process, is ideal for IoT devices because it is small, efficient, and resistant to both classical and quantum attacks. The technology greatly improves the operating environment of resource-limited devices by leveraging blockchain for data management and security and ASCON for privacy.