Scalability Analysis of IoT-DAG Distributed Ledgers using Preferential Attachment Topology: A Simulation Approach

Volume 17, Number 3

Scalability Analysis of IoT-DAG Distributed Ledgers using Preferential Attachment Topology: A Simulation Approach

Authors

Peter Kimemiah Mwangi, Stephen T. Njenga and Gabriel Ndung’u Kamau, Murang’a University of Technology, Murang’a, Kenya

Abstract

Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) based Distributed Ledger Technologies (DLTs) are being explored to address the scalability and energy efficiency challenges of traditional blockchain in IoT applications. The objective of this research was to gain insight into algorithms predicting how IoT-DAG DLT horizontal scalability changes with increasing node count in a heterogeneous ecosystem of full and light nodes. It specifically questioned how incorporating preferential attachment topology impacts IoT network scalability and performance, focusing on transaction throughput and energy efficiency. Using an AgentBased Modelling (ABM) simulation, the study evaluated a heterogeneous 1:10 full/light node network with Barabási Albert Preferential Attachment (PA-2.3) across increasing node counts (100-6400). Performance was measured by Confirmed Transactions Per Second (CTPS) and Mean Transaction Latency (MTL). Results showed CTPS scales linearly with node count (R² ≈ 1.000), exhibiting robust predictability. MTL increased logarithmically (R² ≈ 0.970), becoming more predictable as the network grew. Horizontal scalability showed exponential decay. The study confirms that IoT-DAG DLTs with preferential attachment can achieve predictable, near-linear throughput horizontal scalability, highlighting that topology matters and optimising CTPS yields the highest throughput gains.

Keywords

Direct Acyclic Distributed Ledger, Horizontal Scalability, Internet of Things, NetLogo, Model Simulation, Preferential Attachment Topology