Trustworthy Inter-Provider Agreements in 6G Using a Privacy-Enabled Hybrid Blockchain Framework

Abstract

Inter-provider agreements are central to 6G networks, where administrative domains must securely and dynamically share services. To address the dual need for transparency and confidentiality, we propose a privacy-enabled hybrid blockchain setup using Hyperledger Besu, integrating both public and private transaction workflows. The system enables decentralized service registration, selection, and SLA breach reporting through role-based smart contracts and privacy groups. We design and deploy a proof-of-concept implementation, evaluating performance using end-to-end latency as a key metric within privacy groups. Results show that public interactions maintain stable latency, while private transactions incur additional overhead due to off-chain coordination. The block production rate governed by IBFT 2.0 had limited impact on private transaction latency, due to encryption and peer synchronization. Lessons learned highlight design considerations for smart contract structure, validator management, and scalability patterns suitable for dynamic inter-domain collaboration. Our findings offer practical insights for deploying trustworthy agreement systems in 6G networks using privacy-enabled hybrid blockchains.