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Digitized Land Registration

5.3  PEER-TO-PEER TECHNOLOGY

A peer-to-peer network(P2P) is a decentralized model that includes a group of nodes

which save and share recordscollectively; here, each node or device acts as individ­

ual peer.The communication in P2P does not have any central control or administra­

tion, and all the nodes in the network have equal rights in handling the tasks. This

architecture is categorized into three different networks:Structured P2P, unstruc­

tured P2P and hybrid P2P networks. In the structured P2P systems, all the nodes

or devices will be organized and can search the desired data efficiently in the net­

work. In unstructured P2P systems, the network connection will happen randomly,

whereas the hybrid models work by combining both client server and P2P models

(Verheye, et​.a​l, 2020). Nowadays, P2P is the foundation for cryptocurrencies and an

important part of the blockchain industry.

5.3.1  Peer-to-Peer Network in Blockchain

The P2P technology works with the decentralization model and seems to fit well with

blockchain. The P2P architecture of blockchain allows all the cryptocurrencies trans­

ferred all around the worldto work with the P2P architecture of blockchains,which

works independently without any central or middle man for the control. Those who

wish to setup a bitcoin or cryptocurrency can undergo verification and validation of

the blocks through the distributed P2P network(Thakur et​.a​l, 2020). In the P2P net­

work, the blockchain seems to be the decentralized ledger for tracing the details of

digital assets. Here, if we use the P2P network, all the nodes will be in connection,

and each node can have the ledger copy, through which it can compare it with the

other nodes for validation of data.

5.3.2  Advantages of P2P in Blockchains

• On comparing with the client server model, the P2P architecture is more

secure as there is no central point of control, which obviously avoids com­

plete central point failure. Also,denial-of-serviceoutbreaks are impossible

in the P2P network.

• The data has the property of immutability as the data cannot be altered

once it is written. Though the network is big, the possibility of alteration

is very low, as the majority of nodes will be in connections, which would

need to be altered.

• The usage of P2P in a blockchain allows it to run independently without any

central point of control.

5.3.3  Limitations of P2P in Blockchains

• The most important and significant disadvantage is that higher computing

power is needed for this type of architecture because the nodes are distrib­

uted and have no central control.

• Lack of widespread adoption and scalability.