A blockchain-enabled trust-aware authentication framework for secure communication in VANETs.

Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs) are essential for intelligent transportation systems; however, their dynamic topology and open wireless communication environment expose them to impersonation, Sybil, replay, and message modification attacks. Existing authentication schemes mainly rely on centralized authorities and conventional cryptographic mechanisms, which lack dynamic trust evaluation and fail to ensure secure authentication during Roadside Unit (RSU) handover and cluster mobility. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a blockchain-enabled trust-aware authentication framework for secure VANET communication. The framework integrates a Joint Probability and Error Unit-based Deep Learning Neural Network (JPEU-DLNN) for dynamic trust assessment and Log-based Edwards Curve Cryptography (LECC) for lightweight key generation. In addition, Gini Indexed Farthest First Clustering (GIFFC) ensures stable cluster formation, while the Directional Gannet Optimization Algorithm (DGOA) supports optimal routing. Blockchain technology provides decentralized and immutable credential storage, eliminating single-point failure and certificate forgery. Simulation results show that the proposed framework achieves 95.62% authentication accuracy and 96.94% packet delivery ratio, with reduced end-to-end delay and improved network lifetime compared to existing blockchain-based authentication schemes. Security evaluation confirms strong resistance against active and passive attacks. These results demonstrate the practical applicability of the framework for secure and reliable VANET deployments.