Multi-Agent Systems and Blockchain: Results from a Systematic Literature Review.

Multi-Agent Systems (MAS) technology is widely used for the development of intelligent distributed systems that manage sensitive data (e.g., ambient assisted living, healthcare, energy trading). To foster accountability and trusted interactions, recent trends advocate the use of blockchain technologies (BCT) for MAS. Although most of these approaches have only started exploring the topic, there is an impending need for establishing a research road-map, as well as identifying scientific and technological challenges in this scope. As a first necessary step towards this goal, this paper presents a systematic literature review of studies involving MAS and BCT as reconciling solutions. Aiming at providing a comprehensive overview of their application domains, we analyze motivations, assumptions, requirements, strengths, and limitations presented in the current state of the art. Moreover, discussing the future challenges, we introduce our vision on how MAS and BCT could be combined in different application scenarios.