PARALLEL-CHAIN ARCHITECTURE FOR BLOCKCHAIN SYSTEMS

• US 20190081793A1
• Filed: 09/12/2018
• Published: 03/14/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kadena LLC
• Original Assignee: Kadena LLC
• Inventors: Martino, William, Popejoy, Stuart, Quaintance, Monica
• Granted Patent: US 10,938,567 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/06 Private payment circuits, e.g. involving electronic currency used among participants of a common payment scheme
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/065 using e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/223 based on the use of peer-to-peer networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 2220/00 Business processing using cryptography
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0894 Escrow, recovery or storing of secret information, e.g. secret key escrow or cryptographic key storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3236 using cryptographic hash functions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/50 using hash chains, e.g. blockchains or hash trees

Abstract

Systems, apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture are described herein for providing for a proof-of-work parallel-chain architecture for a distributed ledger system (e.g., a blockchain) with efficient throughout and security.

Claims

1. A method for processing blocks using a parallel-blockchain architecture, comprising:

storing, in a memory device of a blockchain processing server, a plurality of parallel blockchains including an initial set of blockchains, each blockchain comprising an initial set of respective blocks,

the first block comprising a first block header that includes an initiating block hash,

wherein each blockchain is associated with at least one peer blockchain;

receiving, by a transceiver device in communication with the blockchain processing server, a transaction message from a node device;

generating, by a cryptographic module of the blockchain processing server, a second block hash based on the first block header of the first block and on the corresponding Merkle root for each at least one peer blockchain;

generating, by a blockchain module of the blockchain processing server, a second block header for the first blockchain,

wherein the second block header comprises the generated second block hash;

generating, by the blockchain module of the blockchain processing server, a second block for the first blockchain,

wherein the second block includes at least the generated second block header and the transaction message; and

transmitting, by the transceiver device, the generated second block to one or more node devices associated with the at least one peer blockchain.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, by the cryptographic module, a respective Merkle root for each at least one peer blockchain.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a respective Merkle root for each at least one peer blockchain from at least one node device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each parallel blockchain of the plurality of blockchains is independently mined.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction message is associated with a cross-chain cryptocurrency transfer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction message is associated with a transfer of cryptocurrency from an account of the first blockchain to an account of a second blockchain of the plurality of parallel blockchains.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction message is associated with a Merkle proof validation.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the Merkle proof validation comprises a simple payment verification (SPV) smart contract.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from a node device an SPV proof of value deletion for a second blockchain of the plurality of parallel blockchains.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

validating the SPV proof of value deletion.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction message corresponds to a creation of value in an account on the first blockchain.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction message corresponds to a deletion of value in an account on the first blockchain.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the second block header of the generated second block transmitted to the one or more node devices is incorporated in the next block header generated for the at least one peer blockchain.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the second block header of the generated second block, after being transmitted and subsequently received and processed by a blockchain processing server of the one or more node devices associated with at least one peer blockchain, is incorporated in the next block header generated for the peer blockchains.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of parallel blockchains is defined by at least one parameter defining interconnectedness of parallel blockchains.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein a configuration of the plurality of parallel blockchains is defined by at least one parameter of a corresponding graph.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein a configuration of the plurality of parallel blockchains is defined by at least one of an order value, a diameter value, and a degree value.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the order value defines the total number of parallel blockchains in the plurality of parallel blockchains.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the diameter value defines a maximum number of inter-chain hops required to construct a Merkle validation proof between any two blockchains of the plurality of parallel blockchains.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the degree value defines a number of previous block headers of associated peer blockchains are referenced by each blockchain of the plurality of parallel blockchains.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein each blockchain of the plurality of parallel blockchains comprises a number of blocks that is within the diameter value of the number of blocks in any other blockchain in the plurality of parallel blockchain.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein each blockchain of the plurality of parallel blockchains comprises a set of blocks including a respective first block in the blockchain, and wherein each respective block header for each block of the set of blocks references all of the at least one peer blockchains associated with that blockchain.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of parallel blockchains is configured for bounded asynchronous advancement.

24. A method for validating cross-chain transactions in a parallel-blockchain architecture, comprising:

receiving, from a node device by a blockchain processing server, a transaction message for a second action of a transaction,

the transaction message comprising a transaction proof message for a first action of the transaction taken on a first parallel blockchain,

wherein the first parallel blockchain is associated with at least one peer blockchain,

wherein the transaction proof message comprises a block hash based on a block header for the first parallel blockchain and on the corresponding Merkle root for each at least one peer blockchain associated with the first parallel blockchain, and

wherein the second action is associated with a second parallel blockchain associated with the first parallel blockchain;

validating, by the blockchain processing server, the transaction proof message to confirm successful completion of the first action of the transaction on the first parallel blockchain,

wherein validating comprises performing, based on the block hash, a Merkle root proof for the first parallel blockchain and for each of the at least one peer blockchain of the first parallel blockchain;

generating, by a cryptographic module of the blockchain processing server, a new block hash based on a previous block header of a previous block of the second parallel blockchain and on the corresponding Merkle root for each at least one peer blockchain associated with the second parallel blockchain;

generating, by a blockchain module of the blockchain processing server, a new block header for the second parallel blockchain,

wherein the new block header comprises the generated new block hash;

generating, by the blockchain module of the blockchain processing server, a new block for the second parallel blockchain,

wherein the new block includes the generated new block header and a transaction record based on the second action of the transaction; and

transmitting, by the transceiver device, the generated new block to a plurality of node devices associated with the second parallel blockchain.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

generating, by the cryptographic module, a respective Merkle root for each at least one peer blockchain.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

receiving a respective Merkle root for each at least one peer blockchain from at least one node device.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein each peer blockchain is independently mined.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein the transaction comprises a cross-chain event on a cryptocurrency hosting network.

29. The method of claim 24, wherein the transaction comprises a transfer of cryptocurrency from an account of the first parallel blockchain to an account of the second parallel blockchain.

30. The method of claim 24, wherein the transaction is associated with a Merkle proof validation.