Method for signing a new block in a decentralized blockchain consensus network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11212081-B2
Application number	US-201716487114-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 24, 2017
Priority date	Feb 24, 2017
Publication date	Dec 28, 2021
Grant date	Dec 28, 2021

Abstract

A method for signing a new block of a blockchain of a distributed blockchain consensus network (DBCN), comprising a mining computing entity (MCE) and a node computing entity, includes the step of signing and/or encrypting of predefined MCE information by the MCE, using a secret key of a public key/secret key key pair of the MCE to obtain hidden information (HI). The new block is signed by the MCE using the secret key and block information comprising block height information to create a signature for the new block. In a case of at least one further signing of a different block with the respective same block height information by the MCE, reveal information is provided to reveal the HI to the DBCN by another node computing entity of the DBCN when the node computing entity has received two signatures comprising the same corresponding block height information.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for signing a new block of a blockchain of a distributed blockchain consensus network (DBCN) comprising a mining computing entity (MCE) and a plurality of node computing entities, the method comprising:
i. signing and/or encrypting of predefined MCE information by the MCE, using a secret key of a public key/secret key key pair of the MCE to obtain hidden information (HI);
ii. signing the new block by the MCE using the secret key and block information comprising block height information to create a signature for the new block;
iii. signing of a second block by the MCE with the same block height information as the new block; and
iv. providing, by a first node computing entity of the plurality of node computing entities, reveal information to reveal the HI to a second node computing entity of the plurality of node computing entities when the first node computing entity receives two signatures comprising the same block height information, wherein the two signatures are associated with the new block and the second block.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the HI is revealed by revealing the secret key of the MCE.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the HI comprises identity information of the MCE and/or of a user of the MCE.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the HI is checked for correctness by at least one of:
a) linking the HI to an identity provider and/or an electronic identity certificate using a witness-hiding protocol,
b) using a trusted third party during registration of the MCE to the DBCN, and
c) using a trusted execution environment entity during registration of the MCE to the DBCN.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the signature is computed using a discrete logarithm signature scheme and a nonce.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the nonce is computed using a pseudo-random function on input of the secret key and the block height information.

7. The method according to claim 5 , wherein a witness hiding proof for the nonce is computed by the MCE.

8. A decentralized blockchain consensus network (DBCN) comprising:
at least one mining computing entity (MCE) configured to:
i. sign and/or encrypt predefined MCE information using a secret key of a public key/secret key key pair of the MCE, to obtain hidden information (HI), and
ii. sign the new block using the secret key and block information comprising block height information to create a signature for the new block;
iii. signing of a second block with the same block height information as the new block;

a plurality of node computing entities, comprising:
a first node computing entity configured to:
iv. provide reveal information to reveal the HI to a second node computing entity of the plurality of node computing entities when the first node computing entity receives two signatures comprising the same block height information, wherein the two signatures are associated with the new block and the second block; and
the second node computing entity configured to:
v. receive the reveal information.

9. A mining computing entity (MCE) for signing a new block in a distributed blockchain consensus network (DBCN), the MCE being configured to:
i. sign and/or encrypt predefined MCE information using a secret key of a public key/secret key key pair of the MCE, to obtain hidden information (HI); and
ii. sign the new block using the secret key and block information comprising block height information to create a signature for the new block.

10. A first node computing entity in a distributed blockchain consensus network (DBCN), the first node computing entity being configured to:
provide reveal information to reveal hidden information (HI) of a mining computing entity (MCE) to a second node computing entity of the DBCN when having received two signatures comprising block height information, wherein the two signatures are associated with a new block and a second block.

11. A method for signing a new block of a blockchain in a distributed blockchain consensus network (DBCN) by a mining computing entity (MCE), the method comprising:
a) signing and/or encrypting of predefined MCE information using a secret key of a public key/secret key key pair of the MCE, to obtain hidden information (HI); and
b) signing the new block by the MCE using the secret key and block information comprising block height information to create a signature for the new block.

12. A method for revealing hidden information in a distributed blockchain consensus network (DBCN) by a first node computing entity of the network, the method comprising:
providing reveal information to reveal a hidden information (HI) of a mining computing entity (MCE) to a second node computing entity of the DBCN when having received two signatures comprising same corresponding block height information, wherein the two signatures are associated with a new block and a second block.

Assignees

• NEC Laboratories Europe GmbH
• Nec Corp

Inventors

• Karame Ghassan
• Bohli Jens-Matthias
• Li Wenting

Classifications

• H04L9/50

  using hash chains, e.g. blockchains or hash trees · CPC title

• H04L2209/56

  Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash · CPC title

• G06Q2220/00

  Business processing using cryptography · CPC title

• H04L2209/046

  of operations, operands or results of the operations · CPC title

• H04L9/3247

  involving digital signatures · CPC title