Secure transfer between blockchains

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12284268-B2
Application number	US-202218087801-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2022
Priority date	Apr 11, 2017
Publication date	Apr 22, 2025
Grant date	Apr 22, 2025

Abstract

There may be provided a computer-implemented method. It may be implemented using a blockchain such as, for example, the Bitcoin blockchain. The computer-implemented method includes: i) joining a congress by transferring, by a node operating in a proof-of-work blockchain network, one or more digital assets to a congress pool having one or more other digital assets associated with other members of a congress; ii) detecting, by the node, a special transaction of digital assets on the proof-of-work blockchain network to an address associated with the congress pool, the special transaction satisfying determined criteria; and iii) minting, by the node, one or more digital assets on a proof-of-stake blockchain network in response to detecting the special transaction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
joining a congress of a plurality of nodes by transferring, by a node operating in a proof-of-work blockchain network and in a proof-of-stake blockchain network, one or more digital assets to a congress pool having one or more other digital assets associated with other members of the congress, wherein joining the congress comprises adding to the proof-of-work blockchain a special transaction transferring the one or more digital assets to a group public address associated with the congress pool, wherein the special transaction transferring the one or more digital assets to the group public address is a request to join the congress, and wherein the node is an electronic device having a processor and a memory storing operations that are executable by the processor;
detecting, by the node, the special transaction of digital assets on the proof-of-work blockchain network transferring the one or more digital assets to the group public address associated with the congress pool, the special transaction satisfying determined criteria, the special transaction transferring the one or more digital assets to the group public address has the effect of locking the one or more digital assets of the special transaction against transfers other than by the congress pool; and
minting, by the node, one or more digital assets on the proof-of-stake blockchain network in response to detecting the special transaction, the digital assets on the proof-of-stake blockchain network and corresponding to the locked one or more digital assets.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, by the node, that at least a threshold number of blocks have been added to a blockchain of the proof-of-work blockchain network after detection of the special transaction, and wherein the minting is in response to the determining that at least the threshold number of blocks have been added.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein joining further includes:
generating, by the node, a private key share to be used in a threshold signature scheme in which at least a threshold of private key shares must be used to sign a transaction on behalf of the congress, and wherein other holders of the private keys shares are the other members of the congress who have joined the congress on a non-permissioned basis by transfer of respective digital assets to the congress pool.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , further comprising:
detecting, by the node, a request on the proof-of-stake blockchain network to transfer the digital assets on the proof-of-stake blockchain network back to the proof-of-work blockchain network; and
in response to detecting the request, using, by the node, the private key share to cooperatively sign a transaction from the group public address associated with the congress pool.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , further comprising:
determining, by the node that at least a threshold number of blocks have been added to a blockchain of the proof-of-stake blockchain network after detection of the request, and wherein using the private key share is in response to the determining that at least the threshold number of blocks have been added to the blockchain of the proof-of-stake blockchain network.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein determining that at least a threshold number of blocks have been added to the blockchain of the proof-of-stake blockchain network is performed within a trusted execution environment on the node.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , further comprising, prior to using the private key share, confirming, by the node, validity of the request within a trusted execution environment.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , further comprising:
burning, by the node, on the proof-of-stake blockchain network, the digital assets associated with the request on the request.

9. The computer-implemented method claim 3 , wherein the threshold signature scheme is an Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein generating the private key share and using the private key share is performed on a trusted execution environment within the node.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the minting on the proof-of-stake blockchain network is performed by a node that has been selected by the proof-of-stake blockchain network and wherein a probability of the node being selected is based on a quantity of digital assets that the node has deposited to the congress pool.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a node, configure the processor to perform a method comprising:
joining a congress of a plurality of nodes by transferring, one or more digital assets to a congress pool having one or more other digital assets associated with other members of the congress, wherein the node operates in a proof-of-work blockchain network and in a proof-of-stake blockchain network, wherein joining the congress comprises adding to the proof-of-work blockchain a special transaction transferring the one or more digital assets to a group public address associated with the congress pool, wherein the special transaction transferring the one or more digital assets to the group public address is a request to join the congress;
detecting the special transaction of digital assets on the proof-of-work blockchain network transferring the one or more digital assets to the group public address associated with the congress pool, the special transaction satisfying determined criteria, the special transaction transferring the one or more digital assets to the group public address has the effect of locking the one or more digital assets of the special transaction against transfers other than by the congress pool; and
minting one or more digital assets on the proof-of-stake blockchain network in response to detecting the special transaction, the digital assets on the proof-of-stake blockchain network and corresponding to the locked one or more digital assets.

13. An electronic device comprising:
an interface device;
a processor coupled to the interface device; and
a memory coupled to the processor, the memory having stored thereon computer executable instructions which, when executed, configure the processor to perform a method comprising
joining a congress of a plurality of nodes by transferring, one or more digital assets to a congress pool having one or more other digital assets associated with other members of the congress, wherein the node operates in a proof-of-work blockchain network and in a proof-of-stake blockchain network, wherein joining the congress comprises adding to the proof-of-work blockchain a special transaction transferring the one or more digital assets to a group public address associated with the congress pool, wherein the special transaction transferring the one or more digital assets to the group public address is a request to join the congress;
detecting the special transaction of digital assets on the proof-of-work blockchain network transferring the one or more digital assets to the group public address associated with the congress pool, the special transaction satisfying determined criteria, the special transaction transferring the one or more digital assets to the group public address has the effect of locking the one or more digital assets of the special transaction against transfers other than by the congress pool; and
minting one or more digital assets on t

Assignees

• Nchain Licensing Ag

Inventors

• Fletcher John
• Bardoscia Marco
• Trevethan Thomas

Classifications

• G06Q2220/00

  Business processing using cryptography · CPC title

• H04L2209/56

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

• H04L2209/463

  Electronic voting · CPC title

• G06Q20/3829

  involving key management · CPC title

• G06Q20/389

  Keeping log of transactions for guaranteeing non-repudiation of a transaction · CPC title