SRRS: A blockchain fast propagation protocol based on non-Markovian process

Abstract

The blockchain technology that underlies many cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, is demanded to raise for more efficient transactions. Thus, in the last decade, many solutions have been proposed to improve the propagation of blocks. Motivated by SRRS (social reinforcement rumor spreading), we propose a blockchain fast propagation protocol named SRRS protocol based on a non-Markovian process, where the verification and transmission of a block depend on its propagation history. The simulated experimental results show that our protocol can significantly accelerate the propagation of blocks. Compared with existing major solutions, our protocol does not change the main procedure of Bitcoin and the block data structure, which is a huge advantage for practical applications. Moreover, employing the theories of complex networks and percolation, we develop a method of theoretical analysis, which can find the optimal setting of our protocol.