Blockchain Consensus Mechanism Research Articles

Proof of Work as a Three-Sided Market

Blockchain technology is the distributed, decentralised ledger technology underlying Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. We apply Oliver Williamson’s transactions cost analysis to the blockchain consensus mechanism. Blockchains reduce the costs of opportunism but are not ‘trustless’. We show that blockchains are trust machines. Blockchains are platforms for three-sided bargaining that convert energy-intensive computation into economically-valuable trust.

Blockchain leveraged decentralized IoT eHealth framework

Blockchain technologies recently emerging for eHealth, can facilitate a secure, decentralized and patient-driven, record management system. However, Blockchain technologies cannot accommodate the storage of data generated from IoT devices in remote patient management (RPM) settings as this application requires a fast consensus mechanism, careful management of keys and enhanced protocols for privacy. In this paper, we propose a Blockchain leveraged decentralized eHealth architecture which comprises three layers: (1) The Sensing layer – Body Area Sensor Networks include medical sensors typically on or in a patient body transmitting data to a smartphone. (2) The NEAR processing layer – Edge Networks consist of devices at one hop from data sensing IoT devices. (3) The FAR processing layer – Core Networks comprise Cloud or other high computing servers). A Patient Agent (PA) software replicated on the three layers processes medical data to ensure reliable, secure and private communication. The PA executes a lightweight Blockchain consensus mechanism and utilizes a Blockchain leveraged task-offloading algorithm to ensure patient’s privacy while outsourcing tasks. Performance analysis of the decentralized eHealth architecture has been conducted to demonstrate the feasibility of the system in the processing and storage of RPM data.

An Improved Blockchain Consensus Mechanism Based on Open Business Environment

With the rise of the blockchain, the underlying technology has also received more and more attention. The blockchain is a point-to-point distributed system, and the consensus algorithm is a mechanism to resolve the consensus of each node. Byzantine Fault Tolerance (BFT) is a fault-tolerant technology in the field of distributed computing. The blockchain network environment conforms to the Byzantine general problem model. In order to make it suitable for open business environment, we propose an improved blockchain consensus mechanism based on Practical Byzantine Fault Tolerance Algorithm (PBFT) that consider different business. The consensus algorithm proposed in this paper (OBE-PBFT) introduces the historical behavior credit rating of nodes to optimize the view change protocol in PBFT, so as to solve the problem of low consensus success rate and large traffic when encountering Byzantine nodes. The historical credit rating of the node can make the consensus process more robust, in order to solve the problem of different business in the alliance chain consensus mechanism in the open business environment.

Improvement of the DPoS Consensus Mechanism in Blockchain Based on Vague Sets

United Nations security council resolutions are voted on by fifteen members of the security council. A resolution will be deemed to be adopted if more than nine of the member states adopt it and all five permanent members do not use the veto. The five permanent members can vote yes, no, and abstain against a resolution. The vague set can be explained intuitively with the voting model, indicating the three conditions for voting. Which are favor, against, and abstention. When the agent nodes were selected by the consensus mechanism of delegated proof of stake (DPoS), the voting node can only vote support instead of against and abstention, and there are no penalties for malicious nodes. Besides, there is no clear method to select the agent node if the votes obtained by the last agent node are the same as the votes cast by others. This article puts forward a kind of vague set to improve DPoS consensus mechanism. Just like how human elections are held, this method allows each node to vote for the agent node. This is a fair and effective way of selecting agent node when alternate nodes are of the same value, it improves the security and fairness of blockchain, reduces the probability that malicious nodes will be selected as agent nodes. We prove that the maximum probability of nodes after the vote of the fuzzy membership degree is 0.5. The feasibility and effectiveness of the improved consensus mechanism is verified by examples.

Research on Micro-Grid Group Intelligent Decision Mechanism under the Mode of Block-Chain and Multi-Agent Fusion

This paper aims to study the problems of surplus interaction, poor real-time performance, and excessive processing of information in the micro-grid scheduling and decision-making process. Firstly, the micro-grid dual-loop mobile topology structure is designed by using the method of block-chain and multi-agent fusion, realizing the real-time update of the decision-making body. Secondly, on the basis of optimizing the decision-making body, a two-layer model of intelligent decision-making under the decentralized mechanism is established. Aiming at the upper model, based on the theory of block-chain consensus mechanism, this paper proposes an improved evolutionary game algorithm. The maximum risk-benefit in the decision-making process is the objective function, which realizes the evaluation and optimization of decision tasks. For the lower layer model, based on the block-chain distributed ledger theory, this paper proposes an improved hybrid game reinforcement learning algorithm, with the maximum controllable load participation as the objective function, and realizes the optimal configuration of distributed energy in the micro-grid. This paper reveals the rules of group intelligent decision making in micro-grid under multi-task. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is verified by using Beijing Jin-feng Energy Internet Park data.

ANN Based Block Chain Security Threat Mechanism

Blockchain was first introduced to the world in a form of crypto currency. Since then it’s grabbing popularity day by day and has already started changing lifestyle and business process in some areas. The Blockchain is a data structure, and consists of time-stamped list of blocks, used to create a digitally secured, transactional ledger that, facilitates the process of recording transactions and tracking assets in a distributed business network instead of resting with a single provider. It brings a paradigm shift from the conventional way of storing transactional data, exchanging value, assets decentralizing and sharing data across a large network of untrusted participants without intervention of any centralized trusted agency, but still building a trusted system without compromising data integrity, security and reliability. This paper is based on survey of different consensus mechanisms already available so far and an introduce our own approach to tack one of the security threats by introducing a Neural Network to the consensus mechanism of Blockchain.

A Collaborative Intrusion Detection Approach Using Blockchain for Multimicrogrid Systems

Multimicrogrid (MMG) systems have the potential to play an increasingly important role in the transformation of existing power grid to smart grid. However, the open and distributed connectivity of MMGs exposes the systems into various cyber-attacks, which may cause serious failures or physical damages, such as power supply interruption and human casualties. Therefore, ensuring the security of MMGs is of paramount importance. To address this issue, a new collaborative intrusion detection (CID) approach using blockchain is proposed in this paper for MMG systems in smart grid. Due to the consensus mechanism of blockchain, the approach is designed without the need of a trusted authority or central server while improving the accuracy of intrusion detection in a collaborative way. It is equipped with a proposal generation method that combines periodic and trigger patterns to generate the detection target of CID, i.e., a proposal. From the generated proposals together with the correlation model of MMGs, a CID is achieved by using the consensus mechanism. The final detection results of CID are stored on blockchain in sequence. The use of an incentive mechanism motivates a single microgrid to participate in consensus. The effectiveness of the presented approach is demonstrated through a case study on an MMG system.

Research on blockchain consensus mechanism and implementation

Each of the most popular blockchain platform, Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Hyperledger Fabric, varies in aspects of decentralization, permission, anonymity, and native-currency, has its own consensus mechanism, algorithm and implementation. In the mainstream blockchain technology, there are many common consensus algorithms. They differ in terms of computational complexity, fault-tolerance, and resilience. The performance, consistency, scalability, and efficiency of blockchain consensus mechanism need further improvement and optimization. Consensus mechanism and code implementation of Bitcoin, Ethereum and Hyperledger are analyzed, discussed and proposed.

블록체인 기술을 적용한 여행 전용 암호화폐 제안

본 연구는 방한 외국인의 국내 여행 시 사용되는 지불수단의 문제점들을 상쇄하기 위해 블록체인 합의 매커니즘 기술을 적용하여 여행 암호화폐를 제안하고자 시도되었다. 차세대 혁신 기술로 주목받고 있는 블록체인 기술은 각 산업에서 큰 효율성을 가져올 것으로 기대되고 있으며 본 연구는 블록체인을 관광산업에 적용하는 토대를 마련한다. 이를 위해 블록체인의 개념을 정리하고, 그 가치와 철학에 대해 고찰하여 개념적 측면에서 한국 여행전용 암호화폐(Korea Travel Coin)를 제안한다. 이를 바탕으로 본 연구의 의의는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 기존의 연구들이 간과하고 있는 블록체인의 정체성에 대한 고찰을 시도하여 블록체인 합의 구조라는 혁신기술에 대한 통찰을 제시하였다. 사회과학 측면에서 접근한 블록체인 가치의 함의는 후속연구를 위한 기초자료를 제공한다. 둘째, 본 연구에서는 블록체인의 특성을 검토하여 현 단계의 기술수준으로도 구현이 가능한 여행용 암호화폐 모델을 제안하고, 제기되는 취약점을 보완하기 위해 프라이빗 블록체인과 퍼블릭 블록체인을 동시에 적용하는 하이브리드 블록체인 시스템 기반의 KTC(Korea Travel Coin)을 제시했다. 기술적 근거를 제공함으로써 KTC 상용화 가능성을 타진하고 보완된 로직으로의 확장을 가능케 한다. 본 연구의 결과를 통해 장기적인 안목과 방향성을 가지고 블록체인 합의 매커니즘의 산업적 적용을 보다 심도 있게 고민해 볼 필요가 있다.

Collaborative Optimization of Distributed Scheduling Based on Blockchain Consensus Mechanism Considering Battery-Swap Stations of Electric Vehicles

The proliferation of electric vehicles and active distribution network has brought many uncertainties to the power system. If the power system involves battery-swap stations of electric vehicles, it is difficult to ensure the data security during the distributed scheduling. To solve the problem, this paper sets up a collaborative optimization model for distributed scheduling based on blockchain consensus mechanism, considering the battery-swap stations. The power system was divided into three levels: the transmission network level, the distribution network level and the battery-swap station level. Next, the objective functions were constructed to minimize the generation cost and daily load variance on each level, and the optimal scheduling plan for the power system was solved through multi-level collaborative optimization. The blockchain consensus mechanism was adopted to verify the accuracy of the transaction data, and the production data of all entities were encoded by hash function before storage, such that the data are tamper resistant and traceable. The example analysis shows that our model can effectively reduce the generation cost, lower the daily load variance, and enhance system stability. The research findings shed new light on maintaining the optimization efficiency and data confidentiality of modern power network.

Tithonus: A Bitcoin Based Censorship Resilient System

Abstract Providing reliable and surreptitious communications is difficult in the presence of adaptive and resourceful state level censors. In this paper we introduce Tithonus, a framework that builds on the Bitcoin blockchain and network to provide censorship-resistant communication mechanisms. In contrast to previous approaches, we do not rely solely on the slow and expensive blockchain consensus mechanism but instead fully exploit Bitcoin’s peer-to-peer gossip protocol. We develop adaptive, fast and cost effective data communication solutions that camouflage client requests into inconspicuous Bitcoin transactions. We propose solutions to securely request and transfer content, with unobservability and censorship resistance, and free, pay-per-access and subscription based payment options. When compared to state-of-the-art Bitcoin writing solutions, Tithonus reduces the cost of transferring data to censored clients by 2 orders of magnitude and increases the goodput by 3 to 5 orders of magnitude. We show that Tithonus client initiated transactions are hard to detect, while server initiated transactions cannot be censored without creating split world problems to the Bit-coin blockchain.

Research on the Application of Blockchain in Central Bank-issued Digital Currency

The successful operation of blockchain technology in bitcoin system guarantees the possibility of the Central Bank-issued Digital Currency (CBDC). By analyzing the evolution logic of digital money, the operation mechanism and main classification of blockchain, we can conclude the main applications of blockchain in the CDBC. First, we can use the consensus mechanism of blockchain and tamper-resistant data to construct the binary system of CBDC. Second, licensing chain helps to balance privacy protection and financial regulatory. Third, alliance chain can meet the demand of system carrying capacity and security for large transaction. Finally, asymmetric encryption algorithm enables achievement of non-fraudulent transfer. When promoting the digitization of legal currency, Central Bank and relevant government departments should also improve the regulation of blockchain and network security. It is important to prudentially assess the impact of CBDC on the current monetary system, and to improve the effectiveness of monetary policy.

Blockchains Industrialise Trust

Blockchains are the distributed, decentralised ledger technology underlying Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. We apply Oliver Williamson’s transactions cost analysis to the blockchain consensus mechanism. Blockchains reduce the costs of opportunism but are not “trustless”. We show that blockchains are trust machines. Blockchains are platforms for three-sided bargaining that convert energy-intensive computation into economically-valuable trust.