Method and system for providing a robust blockchain with an integrated proof of storage

1. A method for integrating a Proof of Storage (PoS) into a blockchain and for increasing security, robustness and/or verifiability of a blockchain network, the method comprising:

receiving, at a first one of a plurality of mining nodes of the blockchain network, a part of the blockchain to be stored;

storing, at the first mining node, the part of the blockchain;

mining, by the first mining node, a new block, wherein the mining is performed so as to enforce that the mining nodes store different parts of the blockchain;

integrating the PoS into the new block; and

verifying the PoS before accepting the new block into the blockchain.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the part of the blockchain to be stored by the first mining node is selected using a value or identifier that is unique to the first mining node.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the part of the blockchain to be stored by the first mining node is expandable based on a current size of the blockchain.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the PoS is integrated into the new block using a challenge-response protocol implemented in the first mining node which issues a challenge, the challenge requesting a subset of data contained in the part of the blockchain that was received at the first mining node.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the PoS is verified based on the subset of data of the challenge and a response to the challenge incorporated in the PoS being correct.

6. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the challenge includes a coinbase transaction that is unique to the first mining node.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the challenge includes a timestamp defining a frequency of renewing the PoS.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein an operator of the blockchain network signs a set of transactions once and distributes the set of transactions to each of the mining nodes.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the mining comprises:

searching for a valid set of transactions, wherein a determination that the set of transactions is valid relies on finding a first nonce such that using a cryptographically secure hash function a hash value of the transactions and the first nonce is below a threshold; and then

finding a second nonce such that a hash of a block header that includes the valid set of transactions as well as the PoS of the received part of the blockchain is below a threshold.

10. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising requiring the first mining node to compute nonces in a predetermined sequential order using a cryptographically secure hash function so as to find a correct nonce.

11. A mining node for integrating a Proof of Storage (PoS) into a blockchain and for increasing security, robustness and/or verifiability of a blockchain network, the mining node comprising a memory and one or more computer processors, which alone or in combination, provide for execution of the following steps:

receiving a selected part of the blockchain to be stored that is unique to the mining node and different from parts of the blockchain received by other mining nodes of the blockchain network;

storing the part of the blockchain in the memory;

mining a new block using a set of transactions signed and distributed by an operator of the blockchain network or by searching for a valid set of transactions, wherein a determination that the set of transactions is valid relies on a coinbase that is unique to the first mining node; and

integrating the PoS into a new block to be mined.

12. The mining node according to claim 11 , wherein the part of the blockchain to be stored is selected using a pseudo-random selection function and a value or identifier that is unique to the mining node.

13. The mining node according to claim 11 , wherein the one or more processors, alone or in combination, are further configured to integrate the PoS into the new block using a challenge-response protocol implemented in the mining node configured to issue a challenge requesting a subset of data contained in the part of the blockchain that was received at the mining node.

14. The mining node according to claim 13 , wherein the challenge includes a coinbase transaction that is unique to the mining node.

15. The mining node according to claim 11 , wherein the mining node is configured to search for the valid set of transactions using a cryptographically secure hash function such that nonces are computed in a predetermined sequential order.