Managing blockchain-based centralized ledger systems
Disclosed herein are methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for managing blockchain-based centralized ledger systems. One of the methods includes: receiving timestamps and associated signatures from an independent trust time server associated with a trust time authority by a centralized ledger server in a centralized ledger system, storing the timestamps and the associated signatures in a centralized trust timestamp blockchain that stores trust timestamp information of the trust time server for the centralized ledger system that stores data in blockchains each including a plurality of blocks, receiving a timestamp request for a block of a blockchain from a ledger server associated with the blockchain by the centralized ledger server, and transmitting a timestamp and associated signature that is stored in the timestamp blockchain and corresponds to the timestamp request to the ledger server by the centralized ledger server.
1. A computer-implemented method for managing a blockchain-based centralized ledger system, the computer-implemented method comprising:
maintaining a centralized trust timestamp blockchain by a centralized ledger server in the centralized ledger system, the centralized ledger server comprising a plurality of timestamp blocks, each of the plurality of timestamp blocks storing a respective trust timestamp and associated signature from a trust time server, the trust time server being associated with a trust time authority and independent from the centralized ledger system;
receiving a first timestamp request for a first data block of a data blockchain from a ledger server associated with the data blockchain by the centralized ledger server, the data blockchain comprising a plurality of data blocks storing transaction data; and
transmitting a first timestamp and associated signature that is stored in the centralized trust timestamp blockchain and corresponds to the first timestamp request to the ledger server by the centralized ledger server.
2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the first data block is a most current data block to be generated in the data blockchain when the first timestamp request is transmitted by the ledger server, and
wherein the first timestamp request comprises a hash of first transaction data to be stored in the first data block.
3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the first data block stores the first timestamp and associated signature as a transaction and the first transaction data.
4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the first data block is a most recent data block generated in the data blockchain when the first timestamp request is transmitted by the ledger server, and
wherein the first timestamp request comprises a hash of the first data block.
5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein the first timestamp and associated signature is stored as a transaction in a first timestamped block immediately subsequent to the first data block in the data blockchain, wherein the first timestamped block stores the hash of the first data block.
6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the first timestamp and associated signature is stored in a most recent timestamp block generated in the centralized trust timestamp blockchain when the first timestamp request is received.
7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , further comprising:
generating an internal timestamp for the most recent timestamp block storing the first timestamp and associated signature by the centralized ledger server;
generating an internal signature encrypting the internal timestamp and the most recent timestamp block by the centralized ledger server; and
transmitting the internal timestamp and the internal signature, together with the first timestamp and associated signature, to the ledger server by the centralized ledger server.
8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
periodically receiving timestamp requests for data blocks in the data blockchain from the ledger server by the centralized ledger server.
9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the data blockchain comprises a plurality of timestamped blocks each storing respective timestamps and associated signatures from the centralized trust timestamp blockchain, any adjacent two of the timestamped blocks in the data blockchain being anchored with each other.
10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a second timestamp request from a second ledger server associated with a second data blockchain by the centralized ledger server; and
transmitting a second timestamp and associated signature that is stored in the centralized trust timestamp blockchain and corresponds to the second timestamp request to the second ledger server by the centralized ledger server.
11. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing one or more instructions executable by a computer-implemented system to perform operations for managing a blockchain-based centralized ledger system, the operations comprising:
maintaining a centralized trust timestamp blockchain that comprises a plurality of timestamp blocks, each of the plurality of timestamp blocks storing a respective trust timestamp and associated signature from a trust time server, the trust time server being associated with a trust time authority and independent from the centralized ledger system;
receiving a first timestamp request for a first data block of a data blockchain from a ledger server associated with the data blockchain, the data blockchain comprising a plurality of data blocks storing transaction data; and
transmitting a first timestamp and associated signature that is stored in a centralized trust timestamp blockchain and corresponds to the first timestamp request to the ledger server.
12. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium 11 , wherein the first data block is a most current data block to be generated in the data blockchain when the first timestamp request is transmitted by the ledger server, and
wherein the first timestamp request comprises a hash of first transaction data to be stored in the first data block.
13. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium 12 , wherein the first data block stores the first timestamp and associated signature as a transaction and the first transaction data.
14. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium 11 , wherein the first data block is a most recent data block generated in the data blockchain when the first timestamp request is transmitted by the ledger server,
wherein the first timestamp request comprises a hash of the first data block, and
wherein the first timestamp and associated signature is stored as a transaction in a first timestamped block immediately subsequent to the first data block in the data blockchain, wherein the first timestamped block stores the hash of the first data block.
15. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium 11 , wherein the first timestamp and associated signature is stored in a most recent timestamp block generated in the centralized trust timestamp blockchain when the first timestamp request is received.
16. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium 15 , wherein the operations further comprise:
generating an internal timestamp for the most recent timestamp block storing the first timestamp and associated signature;
generating an internal signature encrypting the internal timestamp and the most recent timestamp block; and
transmitting the internal timestamp and the internal signature, together with the first timestamp and associated signature, to the ledger server.
17. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium 11 , wherein the operations further comprise:
periodically receiving timestamp requests for data blocks in the data blockchain from the ledger server.
18. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium 11 , wherein the data blockchain comprises a plurality of timestamped blocks each storing respective timestamps and associated signatures from the centralized trust timestamp blockchain, any adjacent two of the timestamped blocks in the data blockchain being anchored with each other.
19. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium 11 , wherein the operations further comprise:
receiving a second timestamp request from a second ledger server associated with a second data blockchain; and
transmitting a second timestamp and associated signature that is stored in the centralized trust timestamp blockchain and corresponds to the second timestamp request to the second ledger server.
20. A computer-implemented system, comprising:
one or more processors; and
one or more non-transitory machine readable storage medium coupled to the one or more processors and having machine-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations for managing a blockchain-based centralized ledger system, the operations comprising:
maintaining a centralized trust timestamp blockchain that comprises a plurality of timestamp blocks, each of the plurality of timestamp blocks storing a respective trust timestamp and associated signature from a trust time server, the trust time server being associated with a trust time authority and independent from the centralized ledger system;
receiving a timestamp request for a data block of a data blockchain from a ledger server associated with the data blockchain, the data blockchain comprising a plurality of data blocks storing transaction data; and
transmitting a timestamp and associated signature that is stored in a centralized trust timestamp blockchain and corresponds to the timestamp request to the ledger server.