Systems and methods for mining on a Proof-of-Work blockchain network
Embodiments of the present disclosure provides protocols, methods and systems which provides advantages such as the resistance of centralisation of mining on a blockchain network, preferably a Proof-of-Work blockchain. A method in accordance with an embodiment may comprise generating a plurality of non-parallelisable challenges (or “puzzles”) and allocating one of said plurality of challenges to each miner on the network. The miner uses an inherently sequential (non-parallelisable) algorithm to find a solution to his allocated challenge. The challenges are generated by a committee of nodes, and a new set of challenges is generated for each block.
1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
generating a plurality of multiparty computational challenges; and providing each mining node in a plurality of mining nodes on a Proof-of-Work blockchain network with a respective challenge from the plurality of multiparty computational challenges; and wherein the respective challenge comprises the calculation of an RSA modulus that is used in a repeated squaring time-lock puzzle.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein:
each challenge in the plurality of multiparty computational challenges requires use of an inherently sequential algorithm to find a solution to the challenge.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
generating a plurality of further multiparty computational challenges; and
providing each mining node in the plurality of mining nodes with a respective further
challenge from the plurality of further multiparty computational challenges.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the steps of claim 3 are performed when a solution has been found, by one of the mining nodes in the plurality of mining nodes, to a multiparty computational challenge or a further multiparty computational challenge.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
generation of the plurality of multiparty computational challenges and/or the plurality of further multiparty computational challenges is performed, at least in part, by a subset of computer-based entities which is selected from a plurality of computer-based entities.
6. The A-method of claim 5 wherein at least one of the computer-based entities is a mining node on the blockchain network.
7. The A-method of claim 5 , wherein the subset of computer-based entities is selected from the plurality of computer-based entities according to a random or pseudo-random selection process.
8. The A-method of claim 1 , wherein:
the generation of at least one of the plurality of multiparty computational challenges and/or further multiparty computational challenges comprises calculation of an output to an operation which uses a random or pseudo-random input.
9. The A-method of claim 1 , wherein:
the generation of at least one of the plurality of multiparty computational challenges and/or further multiparty computational challenges comprises the generation of an RSA key pair.
10. The A-method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of using an inherently sequential algorithm to find a solution to at least one of the plurality of multiparty computational challenges and/or further multiparty computational challenges.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the inherently sequential algorithm comprises at least one of the following operations:
a recursive operation;
a modular exponentiation; and
a repeated squaring operation.
12. A computer-implemented system comprising: a processor; and memory including executable instructions that, as a result of execution by the processor, causes the system to perform the steps of: generating a plurality of multiparty computational challenges; and providing each mining node in a plurality of mining nodes on a Proof-of-Work blockchain network with a respective challenge from the plurality of multiparty computational challenges; and wherein the respective challenge comprises the calculation of an RSA modulus that is used in a repeated squaring time-lock puzzle.
13. The computer implemented system of claim 12 , wherein the system comprises a plurality of nodes on a blockchain network, at least one of the nodes comprising the processor, memory and executable instructions of claim 12 .
14. The computer-implemented system of claim 12 , wherein:
each challenge in the plurality of multiparty computational challenges requires use of an inherently sequential algorithm to find a solution to the challenge.
15. The computer-implemented system of claim 12 , wherein the executable instructions, as a result of execution by the processor, causes the system to perform the steps of:
generating a plurality of further multiparty computational challenges; and
providing each mining node in the plurality of mining nodes with a respective further challenge from the plurality of further multiparty computational challenges.
16. The computer-implemented system of claim 12 , wherein the steps of claim 13 are performed when a solution has been found, by one of the mining nodes in the plurality of mining nodes, to a multiparty computational challenge or a further multiparty computational challenge.
17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon executable instructions that, as a result of being executed by a processor of a computer system, cause the computer system to perform the steps of: generating a plurality of multiparty computational challenges; and providing each mining node in a plurality of mining nodes on a Proof-of-Work blockchain network with a respective challenge from the plurality of multiparty computational challenges; and wherein the respective challenge comprises the calculation of an RSA modulus that is used in a repeated squaring time-lock puzzle.
18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein:
each challenge in the plurality of multiparty computational challenges requires use of an inherently sequential algorithm to find a solution to the challenge.
19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18 , wherein the executable instructions, as a result of being executed by the processor of the computer system, cause the computer system to perform the steps of:
generating a plurality of further multiparty computational challenges; and
providing each mining node in the plurality of mining nodes with a respective further
challenge from the plurality of further multiparty computational challenges.