Nchain Licensing Ag

Jack Owen Davies

Craig Steven Wright

Owen Vaughan

Chloe Ceren Tartan

Wei Zhang

Bassem Ammar

Jad Wahab

Alexander Tennyson Mackay

Daniel Joseph

Andrew James Mee

Alexander MacKay

Ricky Charles Rand

Alex Mackay

Alex Woods

Paul Clark

A challenge is input to a PUF device comprising a physically unclonable function, PUF. The device generates a corresponding response. A wallet application is instantiated to use a seed determined from the response, the instantiating comprising storing a transform of the seed or response in association with the wallet application. At a later time, a user supplies the wallet application with information demonstrating a right to use the seed, wherein the wallet application is configured so as in response to verify this information based on the transform as stored in association with the wallet application, and on condition that the information is thereby verified, to derive at least one child key from the seed. A blockchain transaction is then signed using the child key as derived by the wallet application in response to the verification.

Wallet application instantiation, keys derivation for signing blockchain transactions using a PUF device

A method of storing data on a blockchain, such as the Bitcoin blockchain, is disclosed. The method comprises generating a plurality of blockchain transactions, wherein a plurality of the blockchain transactions each store therein a respective part (<Content chunk 1>, <Content chunk 2>) of first data to be stored on the blockchain and second data (<Metanet Flag>) indicating that the parts of the first data are related to each other.

Computer implemented system and method for storing data on a blockchain

A method of managing an overlay network overlaid on data-storage transactions of a blockchain, whereby data content of the overlay network is stored in payloads of the data-storage transactions and overlay-layer links are defined between the data-storage transactions. The method comprises identifying a graph structure of the overlay network, wherein nodes corresponds to different ones of the data-storage transactions and edges correspond to the links. Each node is associated with a respective first key for signing an input of a child data-storage transaction to authorise writing the child to the blockchain. The method further comprises using a child key derivation, CKD, function to determine a hierarchical set of second keys having the same graph structure as the overlay network, wherein the second keys enable an additional function other than signing inputs of the data-storage transactions.

Mapping keys to a blockchain overlay network

A method of validating transactions for recordal in a blockchain comprises receiving one or more transactions at a node of a blockchain network. For each received transaction a protocol for validating the transaction is applied. The protocol is configured to allow a termination opcode to be included in an output script of the transaction. The termination opcode is configured to, upon being executed by the node, a) terminate execution of the output script, and b) not to invalidate the transaction based only on the inclusion of the termination opcode in the output script. The protocol is also configured to disallow any instance of the termination opcode from being included in an input script of the transaction, said disallowing comprising the node at least invalidating the transaction if any instance of the termination opcode is included in the input script.

Protocol for validating blockchain transactions

A computer-implemented method for adapting connections between nodes of a layered network. The layered network comprises a plurality of nodes arranged in an ordered set of layers. The ordered set of layers comprises, in order, a core layer comprising a set of core nodes, a second layer comprising a set of second nodes, and one or more outer layers each comprising a respective set of outer nodes. Each core node is connected to at least one other core node. The method is performed by an adapting node, the adapting node being a node of the layered network that is connected to one or more second nodes and multiple core nodes. The method comprises, based on one or more network properties of the layered network, disabling a respective connection between the adapting node and at least one but not all of the multiple core nodes.

Adapting connections of a layered network

A method comprising, at an attesting node of a network: receiving a sequence of data items from one or more client nodes of the network, determining an order of the sequence of data items, and attesting to the order by: including an indication of a respective set of one or more of the data items in each of a series of blockchain transactions. Each successive transaction comprises a respective input pointing to an output of the respective preceding transaction, wherein the output of the respective preceding transaction comprises a locking script, and the input of the respective successive transaction includes an unlocking script comprising a respective signature based on a respective key in a series of keys. The respective signature in each successive transaction signs a portion of the respective successive transaction including at least the indication of the respective set of data items.

Attestation service for use with a blockchain network

A method of executing transactions of a blockchain network. A first transaction comprises at least a first output comprising a first locking script of a stack-based scripting language, the first locking script comprising a portion of the first locking script to be executed before a first instance of an opcode is executed. A second transaction comprises a first unlocking script that references the first output in the first transaction. Upon executing the first instance of the opcode, execution of the first locking script is terminated whilst not invalidating the first transaction. A first data element is read from at least one stack, wherein the first data element is generated during execution of the first unlocking script and the portion of the first locking script. The first data element as read from the at least one stack is supplied to an off-chain function, wherein the function is configured to generate a result based on at least said first data element.

Using blockchain transactions to provide off-chain functionality

The disclosure provides improved methods and systems for processing, storing, sharing, retrieving, writing, and accessing data (content) on a blockchain. In particular, improved efficiency and also enhanced access control permissions are provided. An embodiment of the present disclosure comprises the step of processing at least one blockchain transaction (Tx) comprising: a protocol flag; a discretionary public key (DPK); and a discretionary transaction ID (DTxID). These are discretionary in the sense that they are not required as part of the underlying blockchain protocol but in accordance with the present disclosure. This combination of features enables portions of data to be identified, retrieved, and shared on a blockchain, and also to be linked/associated with one another when provided in a plurality of transactions. It enables a graph or tree-like structure to be constructed, which reflects the hierarchical relationships between portions of data, facilitating their processing, searching, and sharing.

Systems and methods for efficient and secure processing, accessing and transmission of data via a blockchain network

A method of pseudo-randomly generating data is disclosed. The method Comprises receiving first data items (s' s′ . . . s′) from a plurality of first participants and combining the first data items to generate second data (Σs′). A one-way function is applied to the second data to generate third data (Σs′), wherein the one-way function is adapted to receive input data and generate output data based on the input data, wherein the input data is not deducible from the output data and the one-way function.

Computer implemented method and system for pseudo-random data generator

A method of storing data on a blockchain, such as the bitcoin blockchain, is disclosed. The method comprises generating a blockchain transaction having at least one first input and/or at least one first output containing first data (<Content 1>) to be stored on the blockchain, and at least one second input and/or at least one second output containing second data (<Attribute 1>,<Attribute 2>) representing at least one attribute of the first data. At least one second input and/or at least one second output is separate from the or each first input and/or first output.

Methods and devices to enable the splitting of storage and validation functions from mining function in a blockchain network. The storage and validation nodes create candidate blocks and collect block rewards from successfully mined blocks. The mining nodes provide hash power for mining the candidate blocks and received resources from the storage and validation node for successful mining of a candidate block. Atomic exchange mechanisms are described for preventing loss and fraud and minimizing the use of bandwidth by mining nodes.

Methods and devices for secure symbiotic mining

The invention provides improved Simplified Payment Verification (SPV) solutions for blockchain-implemented transfers. It is suited for, but not limited to, implementation in one or more SPV wallets, or on smart cards etc. In accordance with one embodiment, a method, system or resource(s) is provided which enables Alice to transfer an asset to Bob. Bob sends Alice a payment transaction template (template Tx) and requests: the full transaction data for all input transactions (Tx, Tx) comprising at least one output that Alice wants to spend as inputs to a transfer (Tx); the Merkle path for all input transactions (Tx, Tx) linking them to their respective Merkle roots associated with their respective block headers; the completed transfer transaction (Tx). Alice provides this information plus her signature and optionally a change address. Bob can then perform local SPV checks on the input transactions Tx, Txusing transactions Txand Tx, their corresponding Merkle paths Path, Path, and Bob's local list of block headers. Bob broadcasts the transfer transaction (Tx) to the P2P network.

Computer-implemented systems and methods for implementing transfers over a blockchain network

The invention provides improved methods and systems for storing, sharing retrieving, writing and accessing data (content) on a blockchain. The invention may form part of a protocol for storing, searching and accessing the data. An embodiment of the invention comprises the step of processing at least one blockchain transaction (Tx) comprising: a protocol flag; a discretionary public key (DPK); and a discretionary transaction ID (DTx ID). These are discretionary in the sense that they are not required as part of the underlying blockchain protocol but in accordance with the present invention. This combination of features enables portions of data to be identified, retrieved and shared on a blockchain, and also to be linked/associated with one another when provided in a plurality of transactions. It enables a graph or tree-like structure to be constructed, which reflects the hierarchical relationships between portions of data, facilitating their processing, searching and sharing.

A computer-implemented method of providing proof that a data item of a blockchain transaction exists on a blockchain, wherein the method comprises: obtaining, from a requesting party, target data item of a target blockchain transaction; obtaining the target blockchain transaction; obtaining a target Merkle proof for the target blockchain transaction, wherein a corresponding target Merkle root is contained within a block of the blockchain, and wherein obtaining the target Merkle proof comprises calculating an index of a target transaction identifier of the target blockchain transaction within a leaf layer of a corresponding target Merkle tree; and outputting at least the target Merkle proof for use by the requesting party as proof that the target data item exists as part of the target blockchain transaction on the blockchain.

Merkle proof entity

The disclosure provides improved methods and systems for processing, storing, sharing, retrieving, writing and accessing data (content) on a blockchain e.g. Bitcoin. The invention may form part of a protocol for storing, searching and accessing the data. In particular, improved efficiency and also enhanced access control permissions are provided. An embodiment of the disclosure comprises the step of processing at least one blockchain transaction (Tx) comprising: a protocol flag; a discretionary public key (DPK); and a discretionary transaction ID (DTxID). These are discretionary in the sense that they are not required as part of the underlying blockchain protocol but in accordance with the present invention. This combination of features enables portions of data to be identified, retrieved and shared on a blockchain, and also to be linked/associated with one another when provided in a plurality of transactions. It enables a graph or tree-like structure to be constructed, which reflects the hierarchical relationships between portions of data, facilitating their processing, searching and sharing.

Growing community of inventors

London, United Kingdom

Jack Owen Davies