System and method for distributed, keyless electronic transactions with authentication

Abstract

Disclosed are systems and methods for performing distributed, keyless authorized electronic transactions. The disclosed systems and methods provide an electronic transaction framework where hardware and/or software devices can be used to authenticate users and/or authorize transactions involving such users. The disclosed framework operates as a distributed system in that it can be built without an entity that all parties must trust. The framework relies entirely on one-way functions and avoids using both symmetric and asymmetric cryptography; therefore, the framework does not have secret keys that can be compromised. The framework provides a distributed, electronic authorization system that does not require a reference clock to which components are synchronized, thereby enabling dynamic, agile authorization with improved security for user and transactional data.