Messaging systems and methods that employ a blockchain to ensure integrity of message delivery

A messaging system, comprising:

• a distributed database system that is distributed across a network of interconnected computer nodes, wherein the distributed database system is configured to store a blockchain that comprises a chain of linked blocks;
• a first email message server comprising one or more hardware-based processors and memory, the first email message server being configured to receive an email message from a first user system, and record a selected component of the received email message into a block of the blockchain, wherein the selected component of the email message is added to the blockchain after validation by other participants in the blockchain;
• and
• a second email message server comprising one or more hardware-based processors and memory, the second email message server being configured to receive the email message from the first email message server, and determine whether a component from the received email message matches the selected component that is stored in the block of the blockchain.

A server system comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the memory comprises computer-executable instructions that are capable of execution by the processor, and that when executed by the processor, cause the server system to:

• receive an email message from a first user system;
• decompose the email message into components;
• select one of the components of the email message that is to be recorded into a block of a blockchain, wherein the blockchain is stored in a distributed database system that is distributed across a network of interconnected computer nodes, and wherein the blockchain comprises a chain of linked blocks;
• and
• record the selected component of the email message into the block of the blockchain, wherein the selected component of the email message is added to the blockchain after validation by other participants in the blockchain;
• generate reference information that is associated with the email message, wherein the reference information indicates that the email message is to be checked against the blockchain to verify the selected component of the email message;
• adding information to the email message that can be used by the second email message server to identify the block in the blockchain where the selected component of the email message is recorded;
• and
• send the message and the reference information to a second email message server in accordance with the standard email messaging protocol.

A server system comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the memory comprises computer-executable instructions that are capable of execution by the processor, and that when executed by the processor, cause the server system to:

• receive an email message and reference information from a first email message server, wherein the reference information indicates that the email message is to be checked against a blockchain to verify the selected component of the email message, wherein the blockchain comprises a chain of linked blocks;
• parse the email message into components;
• extract information from the email message that can be used to identify a block in the blockchain at a distributed database system that is distributed across a network of interconnected computer nodes, wherein the block is where a component of the email message has been recorded and added to the blockchain after validation by other participants in the blockchain;
• use the extracted information to access the block of the blockchain at the distributed database system;
• select a component of the received email message for comparison to the component of the email message that is stored in the block of the blockchain;
• determine whether the selected component from the received email message matches the component that is stored in the block of the blockchain;
• mark the email message as wanted when the selected component from the received email message matches the component that is stored in the block of the blockchain;
• determine whether the selected component from the received email message partially matches the component that is stored in the block of the blockchain;
• and
• mark the received email message as spam when it is determined that the selected component from the received email message does not partially match the component that is stored in the block of the blockchain.