Systems and methods for forming application-specific blockchains
AssigneeBlockstack PBC
InventorJude Nelson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved blockchain implementation that reduces application transaction processing bottlenecks for applications that operate on a decentralized network is described herein. For example, if an application operating on a decentralized network becomes sufficiently popular, an existing blockchain can be split into the original blockchain and an application-specific chain (or app chain) that includes blocks that only store transactions for the sufficiently popular application. Multiple application-specific chains can be formed as different applications become sufficiently popular. The original blockchain may be used to perform sortitions to select which miners should mine new blocks in the application-specific chain(s).
Claims20
A computing device of a decentralized network comprising:
- a network interface configured to couple the computing device to the decentralized network;
- a hardware processor;
- and
- a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing program instructions for execution by the hardware processor in order to cause the computing device to:
- process a plurality of transactions received from one or more application devices via the decentralized network, wherein the plurality of transaction are each associated with a first application and are received for storage in a block of a virtual chain;
- determine that the plurality of transactions associated with the first application have a load exceeding a threshold;
- in response to the determination that the load exceeds the threshold, solicit, via the decentralized network, a peer device to process a future plurality of transactions associated with the first application for storage in a first block of an app chain to be formed and that will be anchored to the virtual chain;
- and
- enable a proof of burn code corresponding to the first application to allow one or more miner devices to participate in a single-leader election for selecting a miner device in the one or more miner devices to mine the first block in the app chain.
A computer-implemented method comprising:
- under control of a computing device in a decentralized network,
- receiving a plurality of transactions from one or more application devices via the decentralized network, wherein the plurality of transaction are each associated with a first application and are received for storage in a block of a virtual chain;
- determining that the plurality of transactions associated with the first application have a load exceeding a threshold;
- in response to the determination that the load exceeds the threshold, soliciting, via the decentralized network, a peer device to process a future plurality of transactions associated with the first application for storage in a first block of an app chain to be formed and that will be anchored to the virtual chain;
- and
- enabling a proof of burn code corresponding to the first application to allow one or more miner devices to participate in a single-leader election for selecting a miner device in the one or more miner devices to mine the first block in the app chain.
Non-transitory, computer-readable storage media comprising computer-executable instructions for performing chain mitosis in a blockchain, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by a computer system, cause the computer system to:
- process a plurality of transactions received from one or more application devices via a decentralized network to which the computer system communicates, wherein the plurality of transaction are each associated with a first application and are received for storage in a block of a virtual chain;
- determine that an app chain should fork off the virtual chain in response to processing the plurality of transactions associated with the first application;
- in response to the determination that the app chain should fork off the virtual chain, solicit, via the decentralized network, a peer device to process a future plurality of transactions associated with the first application for storage in a first block of an app chain to be formed and that will be anchored to the virtual chain;
- and
- enable a proof of burn code corresponding to the first application to allow one or more miner devices to participate in a single-leader election for selecting a miner device in the one or more miner devices to mine the first block in the app chain.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.