Blockchain ledger authentication

A non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing one or more instructions that, when executed by a computer system, cause the computer system to perform operations comprising:

• determining a target ledger segment, of a blockchain ledger, on which time service authentication is to be performed;
• generating a Merkle tree corresponding to the target ledger segment, the Merkle tree being based on a set of one or more data blocks in the target ledger segment, wherein the one or more data blocks in the target ledger segment include at least one data block previously stored in the blockchain ledger;
• determining a root hash of the Merkle tree, the root hash of the Merkle tree being based on a block hash of each data block in the set of one or more data blocks;
• executing a predetermined time capture process in a trusted execution environment to obtain a trusted time from an interface provided by a trusted time service organization, the trusted time being subsequent to a storage time of the at least one data block previously stored in the blockchain ledger;
• generating a digital signature for the trusted time and the root hash in the trusted execution environment;
• generating a time service certificate comprising the trusted time, the root hash, and the digital signature;
• and
• storing the trusted time and the digital signature in a specified data block of the blockchain ledger.

A computer-implemented system, comprising:

• one or more computers;
• and
• one or more computer memory devices interoperably coupled with the one or more computers and having tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable media storing one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more computers, cause the one or more computers to perform one or more operations comprising:
• determining a target ledger segment, of a blockchain ledger, on which time service authentication is to be performed;
• generating a Merkle tree corresponding to the target ledger segment, the Merkle tree being based on a set of one or more data blocks in the target ledger segment, wherein the one or more data blocks in the target ledger segment include at least one data block previously stored in the blockchain ledger;
• determining a root hash of the Merkle tree, the root hash of the Merkle tree being based on a block hash of each data block in the set of one or more data blocks;
• executing a predetermined time capture process in a trusted execution environment to obtain a trusted time from an interface provided by a trusted time service organization, the trusted time being after a storage time of the at least one data block previously stored in the blockchain ledger;
• generating a digital signature for the trusted time and the root hash in the trusted execution environment;
• generating a time service certificate comprising the trusted time, the root hash, and the digital signature;
• and
• storing the trusted time and the digital signature in a specified data block of the blockchain ledger.