# US 12,003,616 B2 · Rapid distributed consensus on blockchain

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 12,003,616 B2
- Document ID: US12003616B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/827,168
- Filed: 2022-05-27
- Published: 2022-11-17
- Granted: 2024-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2017-04-11
- Assignees: nChain Licensing AG
- Applicants: nChain Licensing AG
- Inventors: John Fletcher; Thomas Trevethan; Marco Bardoscia
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12003616B2

## CPC

- H04L 9/0618: {Block ciphers, i.e. encrypting groups of characters of a plain text message using fixed encryption transformation}
- G06F 21/64: Protecting data integrity, e.g. using checksums, certificates or signatures
- G06Q 20/065: {using e-cash}
- G06Q 20/36: using electronic wallets or electronic money safes
- G06Q 20/3829: {involving key management}
- G06Q 20/389: {Keeping log of transactions for guaranteeing non-repudiation of a transaction}
- H04L 9/0637: {Modes of operation, e.g. cipher block chaining [CBC], electronic codebook [ECB] or Galois/counter mode [GCM]}
- H04L 9/0825: {using asymmetric-key encryption or public key infrastructure [PKI], e.g. key signature or public key certificates}
- H04L 9/0833: {involving conference or group key (network architectures or network communication protocols for key management in group communication in a packet data network H04L63/065)}
- H04L 9/3239: {involving non-keyed hash functions, e.g. modification detection codes [MDCs], MD5, SHA or RIPEMD}
- H04L 9/3247: {involving digital signatures}
- H04L 9/3252: {using DSA or related signature schemes, e.g. elliptic based signatures, ElGamal or Schnorr schemes}
- H04L 9/3255: {using group based signatures, e.g. ring or threshold signatures}
- G06Q 2220/00: Business processing using cryptography
- H04L 9/50: {using hash chains, e.g. blockchains or hash trees}
- H04L 2209/463: Electronic voting
- H04L 2209/56: Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

There may be provided a computer-implemented method. It may be implemented using a blockchain such as, for example, the Bitcoin blockchain. The computer-implemented method includes: i) joining a congress by transferring, by a node operating in a proof-of-work blockchain network, one or more digital assets to a congress pool having one or more other digital assets associated with other members of a congress; ii) detecting, by the node, a special transaction of digital assets on the proof-of-work blockchain network to an address associated with the congress pool, the special transaction satisfying determined criteria; and iii) minting, by the node, one or more digital assets on a proof-of-stake blockchain network in response to detecting the special transaction.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A computer-implemented method performed by a requester node for issuing a request on a blockchain, the method comprising:
joining, by the requester node, a group through transfer of tokens to a public group address to become a group member, the group being associated with a threshold signature scheme for which the node controls a private key share, the transfer of tokens being made on a proof-of-work blockchain network;
issuing a request to the group to complete a work product;
receiving a proposal of the work product from a proposer node of the group;
constructing a transaction in response to receiving the proposal;
obtaining a solution to the work product, determining that no challenge has been proposed to the solution; and
committing the transaction to the blockchain.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the request is a computation exchange which allows nodes to offload computations or performance of algorithms to other nodes.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the proposer node completes the task off-chain.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the proposer sends their public key for the blockchain network to the requester node to submit the proposal.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the proposer commits the solution to a task in the form of a hash of the solution.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the requester receives the proposer's public key and the hash of the solution.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the transaction includes bounty as input and a proposer deposit as output, wherein the transaction is signed by the requester to allow a proposer to add their own input.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the transaction is constructed to be unlocked after an expiration of a challenge period.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the transaction is constructed to be unlocked with a group signature at any time.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising a challenge period during which any node can challenge the proposal submitted by the proposer.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein if no challenge is issued during the challenge period, the proposer claims a bounty and proposer deposit from the transaction.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the proposer provides the solution to the requester by embedding the solution in a transaction on a main blockchain network.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions which, when executed, configure a processor to perform the method of claim 1.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

An electronic device comprising:
an interface device;
a processor coupled to the interface device; and
a memory coupled to the processor, the memory having stored thereon computer executable instructions which, when executed, configure the processor to perform the method of claim 1.