Methods and apparatus for privacy-controlled secure transactions

A system for secure transfer of an asset with increased party privacy comprises:

• a cloud-based transaction server storing a first account associated with a first party and a second account associated with a second party;
• a first smart device coupled to the cloud-based transaction server, wherein the first smart device comprises:
• a first processor configured to:
• authenticate a first user of the first smart device based at least in part on biometric authentication;
• activate, based at least in part on authenticating the first user, a first software application associated with the cloud-based transaction server;
• and
• generate a first ephemeral identifier that is temporarily associated with the first user, wherein the first ephemeral identifier changes according to a first periodicity;
• a first wide-area network transceiver coupled to the first processor, wherein the first wide-area network transceiver is configured to output first identification data associated with the first party and the first ephemeral identifier to the cloud-based transaction server under direction of the first processor, wherein the first ephemeral identifier is ephemerally associated with the first party;
• and
• a first short-range transceiver coupled to the first processor, wherein the first short-range transceiver is configured to output first data comprising the first ephemeral identifier under direction of the first processor;
• and
• a second smart device coupled to the cloud-based transaction server and to the first smart device, wherein the second smart device comprises:
• a second processor configured to:
• authenticate a second user of the first smart device based at least in part on biometric authentication;
• activate, based at least in part on authenticating the second user, a second software application associated with the cloud-based transaction server;
• and
• generate a second ephemeral identifier that is temporarily associated with the second user, wherein the second ephemeral identifier changes according to a second periodicity;
• a second short-range transceiver coupled to the second processor, wherein the second short-range transceiver is configured to receive the first data from the first smart device;
• and
• a second wide-area network transceiver coupled to the second processor, wherein the second wide-area network transceiver is configured to output second identification data associated with the second party, the second ephemeral identifier, the first data, and a request to the cloud-based transaction server under direction of the second processor, wherein the second ephemeral identifier is ephemerally associated with the second party;
• wherein the cloud-based transaction server is further configured to:
• form a token in response to the first data and in response to successful transfer of the asset from the second account to the first account;
• encrypt the token using a private key associated with the cloud-based transaction server;
• and
• output the encrypted token to the second smart device;
• wherein the cloud-based transaction server is also configured to identify the second account associated with the second party in response to the second identification data;
• wherein the cloud-based transaction server is configured to store a record of the transfer of the asset from the second account to the first account, the record of the transfer comprising a hash value associated with the transfer;
• wherein the cloud-based transaction server is also configured to identify the first account associated with the first party in accordance with the first data comprising the first ephemeral identifier based at least in part on receiving the first identification data and first ephemeral identifier from the first smart device;
• wherein the cloud-based transaction server is also configured to transfer an asset from the second account to the first account, in response to the request;
• and
• wherein the second smart device is configured to store data associated with the first party, wherein the stored data comprises the first ephemeral identifier and does not comprise the first identification data associated with the first user.