Efficient and secure distributed ledger maintenance

A method comprising:

• configuring a first ledger maintenance node to communicate over one or more networks with a plurality of additional ledger maintenance nodes;
• identifying a block for proposed addition to a distributed ledger collectively maintained by the first and additional ledger maintenance nodes;
• applying a digital signature of the first ledger maintenance node to the block;
• receiving digital signatures on the block from at least a subset of the additional ledger maintenance nodes;
• performing verification operations for respective ones of the received digital signatures on the block;
• and
• controlling whether or not the block is added to the distributed ledger based at least in part on results of the verification operations;
• the method being performed by at least one processing device comprising a processor coupled to a memory.

A computer program product comprising a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium having stored therein program code of one or more software programs, wherein the program code when executed by at least one processing device comprising a processor coupled to a memory causes the processing device:

• to configure a first ledger maintenance node to communicate over one or more networks with a plurality of additional ledger maintenance nodes;
• to identify a block for proposed addition to a distributed ledger collectively maintained by the first and additional ledger maintenance nodes;
• to apply a digital signature of the first ledger maintenance node to the block;
• to receive digital signatures on the block from at least a subset of the additional ledger maintenance nodes;
• to perform verification operations for respective ones of the received digital signatures on the block;
• and
• to control whether or not the block is added to the distributed ledger based at least in part on results of the verification operations.