Systems and methods for facilitating transactions using a digital currency

A clearing house for facilitating digital currency transactions, the clearing house comprising:

• a computing node, wherein the computing node is included in a plurality of computing nodes participating in a private distributed ledger for the clearing house, wherein the private distributed ledger for the clearing house stores one or more transaction blocks representing transactions in one or more digital currencies, wherein each computing node in the plurality of computing nodes stores and maintains a respective copy of the private distributed ledger for the clearing house, and wherein the computing node is configured to:
• store and maintain a copy of the private distributed ledger for the clearing house;
• receive a transaction for transferring an amount of digital currency from a first entity related to a first financial institution to a second entity related to a second financial institution,
• wherein the digital currency is issued by the first financial institution and is fixed with respect to a fiat currency,
• wherein at least some digital currency for the first entity is associated with a first omnibus account at the first financial institution and at least some digital currency for the second entity is associated with a second omnibus account at the second financial institution, and
• wherein information regarding the transaction is sent to and/or received from the clearing house, the first financial institution and/or the second financial institution to be recorded on the private distributed ledger for the clearing house, a private distributed ledger for the first financial institution and/or a private distributed ledger for the second financial institution;
• and
• based on receiving, from the plurality of computing nodes, an indication of validity of a digital signature of the first entity included in the transaction involving the digital currency, store a new transaction block in the private distributed ledger for the clearing house representing the transaction for transferring the amount of the digital currency from the first entity at the first financial institution to the second entity at the second financial institution,
• wherein each computing node in the plurality of computing nodes includes the new transaction block in a respective copy of the private distributed ledger for the clearing house.

A method for facilitating a transaction between a first entity and a second entity using a digital currency issued by a financial institution and fixed with respect to a fiat currency, the method being implemented on a computing node included in a plurality of computing nodes participating in a private distributed ledger for a financial institution, each computing node in the plurality of computing nodes storing and maintaining a respective copy of the private distributed ledger for the financial institution, the method comprising acts of:

• storing and maintaining a copy of the private distributed ledger for the financial institution,
• wherein the private distributed ledger for the financial institution stores one or more transaction blocks representing transactions in the digital currency that is issued by the financial institution and is fixed with respect to the fiat currency;
• receiving a transaction for transferring an amount of the digital currency from a first entity to a second entity,
• wherein the first entity and the second entity are associated with a first omnibus account and a second omnibus account at the financial institution;
• generating a new transaction block representing the transaction in the digital currency for addition to the private distributed ledger for the financial institution;
• transmitting the new transaction block to the plurality of computing nodes participating in the private distributed ledger for the financial institution;
• receiving, from the plurality of computing nodes, an indication of validity of the new transaction block, wherein the indication of validity comprises an indication of validity of a digital signature of the first entity;
• and
• based on the indication of validity, inserting the new transaction block into the copy of the private distributed ledger for the financial institution to complete the transaction for transferring the amount of the digital currency from the first entity to the second entity,
• wherein each computing node in the plurality of computing nodes includes the new transaction block in a respective copy of the private distributed ledger for the financial institution.

A method for a clearing house to facilitate digital currency transactions between a first entity related to a first financial institution and a second entity related to a second financial institution, the method being implemented on a computing node included in a plurality of computing nodes participating in a private distributed ledger for the clearing house, each computing node in the plurality of computing nodes storing and maintaining a respective copy of the private distributed ledger for the clearing house, the method comprising acts of:

• storing and maintaining a copy of the private distributed ledger for the clearing house,
• wherein the private distributed ledger for the clearing house stores one or more transaction blocks representing transactions in one or more digital currencies;
• receiving a transaction for transferring an amount of digital currency from a first entity related to a first financial institution to a second entity related to a second financial institution,
• wherein the digital currency is issued by the first financial institution and is fixed with respect to a fiat currency,
• wherein the first entity is associated with a first omnibus account at the first financial institution and the second entity is associated with a second omnibus account at the second financial institution, and
• wherein information regarding the transaction is sent to and/or received from the clearing house, the first financial institution and/or the second financial institution to be recorded on the private distributed ledger for the clearing house, a private distributed ledger for the first financial institution and/or a private distributed ledger for the second financial institution;
• and
• based on receiving, from the plurality of computing nodes, an indication of validity of a digital signature of the first entity included in the transaction involving the digital currency, storing a new transaction block in in the private distributed ledger for the clearing house representing the transaction for transferring the amount of the digital currency from the first entity at the first financial institution to the second entity at the second financial institution,
• wherein each computing node in the plurality of computing nodes includes the new transaction block in a respective copy of the private distributed ledger for the clearing house.