Method and system for activating a wallet private key via a blockchain address

Abstract

A method of registering an identified blockchain wallet with a payment card includes the steps of: receiving payment details for a payment card issued for a transaction account, the payment details including a card identifier and being received from one of an integrated circuit based payment card and a financial application program; receiving wallet details for the blockchain wallet including the wallet identifier; sending the card identifier and wallet identifier to an activation server that stores an association between the wallet identifier and the transaction account; receiving an activation message from the activation server; and sending instructions to the integrated circuit based payment card or the financial application program to enable use of a private key of a cryptographic key pair associated with the blockchain wallet.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to activating a blockchain wallet, and in particular to registering and activating a blockchain wallet through the use of an issued payment card.

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Patent Application No. 63 / 441,618, filed January 27, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference for all purposes. [Background technology]

[0003] Blockchain wallets typically come in two different forms: custodial and self-custodial wallets. A custodial wallet is one in which the private keys used to conduct transactions are held by a different entity than the consumer, such as a cryptocurrency exchange or bank, and of course requires some knowledge of the consumer to ensure the consumer has authority to conduct the transaction. A self-custodial wallet is one in which the consumer holds the private key to their blockchain wallet, such as on their personal desktop computer or smartphone. With a self-custodial wallet, consumers can conduct transactions on the blockchain completely anonymously without providing any identity information to the blockchain, any of the transaction parties, etc.

[0004] Traditionally, blockchains have operated with anonymity, allowing the identities of any involved parties to remain anonymous in a transaction. However, due to fraudulent activity by consumers, crypto exchanges, and other parties, there is growing interest in regulating cryptocurrency transactions and other transactions conducted using blockchains. Mandatory regulations may result in a requirement that each consumer must provide proof of identity in order to participate in transactions stored on the blockchain. To date, blockchain networks have largely been unable to provide such functionality, and the decentralized nature of most blockchain networks would make compliance with such regulations unduly difficult and costly.

[0005] Therefore, a technical solution is desired that can provide consumer identification within a blockchain network that can be adopted in a manner that has the least intrusive impact on the blockchain network and the consumer. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This disclosure provides a description of systems and methods for registering an identified blockchain wallet with a payment card. A consumer can be issued a payment card for a transaction account in physical format (e.g., an integrated circuit-based payment card) or virtual format (e.g., a tokenized payment card stored on a smartphone or other computing device). A consumer can request the creation of a new blockchain wallet associated with the transaction account, and a cryptographic key pair for the blockchain wallet can be provided (e.g., by a financial institution or other suitable entity) or generated directly by the consumer's integrated circuit-based payment card or the consumer's computing device. The blockchain wallet can be locked or disabled from the time of creation until the consumer's identity is registered. A request can be submitted by the consumer to an activation server, which includes identifiers for the payment card and the blockchain wallet. The activation server can record the association between the transaction account and the blockchain wallet and provide an activation message to the consumer's computing device. The computing device can then generate instructions for the payment card or application program that unlock or activate the blockchain wallet for use in blockchain transactions. As a result, consumers of blockchain wallets can register their identities without any modifications to existing blockchain practices and with minimal interference to consumers.

[0007] A method for registering an identified blockchain wallet with a payment card includes: receiving, by a receiver of a computing device, payment details for a payment card issued for a transaction account, the payment details including at least a card identifier, the payment details being received from one of: an integrated circuit based payment card and a financial application program; receiving, by the receiver of the computing device, wallet details for a blockchain wallet, the wallet details including at least a wallet identifier; transmitting, by a transmitter of the computing device, at least the card identifier and the wallet identifier to an activation server, wherein the activation server stores an association between the wallet identifier and the transaction account; receiving, by the receiver of the computing device, an activation message from the activation server; and transmitting, by the transmitter of the computing device, instructions to the integrated circuit based payment card or the financial application program to enable use of a private key of a cryptographic key pair associated with the blockchain wallet.

[0008] a computing device; and one of an integrated circuit based payment card and a financial application program, the computing device being a receiver that performs the steps of receiving payment details for a payment card issued for a transaction account, the payment details including at least a card identifier, the payment details being received from the integrated circuit based payment card or the financial application program, and receiving wallet details for a blockchain wallet, the wallet details including at least a wallet identifier; and a transmitter that performs the steps of transmitting at least the card identifier and the wallet identifier to an activation server, the activation server storing an association between the wallet identifier and the transaction account, the receiver of the computing device further receiving an activation message from the activation server, and the transmitter of the computing device further transmitting instructions to the integrated circuit based payment card or the financial application program to enable use of a private key of a cryptographic key pair associated with the blockchain wallet. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] The scope of the present disclosure is best understood from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a high-level system architecture for registering a blockchain wallet with a payment card, according to an example embodiment. [Figure 2]FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a computing device in the system of FIG. 1 for registering a blockchain wallet using a payment card, according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 3A] 10 is a flow diagram illustrating a process for registering a blockchain wallet with a payment card performed by the system of FIG. 1 according to an example embodiment. [Figure 3B] 10 is a flow diagram illustrating a process for registering a blockchain wallet with a payment card performed by the system of FIG. 1 according to an example embodiment. [Figure 4] 1 is a flow diagram illustrating an example method for registration of an identified blockchain wallet with a payment card, according to an example embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a computer system architecture, according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0011] Further areas of applicability of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description. The detailed description of exemplary embodiments is intended for purposes of illustration only and is not intended to necessarily limit the scope of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Blockchain wallet registration system using payment cards FIG. 1 illustrates a system 100 for registering a consumer identity associated with a blockchain wallet with an issued payment card.

[0013] The system 100 may include a computing device 102. The computing device 102, described in more detail below, may be a device owned or used by a consumer 114, such as a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a notebook computer, a mobile phone, a smartphone, a smart watch, a smart TV, a wearable computing device, an automated teller machine, a point of sale system, etc. The consumer 114, through the use of a payment card 110, may utilize the computing device 102 to register their identity with a blockchain wallet for use with a regulated blockchain.

[0014] The system 100 may include a blockchain network 104. The blockchain network 104 may include a plurality of blockchain nodes 106. Each blockchain node 106 may be a computing system, such as that shown in FIG. 5 and described in more detail below, configured to perform functions related to blockchain processing and management, which may include, for example, generating blockchain data values, verifying proposed blockchain transactions, verifying digital signatures, generating new blocks, validating new blocks, and maintaining copies of the blockchain.

[0015] A blockchain may be a distributed ledger comprising at least a plurality of blocks. Each block may include at least a block header and one or more data values. Each block header may include at least a timestamp, a block reference value, and a data reference value. The timestamp may be the time when the block header was generated and may be represented using any suitable method (e.g., a UNIX timestamp, DateTime notation, etc.). The block reference value may be a value that references a preceding block in the blockchain (e.g., based on the timestamp). In some embodiments, the block reference value in the block header may be a reference to the block header of the most recently added block preceding the respective block. In an exemplary embodiment, the block reference value may be a hash value generated by hashing the block header of the most recently added block. Similarly, the data reference value may be a reference to one or more data values ​​stored in the block containing the block header. In an exemplary embodiment, the data reference value may be a hash value generated by hashing one or more data values. For example, the block reference value may be the root of a Merkle tree generated using one or more data values.

[0016] The use of a block reference value and a data reference value in each block header results in immutability for the blockchain. Any attempted change to the data value requires the generation of a new data reference value for that block, which in turn requires the generation of a new block reference value for the subsequent block, which in turn requires the generation of a new block reference value for each subsequent block. For the change to be permanent, this must be performed and updated for every single blockchain node 106 in the blockchain network 104 before a new block is created and added to the blockchain. Computational and communication limitations can make such changes extremely difficult or impossible, thus achieving the blockchain's immutability.

[0017] In some embodiments, a blockchain can be used to store information about blockchain transactions made between two different blockchain wallets. A blockchain wallet can contain a private key of a cryptographic key pair, which can be used to generate a digital signature that can serve as a payer's authorization for the blockchain transaction, and which can be verified by the blockchain network 104 using the public key of the cryptographic key pair. In some cases, the term "blockchain wallet" can specifically refer to a private key. In other cases, the term "blockchain wallet" can refer to a computing device (e.g., computing device 102) that stores a private key for use in blockchain transactions. For example, each computing device can have its own private key for each cryptographic key pair and can be a blockchain wallet for use in transactions with a blockchain associated with the blockchain network. A computing device can be any type of device suitable for storing and utilizing a blockchain wallet, such as a desktop computer, laptop computer, notebook computer, tablet computer, mobile phone, smartphone, smartwatch, smart TV, wearable computing device, embedded computing device, etc.

[0018] Each blockchain data value stored in the blockchain may correspond to a blockchain transaction or other data storage, as appropriate. A blockchain transaction may include at least the following: a digital signature of the currency sender (e.g., the first computing device 102) generated using the sender's private key, the blockchain address of the currency recipient (e.g., the second computing device 102) generated using the recipient's public key, and the amount of blockchain currency to be transferred or other data to be stored. In some blockchain transactions, the transaction may also include: one or more sender blockchain addresses where the blockchain currency is currently stored (e.g., if a digital signature validates access to such currency); and an address for any changes held by the sender, generated using the sender public key. Addresses to which cryptocurrency that can be used in future transactions is sent are referred to as "output" addresses because they were previously used to capture the output of a previous blockchain transaction, and are also referred to as "unspent transactions" because there is currency sent to the address in a previous transaction where that currency has not yet been spent. In some cases, a blockchain transaction may also include a sender public key for use by an entity in validating the transaction. For traditional processing of blockchain transactions, such data may be provided by either the sender or recipient to a blockchain node 106 in the blockchain network 104. The node can verify the digital signature using the public key in the sender's wallet's cryptographic key pair and verify access to the sender's funds (e.g., if the unspent transaction has not yet been spent and was sent to an address associated with the sender's wallet), a process known as "confirming" the transaction, and the node can then include the blockchain transaction in a new block.In traditional blockchain implementations, new blocks may be validated by other blockchain nodes 106 in the blockchain network 104 before being added to the blockchain and distributed to all blockchain nodes 106 in the blockchain network 104. If the blockchain data value does not relate to a blockchain transaction but instead relates to the storage of other types of data, the blockchain data value may still include or otherwise involve digital signature validation.

[0019] In the system 100, the blockchain can be a regulated blockchain, and the blockchain network 104 requires that the identity of the consumer 114 who controls the blockchain wallet be registered before the blockchain wallet can be unlocked for use in blockchain transactions stored on the regulated blockchain. In the system 100, the consumer and the consumer's blockchain wallet can be registered through the use of a payment card 110 that is issued to the consumer 114. Various identifying information is collected for the issuance of the payment card 110 based on know-your-customer (KYC) requirements and business practices.

[0020] The system 100 may include a financial institution 108. The financial institution 108 may be a bank or other entity that issues a transaction account to the consumer 114 for use in sending and receiving funds in electronic payment transactions. As part of issuing the transaction account to the consumer 114, the financial institution 108 may issue a payment card 110 to the consumer 114. The payment card 110 may be a physical card, such as an integrated circuit card, also known as a "chip" card, or may be a virtual card, such as a tokenized payment card, that may be used via a dedicated application program on the computing device 102. For example, the computing device 102 may store and execute an application program associated with the financial institution 108, and the tokenized payment card may be utilized with the application program. The financial institution 108 may issue the transaction account and payment card 110 to the consumer 114 only after receiving sufficient identifying information about the consumer 114 using conventional methods and systems.

[0021] The physical payment card 110, or the computing device 102 if the payment card 110 is virtual, may optionally store payment details for the payment card 110 for use in completing a payment transaction using the payment card 110. The payment details may include any data suitable for use in completing a payment transaction, such as a transaction account number, a name, a billing address, an expiration date, a security code, etc. In the system 100, the payment details for the payment card 110 may include a card identifier, which is a unique value associated with the payment card 110 for use in identifying it in communications therewith. The card identifier may comprise the identifying data or a portion of the data (e.g., a transaction account number, the last four digits of the transaction account number, etc.) or may comprise a separately generated value (e.g., a hash value, a randomly generated alphanumeric value, etc.).

[0022] In the system 100, a consumer 114 can utilize a computing device 102 to request the creation of a new blockchain wallet for use in transactions on a blockchain associated with the blockchain network 104. The consumer 114 can request the use of a payment card 110 to identify the consumer 114 for registration of the blockchain wallet by using an appropriate input device on the computing device 102. The computing device 102 can receive the consumer's input and initiate the creation of the new blockchain wallet. In some cases, the blockchain wallet (e.g., cryptographic keys used in blockchain transactions) can be generated by the computing device 102, such as through an application program associated with the financial institution 108 or other application program. In other cases, the blockchain wallet can be generated by the payment card 110 upon request by the computing device 102, such as by executing appropriate code using an integrated circuit on the payment card 110. In such embodiments, the blockchain wallet and its associated data can be stored locally within the memory of the payment card 110.

[0023] Once a blockchain wallet is created, a wallet identifier may be provided to the computing device 102 (e.g., by the payment card 110 that generated the cryptographic key pair, the application program, etc.). The wallet identifier may be a unique value that identifies the blockchain wallet among other blockchain wallets registered with the blockchain network 104. In some cases, the wallet identifier may be the public key of the cryptographic key pair that serves as the blockchain wallet.

[0024] In an exemplary embodiment, the payment card 110, or the computing device 102 if the payment card 110 is virtual, can lock or disable the blockchain wallet (e.g., or the private key of the blockchain wallet) for use in blockchain transactions as appropriate. The blockchain wallet can remain locked and disabled for use until an activation message is provided thereto by an activation server 112 authorized by the blockchain network 104. The activation server 112 can be a computing system such as that shown in FIG. 5 and described in more detail below, and can be configured to register consumer identities for blockchain wallets for compliance with applicable regulations or requirements. In some cases, the activation server 112 can be a blockchain node 106 in the blockchain network 104. In some cases, the activation server 112 can be part of a financial institution 108.

[0025] After generating the blockchain wallet, the computing device 102 can submit an activation request to the activation server 112 using an appropriate communication network and method. The activation request can include at least a card identifier associated with the payment card 110 and a wallet identifier associated with the generated blockchain wallet. The activation server 112 can receive the activation request from the computing device 102 and store the association between the wallet identifier and the card identifier in its database. Storing the association can serve as a registry of the blockchain wallet and the identity of the consumer 114 and can fulfill the requirements for activating the blockchain wallet. In such cases, the activation server 112 can not store any personally identifiable information about the consumer 114. In cases where identification of the consumer 114 associated with a blockchain transaction is required (e.g., due to regulatory or blockchain network 104 requirements), the wallet identifier for the blockchain wallet involved in the blockchain transaction can be identified and provided to the activation server 112. The activation server 112 can respond with the associated card identifier, which can be used by an interested party to request identity information about the consumer 114 from the financial institution 108. As a result, the activation server 112 can facilitate the identification of the consumer 114 without possessing any personally identifying information.

[0026] Once the activation server 112 registers the association between the blockchain wallet and the payment card 110, the activation server 112 can return an activation message to the computing device 102. The computing device 102 can receive the activation message and generate instructions that can be sent to the payment card 110 or an application program, as appropriate, to unlock or activate the blockchain wallet for use in future blockchain transactions, so that the consumer 114 can use their new blockchain wallet on a regulated blockchain only after registering their identity through use of their payment card 110.

[0027] In some cases, the activation server 112 can include a digital signature in the activation message or can digitally sign the activation message directly. In such cases, the activation server 112 can have its own unique cryptographic key pair, and the activation server 112 can generate the digital signature using its own unique private key. The activation server 112 can digitally sign data (e.g., wallet identifier, card identifier, their combination, activation message, etc.) using the private key, and the computing device 102 can validate the digital signature using the corresponding public key of the activation server's cryptographic key pair, which can be made available using any suitable method. For added security, the computing device 102 can be configured to instruct the payment card 110 or application program, as appropriate, to unlock the blockchain wallet only if the activation message is successfully validated.

[0028] The above-described method and system can be used to quickly register the identity of a consumer 114 associated with a blockchain wallet through use of a payment card 110 issued to the consumer 114 by a financial institution 108 whose identity is known. The result is a system that can quickly and easily comply with necessary regulations or requirements without changes to the existing blockchain network 104 and with minimal intervention by the consumer 114. The system 100 is also applicable to both physical payment cards 110 and virtual payment cards stored on a computing device 102 (e.g., as may be stored in a smartphone). With regard to physical cards, the consumer 114 can insert their payment card 110 into an automated teller machine (ATM) (e.g., as the computing device 102), and the consumer 114 can use the ATM's interface to instruct the payment card 110 to generate a blockchain wallet, proceeding with the registration process described above and resulting in a registered blockchain wallet using the ATM's functionality, a process that is familiar to the consumer 114. With virtual cards, consumers 114 can use their existing banking application programs and create and register new blockchain wallets using a trusted and familiar interface, providing easy and convenient compliance with identity regulations on the blockchain network 104.

[0029] Computing Device 2 illustrates an embodiment of a computing device 102. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiment of a computing device 102 illustrated in FIG. 2 is provided for illustrative purposes only and is not an exhaustive list of all possible configurations of a computing device 102 suitable for performing the functions of the present disclosure. For example, computer system 500 illustrated in FIG. 5 and described in more detail below may be a suitable configuration of a computing device 102. In some cases, additional components of system 100, such as blockchain node 106, financial institution 108, payment card 110, activation server 112, etc., may include the components illustrated in FIG. 2 and described below.

[0030] The computing device 102 may include a receiving device 202. The receiving device 202 may be configured to receive data over one or more networks via one or more network protocols. In some examples, the receiving device 202 may be configured to receive data from the blockchain node 106, the financial institution 108, the payment card 110, the activation server 112, and other systems and entities via one or more communication methods, such as radio frequency, a local area network, a wireless area network, a cellular communication network, Bluetooth, the Internet, etc. In some embodiments, the receiving device 202 may include multiple devices (e.g., different receiving devices receiving data over different networks (e.g., a first receiving device receiving data over a local area network and a second receiving device receiving data over the Internet)). The receiving device 202 may receive a transmitted electronic data signal, whereupon data may be superimposed on the data signal upon reception by the receiving device 202 and decoded, parsed, read, or otherwise obtained. In some embodiments, the receiving device 202 may include an analysis module for analyzing the received data signal to obtain the data superimposed thereon. For example, the receiving device 202 may include an analysis program configured to receive and convert received data signals into usable input for functions performed by the processing device to implement the methods and systems of the present disclosure.

[0031] The receiving device 202 can be configured to receive data signals transmitted electronically by the blockchain node 106, which may be superimposed or encoded with communication data, addresses of the blockchain node, data and addresses of the activation server 112, etc. The receiving device 202 can also be configured to receive data signals transmitted electronically by the financial institution 108 and the payment card 110, which may be superimposed or encoded with payment details including card identifiers, etc. The receiving device 202 can be configured to receive data signals transmitted electronically by the activation server 112, which may be superimposed or encoded with an activation message, which may be digitally signed or include a digital signature.

[0032] The computing device 102 may also include a communications module 204. The communications module 204 may be configured to transfer data between modules, engines, databases, memory, and other components of the computing device 102 for use in performing the functions of the present disclosure. The communications module 204 may include one or more communication types and may use various communication methods for communication within the computing device. For example, the communications module 204 may include a bus, a contact pin connector, wires, etc. In some embodiments, the communications module 204 may also be configured to communicate between internal components of the computing device 102 and external components of the computing device 102 (e.g., an externally connected database, display device, input device, etc.). The computing device 102 may also include a processing unit. The processing unit may be configured to perform the functions of the computing device 102 of the present disclosure, as would be apparent to one skilled in the art. In some embodiments, the processing unit may include multiple engines and / or modules (e.g., query module 216, generation module 218, validation module 220, etc.) specifically configured to perform one or more functions of the processing unit. As disclosed herein, the term "module" may refer to software or hardware that is specifically programmed to receive input, perform one or more operations using the input, and provide an output. The inputs, outputs, and operations performed by the various modules will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art based on this disclosure.

[0033] The computing device 102 may also include an account database 206. The account database 206 may be configured to store one or more account profiles 208 using a suitable data storage format and schema. The account database 206 may be a relational database using a structured query language to store, identify, modify, update, access, etc., stored structured data sets. Each account profile 208 may be a structured data set configured to store data related to a consumer account, such as a transaction account or blockchain wallet, including, for example, a card identifier, a wallet identifier, payment details, a cryptographic key pair, unspent transaction outputs, an account balance, etc.

[0034] Computing device 102 may also include memory 214. Memory 214 may be configured to store data (e.g., public keys, private keys, symmetric keys, etc.) for use by computing device 102 in performing the functions of the present disclosure. Memory 214 may be configured to store data using any suitable data formatting methodology and schema and may be any suitable type of memory (e.g., read-only memory, random-access memory, etc.). Memory 214 may include, for example, cryptographic keys and algorithms, communication protocols and standards, data formatting standards and protocols, program code for modules and processing unit application programs, and other suitable data used by computing device 102 in performing the functions of the present disclosure. This will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading this disclosure. In some embodiments, memory 214 may include a relational database using Structured Query Language (SQL) to store, identify, modify, update, access, etc., stored structured data sets. The memory 214 may be configured to store, for example, cryptographic keys, cryptographic key pairs, cryptographic algorithms, encryption algorithms, communication information, data formatting rules, network identifiers, payment details, blockchain wallet data, etc.

[0035] The computing device 102 may also include an input device 210. The input device 210 may be configured to receive input by a user of the computing device 102 (e.g., a consumer 114), which may be provided to another device or module of the computing device 102, such as via the communications module 204. The input device 210 may include one or more input devices, such as a capacitive touch display, a microphone, a keyboard, a mouse, a camera, an optical imager, a trackpad, a keypad, etc. The input device 210 may receive instructions from the consumer 114, such as for creating a blockchain wallet or for submitting an activation request to the activation server 112.

[0036] The computing device 102 may also include a display device 212. The display device 212 may be configured to display data to a user (e.g., the consumer 114) using one or more graphical user interfaces. Data for display on the display device 212 may be provided by other devices or modules of the computing device 102 via the communications module 204. The display device 212 may include one or more devices, such as a capacitive touch display, a liquid crystal display, a light-emitting diode display, a thin film transistor display, etc. The display device 212 may be configured to display application program data to the consumer 114 via one or more user interfaces, such as for selecting commands to create a blockchain wallet, select a payment card 110 for identification, submit an activation request, initiate a blockchain transaction, etc.

[0037] The computing device 102 may also include a query module 216. The query module 216 may be configured to perform queries on a database to identify information. The query module 216 may receive one or more data values ​​or query strings, and based thereon, may perform the query string on an indicated database (e.g., the account database 206 of the computing device 102) to identify information stored therein. The query module 216 may then output the identified information to an appropriate engine or module of the computing device 102, as needed. The query module 216 may, for example, perform a query on the account database 206 to identify the account profile 208 associated with the payment card 110 and identify a card identifier stored therein for the activation request.

[0038] Computing device 102 may also include a generation module 218. The generation module 218 may be configured to generate data for use by computing device 102 in performing the functions of the present disclosure. The generation module 218 may receive instructions as input values, generate data based on the instructions, and output the generated data to one or more modules of computing device 102. For example, the generation module 218 may be configured to generate data messages, notification messages, response messages, cryptographic keys, blockchain transactions, blockchain data values, digital signatures, instructions, etc.

[0039] The computing device 102 may also include a validation module 220. The validation module 220 may be configured to perform validations on the computing device 102 as part of the functionality of the present disclosure. The validation module 220 may receive as input instructions that may include data to be used in performing the validations, may perform the validations as requested, and may output the results of the validations to another module or engine of the computing device 102. The validation module 220 may be configured, for example, to validate a digital signature of an activation message prior to unlocking a blockchain wallet for use with a regulated blockchain.

[0040] The computing device 102 may also include a transmitting device 222. The transmitting device 222 may be configured to transmit data over one or more networks via one or more network protocols. In some examples, the transmitting device 222 may be configured to transmit data to the blockchain node 106, the financial institution 108, the payment card 110, the activation server 112, and other entities via one or more communication methods, such as a local area network, a wireless area network, a cellular communication network, Bluetooth, radio frequency, the Internet, etc. In some embodiments, the transmitting device 222 may include multiple devices (e.g., different transmitting devices for transmitting data over different networks (e.g., a first transmitting device transmitting data over a local area network and a second transmitting device transmitting data over the Internet)). The transmitting device 222 may electronically transmit a data signal having superimposed data, the data being analyzed by a receiving computing device. In some embodiments, the transmitting device 222 may include one or more modules for superimposing, encoding, or formatting data into a data signal suitable for transmission.

[0041] The transmitting device 222 can be configured to electronically transmit a data signal to the blockchain node 106, which can be superimposed or encoded with a request for blockchain data, a request for data from the activation server 112. The transmitting device 222 can be configured to electronically transmit a data signal to the financial institution 108 and the payment card 110, which can be superimposed or encoded with a request for payment details and a card identifier, instructions for unlocking a blockchain wallet, etc. The transmitting device 222 can also be configured to electronically transmit a data signal to the activation server 112, which can be superimposed or encoded with an activation request, which can include a card identifier and a wallet identifier.

[0042] Blockchain wallet registration process using payment cards 3A and 3B show a process 300 for registering a blockchain wallet for a regulated blockchain using identity information associated with a payment card in the system 100 of FIG. 1.

[0043] At S302, the sending device 222 of the computing device 102 (e.g., after receiving an instruction by the consumer 114 via the input device 210) can send a wallet creation request message to the payment card 110, which can be done using any suitable network and method, such as via near field communication. The wallet creation request message can include instructions for the payment card 110 to generate a new blockchain wallet for the regulated blockchain. At S304, the payment card 110 can receive the wallet request. At S306, the payment card 110 can create a blockchain wallet, which can be done via generating a cryptographic key pair to be used as the blockchain wallet for the regulated blockchain. The payment card 110 can store the cryptographic key pair in memory and can disable the blockchain wallet so that it cannot be used until an activation instruction is received.

[0044] At S308, the payment card 110 may electronically transmit a card identifier for the payment card 110 and a wallet identifier for the generated blockchain wallet to the computing device 102 using an appropriate communications network and method. At S310, the receiving device 202 of the computing device 102 may receive the account identifier from the payment card 110. At S312, the generating module 218 of the computing device 102 may generate an activation request message including the card identifier and the wallet identifier, and the activation request message may be transmitted by the transmitting device 222 of the computing device 102 to the activation server 112 using an appropriate communications network and method. At S314, the activation server 112 may receive the activation request message.

[0045] At S316, the activation server 112 can use the card identifier included in the activation request message to identify the transaction account to which the new blockchain wallet will be registered. At S318, the activation server 112 can create and store an association between the newly created blockchain wallet and the payment card, for example, by storing the wallet identifier and the card identifier in an association database. At S320, the activation server 112 can generate a digital signature using a private key of a cryptographic key pair associated with the activation server 112. The digital signature can be included in an activation message, which is electronically transmitted by the activation server 112 to the computing device 102 at S322 using an appropriate communications network and method.

[0046] At S324, the receiving unit 202 of the computing device 102 may receive an activation message with a digital signature from the activation server 112. At S326, the validation module 220 of the computing device 102 may validate the digital signature using the public key of a cryptographic key pair associated with the activation server 112. If the digital signature is successfully validated, the generation module 218 of the computing device 102 may generate, at S328, instructions for the payment card 110 to activate the blockchain wallet as a result of the received and validated activation message. At S330, the sending unit 222 of the computing device 102 may electronically transmit an instruction message containing the generated instructions to the payment card 110 using an appropriate communications network and method. The payment card 110 may receive the instruction message at S332 and execute the instructions at S334 to activate the blockchain wallet for use in future blockchain transactions on the regulated blockchain.

[0047] Exemplary Method for Registering a Blockchain Wallet FIG. 4 illustrates a method 400 for registering an identified blockchain wallet with a payment card.

[0048] At S402, payment details for a payment card (e.g., payment card 110) issued for a transaction account may be received by a receiver (e.g., receiving device 202) of a computing device (e.g., computing device 102), the payment details including at least a card identifier, the payment details being received from one of: an integrated circuit-based payment card and a financial application program. At S404, wallet details for a blockchain wallet may be received by the receiver of the computing device, the wallet details including at least the wallet identifier. At S406, at least the card identifier and wallet identifier may be sent by a transmitter (e.g., sending device 222) to an activation server (e.g., activation server 112), which stores an association between the wallet identifier and the transaction account.

[0049] At S408, an activation message may be received by a receiver of the computing device 102 from the activation server 112. At S410, instructions may be sent by a transmitter of the computing device to an integrated circuit-based payment card or financial application program to enable use of a private key of a cryptographic key pair associated with the blockchain wallet.

[0050] In one embodiment, the wallet identifier can be a public key of a cryptographic key pair associated with the blockchain wallet. In some embodiments, the activation message can include a digital signature generated by the activation server using the private key of a second cryptographic key pair, and method 400 can further include validating the digital signature by a processor of the computing device (e.g., validation module 220) using the public key of the second cryptographic key pair. In a further embodiment, method 400 can further include transmitting, by a transmitter of the computing device, a validation message to the activation server upon successful validation of the digital signature. In another further embodiment, instructions can be transmitted to an integrated circuit-based payment card or a financial application program after successful validation of the digital signature.

[0051] In one embodiment, the wallet details may be generated by an integrated circuit-based payment card or a financial application program. In further embodiments, method 400 may also include the steps of receiving, via an input device of the computing device (e.g., input device 210), a request for generation of a blockchain wallet from a user of the computing device; and sending, via a transmitter of the computing device, instructions to the integrated circuit-based payment card or the financial application program to cause the wallet details to be generated as a result of the received request. In some embodiments, the computing device may be one of the following: a mobile computing device, a smartphone, an automated teller machine, and an integrated circuit-based payment card.

[0052] Computer System Architecture 5 illustrates a computer system 500 in which embodiments of the present disclosure, or portions thereof, may be implemented as computer-readable code. For example, the computing device 102, the blockchain node 106, the financial institution 108, the payment card 110, and the activation server 112 may be implemented in the computer system 500 using hardware, a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, or a combination thereof, and may be implemented in one or more computer systems or other processing systems. The hardware may embody modules and components used to implement the methods of FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 4.

[0053] Where programmable logic is used, such logic may be executed on commercially available processing platforms configured with executable software code, resulting in special-purpose or dedicated devices (e.g., programmable logic arrays, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), etc.). Those skilled in the art will appreciate that embodiments of the disclosed subject matter may be implemented in a variety of computer system configurations, including multi-core, multi-processor systems, minicomputers, mainframe computers, distributed functionality linked or clustered computers, and general-purpose or miniature computers that may be implemented in virtually any device. For example, at least one processor unit and memory may be used to implement the embodiments.

[0054] A processor unit or device of the present disclosure may be a single processor, multiple processors, or a combination thereof. A processor device may have one or more processor “cores.” The terms “computer program medium,” “non-transitory computer-readable medium,” and “computer-usable medium” of the present disclosure are used generally to refer to tangible media (e.g., removable storage unit 518, removable storage unit 522, and a hard disk installed in hard disk drive 512, etc.).

[0055] Various embodiments of the present disclosure are described with respect to this exemplary computer system 500. After reading this disclosure, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art how to implement the present disclosure using other computer systems and / or computer architectures. While operations are disclosed as sequential processes, some operations may in fact be performed in parallel, concurrently, and / or in distributed environments, where program code is stored locally or remotely for access by uniprocessor or multiprocessor machines. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the order of operations may be rearranged without departing from the spirit of the disclosed subject matter.

[0056] The processor unit 504 may be a special-purpose or general-purpose processor unit specially configured to perform the functions of the present disclosure. The processor unit 504 may be connected to a communications infrastructure 506 (e.g., a bus, a message queue, a network, a multi-core message passing scheme, etc.). The network may be any network suitable for performing the functions of the present disclosure and may include a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a wireless network (e.g., Wi-Fi), a mobile communications network, a satellite network, the Internet, fiber optics, coaxial cable, infrared, radio frequency (RF), or any combination thereof. Other suitable network types and configurations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The computer system 500 may also include a main memory 508 (e.g., random access memory, read-only memory, etc.) and may also include a secondary memory 510. The secondary memory 510 may include a hard disk drive 512 and a removable storage drive 514 (e.g., a floppy disk drive, a magnetic tape drive, an optical disk drive, a flash memory, etc.).

[0057] Removable storage drive 514 may read from and / or write to removable storage unit 518 in a well-known manner. Removable storage unit 518 may include a removable storage medium that can be read from and written to by removable storage drive 514. For example, if removable storage drive 514 is a floppy disk drive or a USB port, removable storage unit 518 may be a floppy disk or a portable flash drive, respectively. In one embodiment, removable storage unit 518 may be a non-transitory readable recording medium.

[0058] In some embodiments, secondary memory 510 may include alternative means for allowing computer programs or other instructions to be loaded into computer system 500 (e.g., removable storage unit 522 and interface 520). Examples of such means may include program cartridges and cartridge interfaces (e.g., found in video game systems), removable memory chips (e.g., EEPROM, PROM, etc.) and associated sockets, other removable storage units 522 and interfaces 520, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0059] Data stored in computer system 500 (e.g., in main memory 508 and / or secondary memory 510) may be stored on any type of suitable computer-readable medium, such as optical storage (compact disc, digital versatile disc, Blu-ray disc, etc.) or magnetic tape storage (e.g., hard disk drive). The data may be organized in any type of suitable database structure (e.g., a relational database, a Structured Query Language (SQL) database, a distributed database, an object database, etc.). Suitable structures and storage types will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0060] Computer system 500 may also include a communications interface 524. Communications interface 524 may allow software and data to be sent and received between computer system 500 and external devices. Exemplary communications interface 524 may include a modem, a network interface (e.g., an Ethernet card), a communications port, a PCMCIA slot and card, etc. The software and data transferred via communications interface 524 may be in the form of signals. The signals may be electronic, electromagnetic, optical, or other signals apparent to those skilled in the art. The signals propagate over communications path 526. The paths are configured to carry the signals and may be implemented using wire, cable, fiber optics, a telephone line, a cellular phone link, a radio frequency link, etc.

[0061] Computer system 500 may further include a display interface 502. Display interface 502 may be configured to allow data to be transferred between computer system 500 and an external display 530. Exemplary display interfaces 502 may include a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a digital visual interface (DVI), a video graphics array (VGA), etc. Display 530 may be any suitable type of display that displays data transferred via display interface 502 of computer system 500, including a cathode ray tube (CRT) display, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light-emitting diode (LED) display, a capacitive touch display, a thin-film transistor (TFT) display, etc.

[0062] The computer program medium and computer usable medium may refer to memory (e.g., main memory 508 and secondary memory 510), which may be semiconductor memory (such as DRAM). These computer program products may be means for providing software to computer system 500. Computer programs (e.g., computer control logic) may be stored in main memory 508 and / or secondary memory 510. Computer programs may also be received via communications interface 524. Such computer programs, when executed, may enable computer system 500 to perform methods of the present disclosure. In particular, computer programs, when executed, may enable processor unit 504 to implement the methods shown in FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 4 as described herein. Such computer programs therefore represent the controller of computer system 500. The present disclosure is implemented using software. The software may be stored in a computer program product and loaded into computer system 500 using removable storage drive 514, interface 520, and hard disk drive 512 or communications interface 524.

[0063] The processor unit 504 may include one or more modules or engines configured to perform the functions of the computer system 500. Each module or engine may be implemented using hardware, or in some embodiments, software (e.g., corresponding to program code or programs stored in the main memory 508 or the secondary memory 510). In such embodiments, the program code may be compiled by the processor unit 504 (e.g., by a compilation module or engine) before execution by the hardware of the computer system 500. For example, the program code may be source code written in a programming language (e.g., assembly language or machine code) that is translated into a lower-level language for execution by the processor unit 504 and / or any additional hardware components of the computer system 500. The compilation process may include the use of lexical analysis, preprocessing, syntactic analysis, semantic analysis, syntax-driven translation, code generation, code optimization, and any other techniques that may be suitable for translating the program code into a lower-level language suitable for controlling the computer system 500 to perform the functions of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that such processing results in computer system 500 being a specially configured computer system 500 that is uniquely programmed to perform the functions described above.

[0064] Among other features, technology consistent with the present disclosure provides systems and methods for registering an identified blockchain wallet using a payment card. While various exemplary embodiments of the disclosed systems and methods have been described above, it should be understood that they are presented by way of example only, and not by way of limitation. They are not exhaustive and do not limit the disclosure to the precise form disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. Modifications and variations may be obtained from implementations of the present disclosure without departing from the scope or spirit of the disclosure.

Claims

1. 1. A method for registration of an identified blockchain wallet with a payment card, comprising: receiving, by a receiver in a computing device, payment details for a payment card issued for a transaction account, said payment details including at least a card identifier, said payment details being received from one of: an integrated circuit payment card and a financial application program; receiving, by the receiver of the computing device, wallet details for a blockchain wallet, the wallet details including at least a wallet identifier; transmitting, by a transmitter of the computing device, at least the card identifier and the wallet identifier to an activation server, wherein the activation server stores an association between the wallet identifier and the transaction account; receiving, by the receiver of the computing device, an activation message from the activation server; transmitting, by the transmitter of the computing device, instructions to the integrated circuit-based payment card or the financial application program to enable use of a private key of a cryptographic key pair associated with the blockchain wallet; A method comprising:

2. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the wallet identifier is a public key of the cryptographic key pair associated with the blockchain wallet.

3. 10. The method of claim 1, the activation message includes a digital signature generated by the activation server using a private key of a second cryptographic key pair; The method further comprises: Validating, by a processor of the computing device, the digital signature using a public key of the second cryptographic key pair.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising: transmitting, by the transmitter of the computing device, a validation message to the activation server upon successful validation of the digital signature.

5. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the instructions are sent to the integrated circuit payment card or the financial application program after successful validation of the digital signature.

6. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the wallet details are generated by the integrated circuit payment card or the financial application program.

7. 7. The method of claim 6, further comprising: receiving a request for creation of the blockchain wallet from a user of the computing device via an input device of the computing device; transmitting, by the transmitter of the computing device, instructions to the integrated circuit payment card or the financial application program to cause the wallet details to be generated as a result of the received request; The method further comprises:

8. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device is one of: a mobile computing device, a smartphone, an automated teller machine, and an integrated circuit-based payment card.

9. 1. A system for registration of an identified blockchain wallet with a payment card, comprising: an activation server; a computing device; one of an integrated circuit payment card and a financial application program; the computing device, a receiver, receiving payment details for a payment card issued for a transaction account, said payment details including at least a card identifier, said payment details being received from said integrated circuit payment card or said financial application program; a receiver performing the steps of: receiving wallet details for a blockchain wallet, the wallet details including at least a wallet identifier; a transmitter that performs the steps of transmitting at least the card identifier and the wallet identifier to an activation server, wherein the activation server stores an association between the wallet identifier and the transaction account; The receiver of the computing device further receives an activation message from the activation server; The transmitter of the computing device further transmits instructions to the integrated circuit-based payment card or the financial application program to enable use of a private key of a cryptographic key pair associated with the blockchain wallet.

10. 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the wallet identifier is a public key of the cryptographic key pair associated with the blockchain wallet.

11. 10. The system of claim 9, the activation message includes a digital signature generated by the activation server using a private key of a second cryptographic key pair; The system, wherein the computing device further includes a processor that validates the digital signature using the public key of the second cryptographic key pair.

12. 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the transmitter of the computing device sends a validation message to the activation server upon successful validation of the digital signature.

13. 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the instructions are sent to the integrated circuit payment card or the financial application program after successful validation of the digital signature.

14. 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the wallet details are generated by the integrated circuit payment card or the financial application program.

15. 15. The system of claim 14, The computing device further includes an input device for receiving a request for creation of the blockchain wallet from a user of the computing device; The system wherein the transmitter of the computing device sends instructions to the integrated circuit payment card or the financial application program to cause the wallet details to be generated as a result of the received request.

16. 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the computing device is one of: a mobile computing device, a smartphone, an automated teller machine, and the integrated circuit payment card.

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