Blockchain Transaction Privacy via Homomorphic Encryption

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Solution Overview

Problem

When blockchain technology is applied to transaction scenarios, transaction information is at risk of being leaked to unauthorized third parties, necessitating a solution for privacy protection.

Innovation Solution

A blockchain-based transaction method and apparatus that uses homomorphic encryption to encrypt transaction data, allowing for privacy protection without requiring interaction with the remittee device, by calculating and submitting transaction amount commitments and ciphertexts to the blockchain using commitment random numbers and transaction amounts.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If transaction information is sent to the blockchain for verification and chaining-on, then transaction transparency and traceability are improved, but transaction privacy is compromised due to potential leakage to unauthorized third parties

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetransaction privacyVSAvoidtransaction security

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The transaction data is segmented into two distinct parts: plaintext transaction information (for verification) and ciphertext transaction information (for privacy protection). This segmentation allows the blockchain to verify transactions while preventing unauthorized access to sensitive transaction details, resolving the contradiction between transparency and privacy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Ciphertext acts as an intermediary between the transaction sender and receiver, enabling the blockchain to process and verify transactions without directly exposing sensitive information. The ciphertext mechanism allows verification while maintaining privacy, serving as a mediator that satisfies both transparency and confidentiality requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Loss of information

If homomorphic encryption is used to encrypt transaction data, then transaction privacy is protected, but transaction verification complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetransaction confidentialityVSAvoidverification complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The verification process is segmented into two independent paths: one for plaintext data and one for ciphertext data. This segmentation allows the system to verify transactions without requiring complex decryption operations, reducing verification complexity while maintaining confidentiality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the verification parameter from requiring decryption of ciphertext to verifying cryptographic proofs generated from ciphertext. This parameter change allows privacy protection through homomorphic encryption while keeping verification complexity manageable through efficient proof verification.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Loss of information

If commitment mechanism and homomorphic encryption are used together, then privacy protection is achieved without remittee interaction, but transaction processing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetransaction privacyVSAvoidtransaction processing time

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The commitment random number and transaction amount are committed in advance using the commitment mechanism before the actual transaction occurs. This preliminary action allows the system to prepare privacy-protected transaction data ahead of time, reducing the processing time required during the actual transaction execution.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The remitter device independently generates and submits privacy-protected transaction data using the commitment mechanism and homomorphic encryption without requiring interaction with the remittee device. This self-service approach eliminates communication overhead and reduces transaction processing time while maintaining privacy protection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS12021993B2Blockchain-based transaction method and apparatus, and remitter device

Publication Date: 2024.06.25 ANTCHAIN TECHNOLOGY PTE LTD

AI summary

Implementations of the present specification provide a blockchain-based transaction method and apparatus, and a remitter device. The method includes: calculating a transaction amount commitment, a first commitment random number ciphertext, a first transaction amount ciphertext, a second commitment random number ciphertext, and a second transaction amount ciphertext; and submitting transaction data to the blockchain, the transaction data including the transaction amount commitment, the first commitment random number ciphertext, the first transaction amount ciphertext, the second commitment random number ciphertext, and the second transaction amount ciphertext, for the transaction amount commitment, the first commitment random number ciphertext, and the first transaction amount ciphertext to be recorded into a remitter account, and the transaction amount commitment, the second commitment random number ciphertext, and the second transaction amount ciphertext to be recorded into a remittee account.