Capstone Blocks for Blockchain Validation Without Distributed Ledger
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complexity and cost associated with using distributed ledgers in blockchain technology increase with the size of the blockchain and the number of nodes, leading to higher power consumption and implementation challenges.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of capstone or lock blocks that are added to the blockchain at designated events, allowing for validation by a trusted authority without the need for a distributed ledger, reducing complexity and power consumption while ensuring immutability through snapshot validation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a distributed ledger is used to provide immutability, then blockchain integrity is improved, but device complexity and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the immutability verification function from the distributed ledger structure. Instead of requiring all nodes to maintain and validate the entire blockchain, the system uses capstone blocks that contain cryptographic hashes of the blockchain state at specific points. This allows a single validating node to verify integrity without accessing the full distributed ledger, thereby reducing system complexity while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a simplified copy of the blockchain verification mechanism through capstone blocks. These blocks contain condensed representations (cryptographic hashes) of the blockchain state rather than full copies of the entire ledger. This copying approach enables verification of blockchain integrity without requiring nodes to store or process the complete distributed ledger, reducing complexity while preserving the ability to detect tampering.
2Reliability
If a distributed ledger is used to ensure immutability, then blockchain integrity is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential verification function from the distributed ledger, separating it from the full ledger maintenance process. By using capstone blocks with cryptographic hashes, the system enables integrity verification without requiring continuous power consumption for synchronizing and validating the entire distributed ledger across multiple nodes. Only minimal computational resources are needed to verify the capstone block hashes.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of requiring full distributed ledger validation (excessive action), the patent implements partial validation through capstone blocks. These blocks provide sufficient verification capability by containing cryptographic summaries of the blockchain state, allowing nodes to verify integrity with minimal computational effort rather than processing the complete ledger, thereby reducing power consumption while maintaining adequate reliability.
3Reliability
If a distributed ledger is used to provide immutability, then blockchain integrity is improved, but implementation cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the verification function from the complex distributed ledger infrastructure. By implementing capstone blocks that contain cryptographic hashes of blockchain state, the system enables integrity verification without requiring expensive distributed ledger infrastructure. This reduces implementation costs by eliminating the need for multiple nodes, complex synchronization protocols, and extensive hardware resources while maintaining the ability to detect blockchain tampering.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a cost-effective copying mechanism for verification through capstone blocks. Instead of requiring expensive distributed ledger replication across multiple nodes, the system uses simplified capstone blocks that contain condensed cryptographic representations of the blockchain state. This copying approach enables verification at minimal cost, reducing implementation expenses while preserving the ability to validate blockchain integrity.
Data Source
AI summary
An event is detected. The event is a designated event for capturing a snapshot of a blockchain where the blockchain is not replicated in a distributed ledger. For example, the event may be where a specific number of new blocks have been added to the blockchain. In response to detecting the event, a capstone block or a lock block is created. The capstone block or the lock block is added to the blockchain. A copy of the capstone block or the copy of the lock block sent to a trusted authority. The copy of the capstone block or the copy of the lock block is used to validate some or all the blockchain to detect if the blockchain has been changed. For example, validating the blockchain may be to detect if the blockchain has been tampered with or has become corrupted.