Confidential Total Ordering Service for Blockchain Networks

The patent segments the centralized ordering service into multiple distributed TOS gateways that participate in a consensus mechanism. Each gateway holds only a portion of the encryption key (key share), and no single gateway can access unencrypted transaction information alone. This segmentation enables decentralization while maintaining security through distributed key management and consensus-based ordering.

The patent enables organizations to operate their own TOS gateways autonomously, managing their own key shares and participating in the consensus process. This self-service approach eliminates dependency on third-party ordering services while maintaining ease of operation through standardized protocols and automated key management. Each organization controls its own gateway, reducing security risks associated with external service providers.

The patent introduces a key management service as an intermediary that facilitates secure key share distribution and reconstruction. This service enables gateways to obtain their key shares and reconstruct symmetric keys without direct peer-to-peer key management complexity. The intermediary handles the cryptographic operations and coordination, reducing the burden on individual gateways while maintaining security through distributed key shares.

The patent applies different quality characteristics to different parts of the system: TOS gateways operate with encrypted transaction information to maintain confidentiality, while the consensus mechanism and ordering process work with cryptographic proofs and key shares that do not require decryption. This local quality approach allows processing efficiency to be maintained through optimized cryptographic operations while confidentiality is preserved by never exposing unencrypted sensitive data during the ordering process.