Hierarchical Deterministic Wallet Authentication via Smart Contract
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users of blockchain-based smart contracts face challenges in authenticating themselves without managing complex keys wallets and compromising the confidentiality of their operations.
Innovation Solution
A method using a hierarchical deterministic wallet, where a specific private key for each smart contract is generated through a path in the tree structure, allowing users to authenticate transactions without revealing their identity across different smart contracts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If users authenticate with smart contracts using traditional wallet methods, then authentication is achieved, but key management becomes complex and operational confidentiality is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The authentication system is segmented into multiple components: a hierarchical deterministic wallet structure that generates multiple account addresses from a single seed, allowing users to interact with smart contracts through different addresses without managing multiple private keys directly. Each smart contract interaction uses a derived account address, while the master seed remains securely stored in the user's device.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary authentication mechanism where the smart contract verifies the user's identity through cryptographic proof without directly exposing the private key. The authentication flow uses signed messages and verification functions that act as intermediaries between the user's private key and the smart contract, preventing direct exposure of sensitive key material.
2Loss of information
If users use multiple account addresses to maintain operational confidentiality, then anonymity is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to managing multiple keys
Solution Approach 1:
The hierarchical deterministic wallet structure provides universal functionality by enabling the generation of multiple account addresses from a single master seed. This single seed can derive unlimited child keys, each suitable for different smart contract interactions, eliminating the need to manage multiple independent wallets while maintaining operational confidentiality through address diversification.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-generating a hierarchical structure of account addresses from the master seed before actual smart contract interactions. Users can derive account addresses on-demand using the hierarchical structure, eliminating the need to manually create and manage multiple wallets in advance.
Data Source
AI summary
An authentication method for a user who has a hierarchical deterministic keys wallet including a path between the user's master private key and a private key specific to a smart contract, the path including a plurality of branches each carrying an index, the smart contract being univocally identified by one or several indices of branches followed by the path. The user can issue a transaction from an issuing account address, obtained by hashing the public key corresponding to the specific private key in an asymmetric cryptosystem, and can sign this transaction using the specific private key. The smart contract uses the signature to verify that the transaction was really issued from the issuing account address in question.