Cryptographic Key Mapping for Balanced Ledger Sharding

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing decentralized ledger technologies (DLTs) face limitations in throughput due to their serial architecture, leading to bottlenecks in transaction processing and execution, with stakeholders having competing objectives that complicate sharding implementations and result in load imbalances and frequent cross-shard transactions.

Innovation Solution

A distributed computer system with worker nodes that employ a scheme for mapping cryptographic keys to specific shards, a pricing mechanism to incentivize single-shard transactions, and algorithms to minimize transaction costs, along with procedures for reorganizing state databases during shard duplication or merging to maximize parallel execution.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If sharding is implemented to increase transaction throughput, then processing capacity improves, but load imbalance occurs across shards

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetransaction throughputVSAvoidload distribution balance

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic shard assignment where validators are not fixed to specific shards but are assigned to different shards for different transactions based on current system state and load conditions. This dynamic reassignment allows the system to adapt to changing transaction patterns and maintain balanced load distribution across shards, preventing any single shard from becoming a bottleneck while preserving parallel processing capabilities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Device complexity

If randomization is used for distribution among shards, then implementation simplicity is maintained, but cross-shard transactions increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesharding implementation complexityVSAvoidcross-shard transaction frequency

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a feedback mechanism where the system continuously monitors transaction patterns and shard performance, then uses this information to intelligently route transactions. The feedback loop analyzes which shards are experiencing high loads or frequent cross-shard interactions and adjusts transaction routing accordingly, directing transactions to optimal shards that minimize cross-shard operations while maintaining system-wide efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If validators verify fewer transactions at higher cost, then individual validator profit increases, but overall system throughput decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevalidator incentive alignmentVSAvoidsystem throughput

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the key parameter from transaction cost per validator to transaction cost per shard, creating a new incentive structure. Instead of validators being rewarded based on individual transaction verification, the system rewards validators based on their contribution to shard health and performance. This parameter change aligns validator incentives with system-wide throughput goals, as validators benefit from maintaining healthy, high-performing shards that process many transactions efficiently.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

4Reliability

If serial architecture is used in blockchain, then security and consistency are maintained, but transaction processing speed is limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetransaction consistencyVSAvoidtransaction processing speed

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the blockchain validation process into independent shard units, each capable of processing transactions in parallel while maintaining internal consistency through cryptographic proofs. Each shard operates semi-independently with its own validator subset, allowing simultaneous processing across multiple shards. The segmentation is coordinated through a consensus mechanism that ensures global consistency without requiring sequential processing, thus achieving both speed improvement and reliability preservation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS12483621B2Mapping cryptographic keys to distributed ledger shards

Publication Date: 2025.11.25 UVUE LTD

AI summary

Disclosed is a distributed computer system that includes a plurality of worker nodes that are coupled together via a data communication network to exchange data therebetween, wherein computation by the worker nodes is managed within the distributed computer system. The distributed computer system configured to implement a scheme for mapping cryptographic keys to a specific shard in the distributed ledger arrangement that can be modified by a user worker node and an operator worker node of the distributed ledger arrangement; employ a pricing mechanism for specifying transaction costs that incentivizes user worker nodes to submit transactions that are restricted to a single shard; adopt algorithms specifying internal logic for wallet software that access shards so as to minimise their transaction costs; and execute procedures for reorganizing state databases when shards are duplicated or merged so that subsequent transactions can be maximally executed in parallel.