Mediating Member Anonymity in Permissioned Distributed Ledgers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Private permissioned distributed-ledger networks face challenges in maintaining anonymity for participants while enforcing write access restrictions, as existing systems require revealing identities for write access, conflicting with the need for anonymous transactions.
Innovation Solution
A system where a mediating member utilizes a transaction application to execute network transactions on behalf of participants, using instance ID generators to create public and private key pairs, allowing anonymous participation while adhering to write access policies, with the mediating member managing identities and ensuring authorized access without revealing participant identities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If participant identities are revealed for write access to enforce write restrictions, then write access control is improved, but participant anonymity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a mediating member that acts as an intermediary between participants and the distributed ledger network. The mediating member receives submissions from participants, attaches its own identity to write access requests, and submits them to the network. This allows participants to maintain anonymity while the mediating member's identity enables write access control and enforcement of write restrictions.
2Loss of information
If participant identities are hidden to maintain anonymity, then participant anonymity is improved, but write access control deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The mediating member serves as a trusted intermediary that bridges the gap between anonymous participants and the identity-requiring write access control system. It receives anonymous submissions, attaches its own verified identity to enable write access, and forwards them to the distributed ledger network, thus maintaining both anonymity and access control.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by having the mediating member pre-attach its identity to write access requests before submitting them to the network. This preliminary attachment of identity enables the write access control mechanism to function while the actual participant identities remain hidden throughout the process.
3Loss of information
If a mediating member is introduced to enable anonymous write access, then participant anonymity is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a mediating member as a centralized intermediary that simplifies the overall system architecture by consolidating the anonymity-protection functionality in a single trusted entity, rather than requiring complex distributed anonymity mechanisms across all network nodes.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques are described for anonymity in private-permissioned, distributed ledger networks. A transaction application is implemented by a mediating member of a private-permissioned, distributed ledger network. The mediating member may utilize the transaction application to execute network transactions with respect to the distributed ledger network. In the network transactions, a surrogate member implements or otherwise facilitates the network transaction on behalf of, or with respect to, a participant, in the context of a plurality of related network transactions being mediated by the mediating member for a plurality of participants. In this way, the mediation may be conducted anonymously, while still utilizing the features of the private-permissioned, distributed ledger network.