Merkle Tree Construction for Blockchain Privacy
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Solution Overview
Problem
In blockchain networks, once sensitive data is written, it becomes irreversible and can cause harmful consequences, and deleting it can disrupt the accuracy of simplified payment verification (SPV) for other data, affecting normal data recording services.
Innovation Solution
A Merkle tree construction method and SPV method that replace sensitive data with its transaction hash, preventing public exposure while maintaining the stability of the Merkle tree and SPV accuracy by using a node with transaction concealment permission to instruct other nodes to replace the transaction with its hash.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If sensitive data is written to the blockchain, then the data is permanently recorded and cannot be deleted, but the sensitive data becomes public and causes harmful consequences
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the sensitive data from the blockchain by replacing it with concealed data (transaction hash) while keeping the transaction structure intact. This allows the harmful sensitive information to be removed while preserving the functional integrity of the blockchain transaction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of the data at each transaction storage position from plaintext sensitive data to a hash value. This parameter transformation maintains the data structure and Merkle tree integrity while preventing sensitive information exposure.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If sensitive data is deleted from the blockchain, then the harmful consequences are prevented, but the accuracy of simplified payment verification (SPV) for other data is affected
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of deleting the data, the patent changes its parameter from plaintext to hash value. This maintains the data structure and Merkle tree integrity, ensuring that SPV operations can still function correctly while preventing sensitive information exposure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a concealed version of the transaction data using hash values that replicate the structural properties needed for SPV verification, without containing the actual sensitive information.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the transaction is replaced with concealed data, then the sensitive data is protected, but the Merkle tree construction and SPV accuracy may be disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the data parameter from plaintext to hash value, which maintains the cryptographic properties needed for Merkle tree construction and SPV verification while preventing sensitive information exposure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the transaction hash as an intermediary representation that preserves the structural and cryptographic properties needed for Merkle tree operations, while acting as a barrier to prevent sensitive data exposure.
Data Source
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AI summary
A Merkle tree construction method and apparatus, and an SPV method and apparatus are disclosed. If a certain transaction written to a blockchain is sensitive data that should not be made public, each node in a blockchain network can replace the transaction in the blockchain with a transaction hash of the transaction, and construct a related Merkle tree and perform SPV based on the transaction hash for replacement.