Proof of Space Consensus via Non-Compressible Graphs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing Proof of Work (PoW) schemes face issues such as high energy costs, resource inefficiency, and vulnerability to centralization, leading to exclusion of participants and potential security threats, while Proof of Space (PoS) protocols are prone to cheating and hybridization into PoW, increasing energy consumption and limiting participation.
Innovation Solution
A robust and secure Proof of Space protocol that penalizes cheating by making compression costly, allowing participation from various computing devices without the need for specialized hardware, by using a non-compressible graph structure with a 'hockey-stick' penalty curve, discouraging massive compression and promoting fair and equitable mining.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If Proof of Work schemes are used to achieve consensus, then security and decentralization are improved, but energy consumption and resource costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter from computational work (PoW) to storage space (PoS). Instead of requiring miners to perform expensive cryptographic computations, the system requires them to allocate and verify storage space for graph data structures. This parameter change dramatically reduces energy consumption while maintaining consensus security through the economic cost of storing data and the computational difficulty of generating the graph.
2Adaptability or versatility
If Proof of Space protocols allow participation from various computing devices, then accessibility and decentralization are improved, but vulnerability to cheating and hybridization increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent requires miners to pre-generate and store the entire graph structure before the mining challenge begins. This preliminary action ensures that during the actual mining process, miners only need to perform simple lookups rather than complex computations. The graph is generated offline and stored in advance, preventing miners from attempting to cheat by performing computations during the time-critical mining window.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates verification mechanisms where the network can verify that miners have indeed stored the graph data and are not attempting to hybridize the protocol. The graph structure itself provides feedback, as miners must prove they have the data by providing proofs of storage, creating a feedback loop that prevents cheating while maintaining accessibility.
3Quantity of substance
If compression is allowed in Proof of Space to reduce storage requirements, then resource efficiency is improved, but the penalty for cheating decreases and security is weakened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates an asymmetric relationship between graph generation and graph verification. Generating the graph requires significant computational effort and storage space, while verifying it requires minimal resources. This asymmetry ensures that miners cannot cheat by compressing or not storing the full graph, as the verification process would detect the missing data. The asymmetric cost structure maintains security while allowing the system to be resource-efficient.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and techniques to facilitate the token mining procedures are illustrated. One embodiment includes a method for reaching consensus in token mining. The method receives a challenge and a computed graph, wherein the computed graph comprises a plurality of nodes. The method stores a portion of the computed graph, wherein the portion comprises a subset of the plurality of nodes. The method generates a Merkle tree based on the computed graph, wherein a root of the Merkle tree is registered. The method determines a challenge value based on the challenge. The method obtains a first node and a second node from the portion of the computed graph, wherein the first and second nodes are based on the challenge value. The method transmits a portion of the Merkle tree corresponding to the first node and the second node.