A Survey Into the Bitcoin Scaling Dilemma
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Asymmetric Proof-Of-Work Based on the Generalized Birthday Problem
Equihash: Asymmetric Proof-of-Work Based on the Generalized Birthday Problem Alex Biryukov Dmitry Khovratovich University of Luxembourg University of Luxembourg [email protected] [email protected] Abstract—The proof-of-work is a central concept in modern Long before the rise of Bitcoin it was realized [20] that cryptocurrencies and denial-of-service protection tools, but the the dedicated hardware can produce a proof-of-work much requirement for fast verification so far made it an easy prey for faster and cheaper than a regular desktop or laptop. Thus the GPU-, ASIC-, and botnet-equipped users. The attempts to rely on users equipped with such hardware have an advantage over memory-intensive computations in order to remedy the disparity others, which eventually led the Bitcoin mining to concentrate between architectures have resulted in slow or broken schemes. in a few hardware farms of enormous size and high electricity In this paper we solve this open problem and show how to consumption. An advantage of the same order of magnitude construct an asymmetric proof-of-work (PoW) based on a compu- is given to “owners” of large botnets, which nowadays often tationally hard problem, which requires a lot of memory to gen- accommodate hundreds of thousands of machines. For prac- erate a proof (called ”memory-hardness” feature) but is instant tical DoS protection, this means that the early TLS puzzle to verify. Our primary proposal Equihash is a PoW based on the schemes [8], [17] are no longer effective against the most generalized birthday problem and enhanced Wagner’s algorithm powerful adversaries. -
Prism: Scaling Bitcoin by 10000
Prism: Scaling Bitcoin by 10,000× Lei Yang∗ Vivek Bagaria† Gerui Wang‡ Mohammad Alizadeh∗ David Tse† Giulia Fanti§ Pramod Viswanath‡ ABSTRACT and throughput in the blockchain (§4). A recent theoretical paper Bitcoin is the first fully-decentralized permissionless blockchain described the core protocol and analyzed its security properties [6]. protocol to achieve a high level of security: the ledger it maintains While these theoretical results are promising, it is not clear has guaranteed liveness and consistency properties as long as the ad- how well they can translate into real-world performance. First, the versary has less compute power than the honest nodes. However, its Prism consensus protocol is much more complex than the longest throughput is only 7 transactions per second and the confirmation chain protocol: clients must maintain over 1000 distinct blockchains, latency can be up to hours. Prism is a new blockchain protocol that is which refer to each other to create an intricate directed acyclic graph designed to achieve a natural scaling of Bitcoin’s performance while (DAG) structure, and they must process blocks at very high rates maintaining its full security guarantees. We present an implementa- (e.g., 100-1000s of blocks per second at 100s of Mbps) to update these tion of Prism that achieves a throughput of over 70;000 transactions blockchains and confirm transactions. Second, Prism’s theoretical per second and confirmation latency of tens of seconds on networks analysis relies on several simplifying assumptions (e.g., round-based of up to 1000 EC2 Virtual Machines. The code can be found at [5]. -
Crypto Garage Developed and Executed the Contract of a P2P
April 19, 2019 Crypto Garage, Inc. NEWS RELEASE Crypto Garage Developed and Executed the Contract of a P2P Protocol Based Crypto Asset Derivative Settled in Bitcoin 〜Executed First Derivative Contract with Blockstream〜 Crypto Garage, Inc. (HQ: Tokyo; Representative Director: Masahito Okuma; Crypto Garage), a Fintech company developing blockchain financial services and also a subsidiary of Digital Garage, Inc. (TSE first section: 4819; HQ: Tokyo; Representative Director, President Executive Officer and Group CEO: Kaoru Hayashi; DG) developed a peer-to- peer crypto asset derivative contract protocol and executed a contract based on this protocol on the Bitcoin Blockchain. Blockstream Corporation (HQ: Victoria Canada; CEO: Adam Back; Blockstream), the global leader in blockchain technology and financial cryptography, and Crypto Garage entered into a derivative contract that locks the future Bitcoin price [on a collared basis] in order to hedge the Bitcoin price fluctuation risk against the US dollar. Crypto Garage developed a P2P derivative technology based on the Discreet Log Contracts (https://dci.mit.edu/smart-contracts) that Thaddeus Dryja from MIT Digital Currency Initiatives proposed. This contract is a smart contract applied on the Bitcoin Blockchain and requires the agreement and posting of collateral by both parties. The agreed terms and collateral are defined on the Bitcoin Blockchain. Since settlement is cryptographically secured, this contract minimizes counterparty risk, such as breach of contract and other contract termination events. Contact: Hiroshi Ikemoto, Leo Shiraishi, Corporate Communication Dept., Digital Garage, Inc. Email: [email protected], TEL: +81-3-6367-1101 April 19, 2019 Crypto Garage, Inc. NEWS RELEASE The bitcoin price for the maturity date is determined by the ICE Cryptocurrency Data Feed, as agreed upon by both parties in advance. -
Bitcoin Scaling Solutions and Their Downsides by Simona Mola and Zhong Zhang (March 6, 2019, 12:35 PM EST)
Portfolio Media. Inc. | 111 West 19th Street, 5th Floor | New York, NY 10011 | www.law360.com Phone: +1 646 783 7100 | Fax: +1 646 783 7161 | [email protected] Bitcoin Scaling Solutions And Their Downsides By Simona Mola and Zhong Zhang (March 6, 2019, 12:35 PM EST) Bitcoin was designed as a decentralized monetary system and an alternative to central banking. Decentralization implies that no one can unilaterally change the way bitcoin works or its transaction history. Since Satoshi Nakamoto released the original bitcoin whitepaper in 2010,[1] reaching and maintaining decentralization has been the priority of all technological developments. To this end, bitcoin relies on its technological design: open source software, public-key cryptography, blockchain data structure, proof-of- work mining and distributed full nodes. Simona Mola However, it is well known that bitcoin has a scalability problem.[2] We have all heard at least once the comparison between bitcoin and Visa in terms of transaction capacity. That is, while Visa handles an average of 150 million transactions per day as of the end of 2018,[3] bitcoin network processes about 280,000 transactions per day.[4] This capacity is not enough to serve as a global digital medium of exchange. Bitcoin Average Transaction Fee in USD Zhong Zhang Besides the comparison with Visa, which may not be quite parallel, bitcoin’s scaling problem is reflected in its average transaction fees. In the situation of greater market demand for bitcoin transactions, the restriction of the block size to 1 MB leads to a higher average wait time before confirmation and thus greater transaction fees. -
A Probe Survey of Bitcoin Transactions Through Analysis of Advertising in an On-Line Discussion Forum
Acta Informatica Pragensia, 2019, 8(2), 112–131 DOI: 10.18267/j.aip.127 Original Article A Probe Survey of Bitcoin Transactions Through Analysis of Advertising in an On-Line Discussion Forum Zoltan Ban 1, Jan Lansky 1, Stanislava Mildeova 1, Petr Tesar 1 Abstract Cryptocurrencies have become a major phenomenon in recent years. For IT, a breakthrough is both the cryptocurrency itself as a commodity and the technology that cryptocurrency development has brought. The article focuses on the bitcoin cryptocurrency as the most important cryptocurrency. A relatively unexplored topic is what goods or services are purchased for bitcoins. To track what bitcoins are spent on, it is necessary to look for places that are dedicated to trading cryptocurrencies. The bitcointalk.org forum was chosen as a source for our data mining. The aim of the article is to find an answer to the research question: What are bitcoins on the discussion forum bitcointalk.org planned to be spent on? As part of the research, an application was developed using a PHP script to gather information from the discussion forum (bitcointalk.org). There is some evidence which suggests what types of products or services people spend cryptocurrencies on. This research has proven that cryptocurrencies are used to buy and sell goods or services in the electronics and computer world segments. Today, these segments are widespread, which may speed up the integration of cryptocurrencies into everyday life. This applies, of course, only if the risks associated with cryptocurrencies do not increase. Keywords: Cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, On-Line Advertisement, Text Mining, Cybersecurity, Discussion Forum. -
Download Criminal Complaint Filed in the Eastern District of California
AO 91 (Rev. 11/11) Criminal Complaint UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT for the Eastern District of California United States of America ) V. ) MARCOS PAULO DE OLIVEIRA ) Case No. ANNIBALE, ) aka "Med3lin," ) aka "Med3lln," ) aka "Med3lln WSM" ) Defendant(s) CRIMINAL COMPLAINT I, the complainant in this case, state that the following is true to the best of my knowledge and belief. On or about the date( s) of October 2017 through April 2019__ in the county of Sacramento in the Eastern District of California , and elsewhere, the defendant(s) violated: Code Section Offense Description 21 U.S.C. §§ 841 and 846 Distribution and Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances 18 U.S.C. §§ 1956 and 1957 Money Laundering This criminal complaint is based on these facts: (see attachment) IX! Continued on the attached sheet. -j- ;1 ·) / , / l 1 - • / L ',;;;_ . _/__I-- / Complainant's signature JAY D. DIAL, Jr., Special Agent Dl'llg Enforcem~_11t Ad111inistration Printed name and title Sworn to before me and signed in my presence. ;]t "-" ' Date: l.2 _/,_ I ---=- (.___ ,,--- "'-~ Judge 's signature City and state: Sacramento, CA Allls__on Claire, U_.§~ Magi~trate__.J__udge Printed name and title AO 91 (Rev. 11/11) Criminal Complaint UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT for the Eastern District of California United States of America ) V. ) MARCOS PAULO DE OLIVEIRA ) Case No. ANNIBALE, ) aka "Med3lin," ) aka "Med3l1n," ) aka "Med3lln_WSM" ) Defendant(s) CRIMINAL COMPLAINT I, the complainant in this case, state that the following is true to the best of my knowledge and belief. On or about the date(s) of ~tober 20 I 7 through April 2019_ in the county of . -
Transparent and Collaborative Proof-Of-Work Consensus
StrongChain: Transparent and Collaborative Proof-of-Work Consensus Pawel Szalachowski, Daniël Reijsbergen, and Ivan Homoliak, Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD); Siwei Sun, Institute of Information Engineering and DCS Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences https://www.usenix.org/conference/usenixsecurity19/presentation/szalachowski This paper is included in the Proceedings of the 28th USENIX Security Symposium. August 14–16, 2019 • Santa Clara, CA, USA 978-1-939133-06-9 Open access to the Proceedings of the 28th USENIX Security Symposium is sponsored by USENIX. StrongChain: Transparent and Collaborative Proof-of-Work Consensus Pawel Szalachowski1 Daniel¨ Reijsbergen1 Ivan Homoliak1 Siwei Sun2;∗ 1Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) 2Institute of Information Engineering and DCS Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences Abstract a cryptographically-protected append-only list [2] is intro- duced. This list consists of transactions grouped into blocks Bitcoin is the most successful cryptocurrency so far. This and is usually referred to as a blockchain. Every active pro- is mainly due to its novel consensus algorithm, which is tocol participant (called a miner) collects transactions sent based on proof-of-work combined with a cryptographically- by users and tries to solve a computationally-hard puzzle in protected data structure and a rewarding scheme that incen- order to be able to write to the blockchain (the process of tivizes nodes to participate. However, despite its unprece- solving the puzzle is called mining). When a valid solution dented success Bitcoin suffers from many inefficiencies. For is found, it is disseminated along with the transactions that instance, Bitcoin’s consensus mechanism has been proved to the miner wishes to append. -
Blockchain, a Catalyst for New Approaches in Insurance
Blockchain, a catalyst for new approaches in insurance Thought up as the underlying architecture for the Bitcoin cryptocurrency in 2008, blockchain technology is currently a hot topic and the subject of numerous studies in sectors outside the payments industry to which it has often been confined in the past. Blockchain is considered by some to represent the next technological revolution after the Internet. In fact, the idea of a decentralised, secure and transparent ledger distributed among users can be relevant to many different fields. The insurance industry, with its highly complex processes, could be a major beneficiary of the technology. By removing intermediaries in a new type of arrangement, blockchain technology could completely upend the insurance value chain: - Development/acceleration of new products/markets for which business models were difficult to define until now. - New approaches to underwriting, contracts and claims management, particularly through a combination of smart contracts and the Internet of Things (IoT). - Overhaul of the modus operandi of insurance agreements. - New reinsurance approaches, particularly internal reinsurance via smart contracts. - Transformation of asset management with automated settlement and delivery of intangibles. Use of blockchain should help to cut acquisition, management, documentation and compliance costs. It should help new players enter the market and new markets to emerge, particularly in developing countries. By simplifying use and increasing transparency, it will also help to improve customer satisfaction. Although the upside is significant, several risks should also be anticipated. These include competition with InsurTechs, a legal framework that will need to evolve, and the challenges of rolling out the technology on a large scale. -
3Rd Global Cryptoasset Benchmarking Study
3RD GLOBAL CRYPTOASSET BENCHMARKING STUDY Apolline Blandin, Dr. Gina Pieters, Yue Wu, Thomas Eisermann, Anton Dek, Sean Taylor, Damaris Njoki September 2020 supported by Disclaimer: Data for this report has been gathered primarily from online surveys. While every reasonable effort has been made to verify the accuracy of the data collected, the research team cannot exclude potential errors and omissions. This report should not be considered to provide legal or investment advice. Opinions expressed in this report reflect those of the authors and not necessarily those of their respective institutions. TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORDS ..................................................................................................................................................4 RESEARCH TEAM ..........................................................................................................................................6 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................................................7 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................... 11 METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................................................................ 14 SECTION 1: INDUSTRY GROWTH INDICATORS .........................................................................17 Employment figures ..............................................................................................................................................................................................................17 -
EY Study: Initial Coin Offerings (Icos) the Class of 2017 – One Year Later
EY study: Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) The Class of 2017 – one year later October 19, 2018 In December 2017, we analyzed the top ICOs that represented 87% ICO funding in 2017. In that report, we found high risks of fraud, theft and major problems with the accuracy of representations made by start-ups seeking funding. In this follow-up study, we revisit the same group of companies to analyze their progress and investment return: ► The performance of ICOs from The Class of 2017 did little to inspire confidence.1 ► 86% are now below their listing2 price; 30% have lost substantially all value. Executive An investor purchasing a portfolio of The Class of 2017 ICOs on 1 January 2018 would most likely have lost 66% of their investment. ► Of the ICO start-ups we looked at from The Class of 2017, only 29% (25) have summary working products or prototypes, up by just 13% from the end of last year. Of those 25, seven companies accept payment in both traditional fiat currency (dollars) as well as ICO tokens, a decision that reduces the value of the tokens to the holders. ► There were gains among The Class of 2017, concentrated in 10 ICO tokens, most of which are in the blockchain infrastructure category. However, there is no sign that these new projects have had any success in reducing the dominance of Ethereum as the industry’s main platform. • 1 See methodology in appendix. • 2 Defined as when first available to trade on a cryptocurrency exchange. 02 ICO performance update ICOs broke out in 2017. -
Facilitating Cross-Chain Cryptocurrency Exchanges: an Inquiry Into Blockchain Technology and Interoperability with an Emphasis on Cryptocurrency Arbitrage
Eastern Michigan University DigitalCommons@EMU Senior Honors Theses & Projects Honors College 2020 Facilitating cross-chain cryptocurrency exchanges: An inquiry into blockchain technology and interoperability with an emphasis on cryptocurrency arbitrage Samuel Grone Follow this and additional works at: https://commons.emich.edu/honors Part of the Computer Sciences Commons Facilitating cross-chain cryptocurrency exchanges: An inquiry into blockchain technology and interoperability with an emphasis on cryptocurrency arbitrage Abstract Since the introduction and proliferation of the blockchain-based cryptocurrency Bitcoin, alternative cryptocurrencies also based on blockchain technology have exploded in number. It was once believed that one, or very few, cryptocurrencies would eventually dominate the market and drive out competitors. This assumption, however, was incorrect. Thousands of cryptocurrencies exist concurrently. The vast number of cryptocurrencies leads to a problem—what if the cryptocurrency that an individual possesses does not meet their current needs as well as another cryptocurrency might? The attempt to solve this problem has led to the rise of many cryptocurrency exchanges and exchange schemes. In this paper, we will discuss the motivations for an individual to be interested in exchanging two or more cryptocurrencies by describing and comparing various popular cryptocurrencies with different desirable attributes. While we will discuss these attributes, this paper will give special focus to arbitrage in particular. In addition, we will describe various cryptocurrency exchange schemes and their advantages and disadvantages. Finally, we contribute to the understanding of cryptocurrency exchangeability and interoperability by comparing the historical price data of several cryptocurrencies to determine how often arbitrage has been possible in the past. Degree Type Open Access Senior Honors Thesis Department Computer Science First Advisor Weitian Tong Second Advisor S. -
Company Overview
October 19, 2018 250845436 Cryptocurrency | Victoria, BC | Founded: 2014 | Employees: 60 | https://blockstream.com/ PHONE: N/A WIKIPEDIA: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blockstream BLOOMBERG: https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=273952098 LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/blockstream/ COMPANY OVERVIEW Blockstream is a dual-mission blockchain development company, looking to simultaneously improve the state of the art in blockchain technology while identifying opportunities for application and commercialization of such developments. Blockstream aims to make significant contribution to the blockchain ecosystem through its open- source development of blockchain infrastructure as well as industry software solutions. SENIOR MANAGEMENT Adam Back: Co-Founder & CEO (2014-present). Currently: Applied Cryptographer (independent), working on hashcash, committed transactions, homomorphic values, and researching blockchain decentralization and scalability (2010-present). Education: PhD Computer Science, University of Exeter (1995). Pieter Wuille: Co-Founder & Core Tech Engineer (2014-present). Previously: Site Reliability Engineer, Google (2012- 2014); PhD Researcher, K.U.Leuven (2007-2011). Education: PhD Computer Science, K.U. Leuven (2007). Samson Mow: Chief Strategy Officer (2017-present). Previously: COO, BTCC (2015-2017); Director of Production, Ubisoft (2009-2011). Currently: Founder and CEO, Pixelmatic (2011-present). Education: BBA Management Information Systems & Marketing, Simon Fraser University (2002). HISTORY Blockstream was founded in 2014 by Adam Back, Pieter Wuille, Greg Maxwell, and a group of other prominent blockchain developers with the goal of accelerating blockchain development and its commercial applications. Several of the founders were involved in the original development of Bitcoin.1 Since the inception of Blockstream, it has launched several products, established major business and technical partnerships, raised two rounds of funding, and expanded its reach internationally.