Patents Assigned to nChain Licensing AG
  • Patent number: 11652634
    Abstract: A computer implemented method and system is described which uses blockchain technology as a storage system for data acquired from a digital twin. The blockchain can be used to generate an immutable transaction history of data produced by the digital twin. In the case of an error, failure, incident, or accident, parties of interest can then access and analyse an immutable set of data. The blockchain network can also execute a digital smart contract based on the data received from a digital twin. The invention may be used in conjunction with the Bitcoin blockchain or another blockchain protocol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: nChain Licensing AG
    Inventors: Alexandra Covaci, Giuseppe Destefanis, Simone Madeo, Patrick Motylinski, Stephane Vincent
  • Patent number: 11651335
    Abstract: Methods and systems to control mining pools configured to mine more than one blockchain network. A pool controller may automatically select a candidate block generated for one of the blockchain networks for mining by the mining units. The selection may be based on determining an expectation value associated with each current candidate block generated for the respective blockchain networks and which of them is the highest. The expectation value may be based, at least in part, on a current coinbase value and a current difficulty setting for that blockchain network. The pool control may perform the selection with the generation of each new candidate block for any of the blockchain networks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: nChain Licensing AG
    Inventors: Angus Adams, Steven Patrick Coughlan
  • Patent number: 11641283
    Abstract: A method of transferring access to a digital asset is disclosed. The method comprises receiving a first blockchain transaction (4) from a first participant (6) by each of a plurality of second participants (8), (10). The first participant (6) has a first private key of a first private-public key pair of a cryptography system, and each participant (6), (8), (10) has a respective first share of a second private key of a second private-public key pair of the cryptography system, and the first blockchain transaction is signed with the first private key. Signature of the first blockchain transaction with the first private key is verified by each second participant (8), (10). A respective first share is applied to the first blockchain transaction to generate a respective second share of a second blockchain transaction signed with the second private key.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: nChain Licensing AG
    Inventors: John Fletcher, Thomas Trevethan
  • Patent number: 11635950
    Abstract: A system converts high level source code into an arithmetic circuit that represents the functionality expressed in the source code, such as a smart contract as used in relation to a blockchain platform. The system processes a portion of high level source code to generate an arithmetic circuit. The arithmetic circuit comprises one or more arithmetic gates arranged to represent at least some of the functionality expressed in the source code.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: nChain Licensing AG
    Inventors: Alexandra Covaci, Simone Madeo, Patrick Motylinski, Stephane Vincent
  • Patent number: 11632390
    Abstract: A method for propagating data packets in a network of nodes is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: nChain Licensing AG
    Inventors: Silvia Bartolucci, Simone Madeo
  • Patent number: 11625694
    Abstract: The invention provides a secure method for exchanging entities via a blockchain. The invention incorporates tokenisation techniques, and also techniques for embedding metadata in a redeem script of a blockchain transaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: nChain Licensing AG
    Inventors: Craig Steven Wright, Stephane Savanah
  • Patent number: 11621833
    Abstract: A solution for controlling access to a resource such as a digital wallet implemented using a blockchain. Use of the invention during set-up of the wallet can enable subsequent operations to be handled in a secure manner over an insecure channel. An example method comprises splitting a verification element into multiple shares; determining a common secret at multiple nodes in a network; and using the common secret to transmit a share of the verification element between nodes. The shares can be split such that no share is sufficient to determine the verification element and can be stored at separate locations. Upon share unavailability, the share can be retrieved a location accessibility. For safe transmission of the share(s), the common secret is generated at two different nodes independently and used to generate an encryption key for encrypting at least one share of the verification element to be transmitted securely.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: nChain Licensing AG
    Inventors: Craig Steven Wright, Stephane Savanah
  • Patent number: 11616649
    Abstract: There may be provided a computer-implemented method. The computer-implemented method includes: i) after a proof-of-stake token is transferred to an address of a determined type on a proof-of-stake blockchain, adding a record of the transfer of the proof-of-stake token to the proof-of-work blockchain; ii) identifying a node, from a group of nodes, to participate in adding a block to the proof-of-stake blockchain, the identifying based on the proof-of-work blockchain; and iii) including a block submitted by the identified node in the proof-of-stake blockchain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: nChain Licensing AG
    Inventors: John Fletcher, Martin Sewell
  • Patent number: 11616641
    Abstract: A method of sharing a first common secret among a plurality of nodes for enabling secure communication for blockchain transactions. The method comprises determining, for at least one first node a plurality of second common secrets, wherein each second common secret is common to the first node and a respective second node, is determined at the first node based on a first private key of the first node and a first public key of the second node and is determined at the second node based on the first private key of the second node and the first public key of the first node. The method further comprises exchanging encrypted shares of the first common secret among the plurality of nodes to enable each of the plurality of nodes to reach a threshold number of shares of the first common secret to access the first common secret.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: nChain Licensing AG
    Inventor: Craig Steven Wright
  • Patent number: 11609902
    Abstract: The invention relates to method for adjusting the minimum and maximum number of peer nodes that a node on the blockchain network will connect with. The adjustment takes in to account the bandwidth and processing capability of the node. Bandwidth capacity of a node is determined based on a maximum data amount processable by the node over a time period. Data is monitored passing through interfaces of the node, to and from peer nodes, and a profile factor of the node is determined from the difference between the input data to output data. Over a plurality of time periods monitoring said data the data analysed is used to set a minimum number of peer nodes and a maximum number of peer nodes connectable to the node according to said monitored data and the maximum number of peers connectable to the node. The method enables a node to adjust the number of connections according to performance limitation factors, such as bandwidth availability and processing performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: nChain Licensing AG
    Inventors: Giuseppe Destefanis, Simone Madeo, Patrick Motylinski, Stephane Vincent, Alexandra Covaci
  • Patent number: 11606219
    Abstract: According to one perspective, the invention provides a technical arrangement to calculate, register and/or apportion costs and/or generate income in proportion to the current ownership of an asset. One or more embodiments also comprise a novel technique for generating cryptographic sub-keys. Thus, one benefit provided by the invention is that it allows the secure distribution of costs and income for an asset registered and maintained on the Blockchain. In turn, this increases the capability of such assets to meet the real-world needs of various entities such as the asset itself and investing parties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: nChain Licensing AG
    Inventors: Craig Steven Wright, Gavin Allen
  • Patent number: 11580097
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for transmitting and/or submitting digital content such as feedback for an entity to a blockchain is disclosed. This may be, for example, the Bitcoin blockchain. The method, which is implemented at a first node, includes: submitting, to the blockchain, a first transaction for committing a first quantity of tokens to transfer to a second node associated with the entity, the first transaction having a first output; generating a first content for submission to the blockchain; and submitting, to the blockchain, a second transaction that returns a second quantity of the committed first quantity of tokens to an address associated with the first node, the second transaction having the first output of the first transaction as an input, wherein the first content is used to unlock the first output of the first transaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: nChain Licensing AG
    Inventors: Silvia Bartolucci, Pauline Bernat, Daniel Joseph
  • Patent number: 11574303
    Abstract: The invention provides a method and corresponding system for controlling a blockchain transaction output and/or specifying the recipient of the output. It also provides a method of controlling and/or generating an electronic communication. The invention is a blockchain-implemented solution, which may or may not be the Bitcoin blockchain. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the method may comprise the step of sending an electronic notification to a notification address which is provided as metadata within an unlocking script of an input of a transaction (Txi) on a blockchain. The unlocking script is provided in order to spend an output from a further transaction (Tx2) on the blockchain. The input of the transaction (Txi) and/or the output of the further transaction (Tx2) may be associated with a tokenised asset represented on, or referenced via, the blockchain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: nChain Licensing AG
    Inventors: Gavin Allen, Craig Steven Wright
  • Patent number: 11575565
    Abstract: Methods and devices for propagating transactions in a network of nodes, each node having one or more connections to other nodes. The method includes receiving a plurality of incoming transactions over a time period; combining the plurality of incoming transactions using network coding to generate a composite message; sending the composite message to one or more nodes in the network; and determining an adjusted time period based on an equilibrium constant parameter and a count of transactions in the plurality of incoming transactions received over the time periodk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: nChain Licensing AG
    Inventors: Patrick Motylinski, Simone Madeo, Giuseppe Destefanis, Stephane Vincent
  • Patent number: 11575511
    Abstract: The invention relates to distributed ledger technologies such as consensus-based blockchains. Computer-implemented N methods for reducing arithmetic circuits derived from smart contracts are described. The invention is implemented using a blockchain network, which may be, for example, a Bitcoin blockchain. A set of conditions encoded in a first programming language is obtained. The set of conditions is converted into a programmatic set of conditions encoded in a second programming language. The programmatic set of conditions is precompiled into precompiled program code. The precompiled program code is transformed into an arithmetic circuit. The arithmetic circuit is reduced to form a reduced arithmetic circuit, and the reduced arithmetic circuit is stored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: nChain Licensing AG
    Inventors: Alexandra Covaci, Simone Madeo, Patrick Motylinski, Stephane Vincent
  • Patent number: 11575744
    Abstract: A method of controlling and coordinating of processing steps in a distributed system can be implemented by an initiator node of a cyclically-ordered set of nodes participating in a blockchain network (e.g., Bitcoin blockchain). The method includes generating a private key and cryptographic shares thereof for the nodes of the set and distributing them. A locking value is determined based on the shares and a transaction is arranged to transmit control of a resource responsive to supply of a corresponding unlocking value. A circuit of transactions amongst the nodes each arranged to transmit control of a resource responsive to supply of an unlocking value corresponding to a locking value determined based on the share distributed to a first node of one of two adjacent nodes and a value received from another node immediately previous to it is prepared. The initiator node may belong to a cyclically-ordered set of initiator nodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: nChain Licensing AG
    Inventor: Daniel Joseph
  • Patent number: 11546162
    Abstract: In a distributed system, a first computer system may require computationally verifiable assurances of the authenticity and integrity of computations (e.g., performed as part of the execution of a program) performed by a second computer system. Methods described herein may be utilized to enforce and/or ensure the correct execution of a program. The first computer system may delegate execution of a program to a second computer system and a protocol may be employed to constrain the second computer system to perform a correct execution of the program. The protocol may include mitigation and correction routines that mitigate and/or correct the incorrect execution of a program. In various systems and methods described herein, the protocol may utilize a blockchain network such as a Bitcoin-based blockchain network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: nChain Licensing AG
    Inventors: Alexandra Covaci, Simone Madeo, Patrick Motylinski, Stephane Vincent
  • Patent number: 11546144
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method of making a decision on a blockchain is provided. The method comprises providing a blockchain voting commitment transaction (2) redeemable by means of a first signature (?(Am), ?(Bm)) associated with a selection (A, B) and a second signature (?(A), ?(B)) associated with the selection, providing each of a plurality of participants (Ui) with at least one share (kA,i, KB,i) of at least one respective secret value (kA, kB) wherein a threshold number of shares is required in order to execute said second signature, and submitting the blockchain voting commitment transaction (2) to the blockchain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: nChain Licensing AG
    Inventors: Silvia Bartolucci, Pauline Bernat, Daniel Joseph
  • Patent number: 11538023
    Abstract: There may be provided a computer-implemented method. It may be implemented using a blockchain such as, for example, the Bitcoin blockchain. The computer-implemented method includes: i) joining a congress by transferring, by a node operating in a proof-of-work blockchain network, one or more digital assets to a congress pool having one or more other digital assets associated with other members of a congress; ii) detecting, by the node, a special transaction of digital assets on the proof-of-work blockchain network to an address associated with the congress pool, the special transaction satisfying determined criteria; and iii) minting, by the node, one or more digital assets on a proof-of-stake blockchain network in response to detecting the special transaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: nChain Licensing AG
    Inventors: John Fletcher, Marco Bardoscia, Thomas Trevethan
  • Patent number: 11528145
    Abstract: The invention relates to distributed ledge technologies such as consensus-based blockchains. The methods and systems of the present disclosure are provided for causing an injection of a serialized set of field values of an unlocking transaction into a locking script are described. The invention is implemented using a blockchain network, which may for example be a Bitcoin blockchain. A in first transaction to validate is received at a node in the blockchain network. The first transaction includes a first script that includes a set of field values of the first transaction and, as a result of being executed, causes the node to obtain a set of field values. A second transaction is obtained, with the second transaction having been validated. The second transaction includes a second script that, as a result of being executed, causes the node to generate a signature based at least in part on the set of field values supplied as a result of execution of the first script.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: nChain Licensing AG
    Inventors: Ying Chan, Dean Kramer