Abstract: The invention provides a system for searching a blockchain (e.g. Bitcoin) for data/content stored in one or more blockchain transactions, and accessing that data/content. It may be used in conjunction with a protocol for searching the blockchain. An embodiment of the invention can be arranged to enable a user to search for, access, view, write and/or retrieve a portion of data provided in at least one blockchain transaction (Tx), and also arranged to identify the at least one transaction (Tx) based on a transaction index (TXindex) comprising a transaction ID and a public key associated with the transaction (Tx). The system may comprise a search facility which is either provided within the blockchain search system; or arranged to interface and/or communicate with the blockchain search system. It may also comprise at least one cryptocurrency wallet.

Abstract: In one aspect, the present disclosure proposes methods, devices and systems for partitioning a request associated with a digital asset into an arbitrary number of transactions. The partitioning is based on knowing or obtaining a maximum number of outputs allowed for a request and an arbitrarily selection of a possible integer partition of an arbitrarily selected integer. The randomly selected integer partition then forms the basis for determining the number of transactions and UTXOs, so that a digital asset value can be arbitrarily split across the determined UTXOs before being stored on a public blockchain. In another aspect, the present disclosure proposes methods, devices and systems for arbitrarily distributing a digital asset value associated with a request across an arbitrarily determined number of transactions. This is based on an arbitrarily selected number of transactions, and a maximum number of outputs allowed for each request.

Abstract: A method performed by a node of a blockchain network, comprising: accessing the locking script from a first transaction on the blockchain; receiving a second transaction not yet on-chain, the second transaction comprising an unlocking script; extracting from the first transaction or another transaction on the blockchain, a portion of code formulated in a second language other than a first language used for the locking and unlocking scripts; running the extracted portion of code in the second language, wherein as a result thereof the code generates at least one value; writing this value to a storage location readable by the locking script; and running the locking script together with the unlocking script in order to validate the second transaction, wherein the unlocking script is configured to read the first value from said storage location, and a condition for validation according to the locking script is dependent on the first value.

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 determining that one of the nodes is a bottleneck for propagation of transactions; receiving, over a first time period, a plurality of new transactions from one or more first nodes in the network of nodes; combining the plurality of new transactions using network coding and a local encoding vector to generate a message; and sending the message and a global encoding vector to one or more second nodes in the network of nodes instead of sending the plurality of new transactions to the one or more second nodes. The network may be a blockchain network.

Abstract: A method of executing a transaction of a blockchain. The transaction comprises at least one output comprising a locking script, and the locking script comprises an instance of a first opcode and one or more instances of a second opcode. Each instance of the second opcode separates portions of the locking script. Upon calling the instance of the first opcode, a first data element is read from at least one stack, the first data element being generated during execution of the locking script with an unlocking script of a different transaction. A first part of the locking script that follows an instance of the second opcode corresponding to the first data element is output.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for controlling one or more devices of a first network. The first network comprises a set of bridging nodes and a set of devices controllable by one or more of the set of bridging nodes. Each bridging node is also a node of a blockchain network, and each device has a respective device identifier. The method is performed by a first one of the bridging nodes and comprises generating a first blockchain transaction. The first blockchain transaction comprises a first input comprising a signature linked to a first public key of the first node, and a first output comprising command data. The command data comprises a respective identifier of a first one of the devices controlled by a second one of the bridging nodes, and a command message for controlling the first device.

Abstract: Techniques are presented to control the performance of a process conducted via a blockchain. The method comprises the steps of deriving a public-key-private key cryptographic pair for a portion of data related to a smart contract associated with an asset, wherein the smart contract is stored in a computer-based resource that is separate to the blockchain; deriving a signature for the portion of data using the public key-private key cryptographic pair; and codifying the portion of data to generate codified metadata for the data, wherein the codified metadata is arranged to reference or provide access to the smart contract; transmitting the codified metadata to the blockchain; and receiving a signature and a script from at least one user to enable access to embedded data, wherein the script comprises a public key of a signatory.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods and systems for distributed and/or parallel processing of data records, and in particular validation of blockchain transactions in a blockchain block. In a preferred embodiment, a distributed validation node is disclosed in which one or more transactions are allocated to a validating resource in a plurality of validating resources. The one or more transactions relates to a portion of a Merkle tree for the block, so that each validation resource is able to operate independently on verification of a subset of the block's transactions, each subset being based on a segment of the Merkle tree. The disclosure includes advantageous techniques for at least: allocation of tree segments to different validation resources, load balancing, download of the transactions to be validated, distributed UTXO pools, indexing schemes and prevention of double spend events.

Abstract: Techniques and computer-implemented methods are presented to be implemented on a distributed mempool network (DMP) implementing a distributed hash table (DHT). The method includes: receiving, at a mempool node of a DMP, a request to update routing information of the mempool node; initializing a set of random walks within a key space of the DHT, the set of random walks used for generating a set of key-value records; selecting a particular iteration of a long-distance table of a set of long-distance tables; selecting, from the particular iteration of the long-distance table, a pointer within a range between identification information and a key; and transmitting a query to another mempool node associated with the pointer, wherein the other mempool node maintains a set of weight associated connections to a set of mempool nodes, wherein the weight is proportional to the level of trust in the connection.

Abstract: Techniques are presented for fault-resistant multi-node communication among a plurality of participating nodes, providing such cryptographic techniques for ensuring and controlling security in respect of blockchains. Techniques include adding, by a node, a first string to a set of-strings, wherein a first string is a pseudorandom string; shuffling, by the node, the order of the-strings in the set; sending the set to a next node; receiving, by the node, a further shuffled set of strings from another of the participating nodes, the further shuffled set of strings including the first string; replacing the first string in the further shuffled set of strings with a first output address, the first output address being the respective output address of the node; and forwarding the further shuffled set of strings containing the first output address to a subsequent node.

Abstract: Techniques are presented of embedding data in a blockchain transaction. The method comprises the steps deriving a public-key-private-key cryptographic pair for a digital asset; deriving a signature for the data using the public key-private-key cryptographic pair; and codifying the data to generate codified metadata for the digital asset.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provide systems and associated methods for improving the performance of blockchain-implemented or related operations, and for providing novel architectures for blockchain networks. In particular, the system is suited for distributing blockchain-related operations across multiple processing resources. These include operations such as block and/or transaction validation, mining tasks such as Proof-of-Work calculations, identification and searching of blockchain-related data, and efficient load balancing across the multiple resources used for performance of such operations. In some embodiments, tasks relating to a given type of blockchain operation e.g. validation or mining are outsourced or delegated to one or more dedicated resources. In a preferred embodiment, the individual blockchain functionalities are separated out and performed by different resources which can be located anywhere in the world and/or controlled by non-related, trustless entities.

Abstract: The invention provides a blockchain-implemented control method and corresponding system(s). The invention may control access to an internet-enabled resource such as an IoT device that is provided with computing capabilities enabling it to communicate with other computer-based resources and interact with a distributed ledger such as a blockchain. In one embodiment, the invention provides a method for controlling the use of an internet-enabled resource comprising providing a first blockchain transaction comprising at least one output which is redeemable only by provision of at least: i) a secret value selected by a user; and ii) a signature associated with a resource provider; sending use-related information to the resource; generating a second blockchain transaction requesting at least the secret value; and modifying the second blockchain transaction to include the secret value.

Abstract: Contributions to a work by contributors having respective levels in a defined hierarchy are recorded in one or more blockchain transactions. One or more lower-level contributors provide, to a higher-level contributor, one or more lower-level contributions respectively, and the higher-level contributor provides a higher-level contribution responsive to the one or more lower-level contributions. A higher-level contributor transaction comprises one or more inputs, which in turn comprise: one or more pointers to one or more spendable outputs of one or more lower-level contributor transactions and one or more transaction signatures. The transactions contain contributions commitments which, together with the one or more pointers, represent the relationship between the higher-level contributor and the lower-level contributors within the defined hierarchy. The one or more transaction signatures prove that relationship.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method is disclosed. The method includes providing a blockchain transaction comprising a public key combination verification function. The blockchain transaction is configured to be redeemable to permit access to, or transfer control of, a resource by providing to the blockchain transaction an input comprising: a plurality of public keys; a gradient value (?) related to two of the plurality of public keys; and a group public key derived from a combination of the public keys and the gradient value (?). The blockchain transaction is configured to apply the public key verification function to the input to verify, upon successful redemption of the transaction, that the group public key is derived from the combination of the plurality of public keys.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for granting permission to a requestor to join a first network. The first network comprises a set of bridging nodes and a set of devices controllable by one or more of the set of bridging nodes. Each bridging node is also a respective node of a blockchain network. The method is performed by a registration authority and comprises generating a first blockchain transaction. The first blockchain transaction comprises an input comprising a signature linked to a first public key of the registration authority. The first blockchain transaction also comprises a first output comprising a first certificate, the first certificate comprising an identifier assigned to the requestor. The method further comprises transmitting the first blockchain transaction to the blockchain network for inclusion in the blockchain.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for distributing shares of a digitally signed message among a plurality of participants. The method comprising: inputting a digital message to an elliptic curve digital signature algorithm to provide a digital signature; mapping the digital signature to elliptic curve points of an elliptic curve cryptography system common to the participants. In a first encryption step, a knapsack algorithm is applied to the elliptic curve points to generate an encrypted version of the digital signature. In a second encryption step, an elliptic curve cryptography encryption is applied to the encrypted version of the digital signature to provide a doubly encrypted version of the digital signature; and applying a secret sharing step to the doubly encrypted version of the digital signature, wherein the digital signature is fragmented into a plurality of blocks before applying the knapsack algorithm.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of generating a share of a shared private key, wherein each participant of a group of participants has a respective share of a master private key, and wherein the method is performed by a first participant of the group and comprises: generating a first share of a first shared secret, wherein each other participant of the group generates a respective share of the first shared secret; and generating a first share of a first shared private key based on a first share of the master private key and the first share of the first shared secret.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of generating a blockchain transaction, wherein each party of a plurality of second parties has a respective secret number k from which a respective r-portion is derivable, wherein a Merkle tree is defined, at least one leaf node of the Merkle tree being based on at least one of the respective r-portions, wherein the method is performed by a first party and comprises: generating a first blockchain transaction, wherein the first blockchain transaction comprises a first locking script comprising a target Merkle tree portion corresponding to the Merkle tree, the first locking script configured, when executed together with a first unlocking script of a second blockchain transaction, to: extract an r-portion from the first unlocking script, generate a hash value derived from the extracted r-portion, calculate a candidate Merkle tree portion based on the generated hash and a Merkle proof portion of the first unlocking script, verify that the calculated candidate Merkle tree portion mat

Abstract: A method performed by a node of a blockchain network, comprising: accessing the locking script from a first transaction on the blockchain; receiving a second transaction not yet on-chain, the second transaction comprising an unlocking script; extracting from the first transaction or another transaction on the blockchain, a portion of code formulated in a second language other than a first language used for the locking and unlocking scripts; running the extracted portion of code in the second language, wherein as a result thereof the code generates at least one value; writing this value to a storage location readable by the locking script; and running the locking script together with the unlocking script in order to validate the second transaction, wherein the unlocking script is configured to read the first value from said storage location, and a condition for validation according to the locking script is dependent on the first value.