Abstract: The disclosure provides improved methods and systems for processing, storing, sharing, retrieving, writing and accessing data (content) on a blockchain e.g. Bitcoin. The invention may form part of a protocol for storing, searching and accessing the data. In particular, improved efficiency and also enhanced access control permissions are provided. An embodiment of the disclosure comprises the step of processing at least one blockchain transaction (Tx) comprising: a protocol flag; a discretionary public key (DPK); and a discretionary transaction ID (DTxID). These are discretionary in the sense that they are not required as part of the underlying blockchain protocol but in accordance with the present invention. This combination of features enables portions of data to be identified, retrieved and shared on a blockchain, and also to be linked/associated with one another when provided in a plurality of transactions.

Abstract: The invention provides improved methods and corresponding systems for the sharing, storage, creation and accessing of data stored on a blockchain eg the Bitcoin blockchain. It may form part of a protocol for searching the blockchain for content/data. A method in accordance with the invention may be used for associating or linking data stored within (separate/different) blockchain transactions to enable the identification, retrieval and/or sharing of data stored therein. Additionally, or alternatively, it facilitates identification of transactions (TX) in a blockchain which store content/data that needs to be shared, transmitted, stored and/or accessed by a user. Such a method comprises the step of mapping a mnemonic to: 1) a public key (PK) associated with the transaction (TX); and 2) the transaction ID (TXID) of the transaction (TX).

Abstract: A method performed in a system comprising a first party and a second party, the method comprising: generating, by the first party, a template of a first transaction having an input based on an output from a prior transaction associated with the second party; generating, by the first party, a message based on the template of the first transaction; generating, by the first party, a secret based on the message; generating, by the first party, a value based on the secret, wherein the secret cannot be derived from the value; generating, by the first party, a first puzzle transaction, wherein a first locking script of the first puzzle transaction comprises a knowledge proof configured to require an unlocking script to comprise the secret; publishing, by the first party, the first puzzle transaction to a first blockchain; obtaining, by the second party, the value based on the secret; signing, by the second party, the value based on the secret to create a signature; sending the signature from the second party to the

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of generating a provable task for recording to a blockchain, the provable task for verifying (n+1) data items. A task blockchain transaction is generated, comprising a first locking script comprising (n+1) subscripts, each respective subscript defining a different unlocking condition corresponding to a knowledge proof, each unlocking condition being satisfied by a different one of a sequence of (n+1) verification values ri, the verification value r; being derived from (i+1) data values.

Abstract: The invention provides improved verification solutions for blockchain-implemented transfers. It is suited for, but not limited to, implementation in an SPV wallet. In accordance with one embodiment, a system or resource is provided which comprises a plurality of novel SPV verification components, the activities of which are coordinated by a coordination component. The system enables Bob to send Alice a payment transaction template (template Tx3) and requests: the full transaction data for all input transactions (Tx1, Tx2) comprising at least one output that Alice wants to spend as inputs to a transfer (Tx3); the Merkle path for all input transactions (Tx1, Tx2) linking them to their respective Merkle roots associated with their respective block headers; the completed transfer transaction (Tx3). Alice provides this information plus her signature.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of executing a script formed from a locking script of a first blockchain transaction and an unlocking script of a second blockchain transaction, wherein the script comprises a first script portion, a version function, and a second script portion, and wherein the method comprises: a native script engine executing the first script portion; upon encountering the version function, the native script engine terminating execution of the script and determining whether the first script portion is valid according to a blockchain protocol; in response to determining that the first script portion is valid, the native script engine supplying a sub-script comprising at least the version function and the second script portion to a versioned script engine; and the versioned script engine executing the sub-script, wherein the execution of the sub-script by the versioned script engine does not affect the validity of the first and/or second blockchain transactions.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method (100) and system (1) for controlling the performance of a smart contract. The method includes storing a contract on or in a computer-based repository. The contract is associated with a licence between a first user (U1) and a second user (U2). The method further includes receiving, over a communications network, a transaction comprising a transfer of a token from an agent (A) to the first user (U1) or the second user (U2). The transaction comprises metadata that includes an identifier indicative of a location where the contract is stored. The method further includes querying a peer-to-peer distributed ledger (i.e. blockchain) to determine whether the transaction comprises at least one unspent output (UTXO). The method further includes, responsive to querying the peer-to-peer distributed ledger, determining whether to modify performance of the contract. The blockchain may be the Bitcoin blockchain.

Abstract: Techniques are presented for securely transmitting a output script or information associated with a payroll and a user between a first node and a second node. The method comprises: determining a symmetric-key based on a common secret, based on a first node second private key and a second node second private key, wherein the second node has the same common secret based on a first node second public key and a second node second private key; encrypting at least part of the output script or information associated with the payroll and the second node with the symmetric-key, to an encrypted output script or encrypted information associated with the payroll and the second node; and sending the encrypted output script or encrypted information associated from the first node to the second node.

Abstract: An implementation of the present application provides a computer-implemented method to increase the security of a blockchain-implemented transaction, the transaction including participation from a plurality of participating nodes, each participating node participating as a message originator, selector, and propagator. The method, implemented at a participating node, includes: receiving ciphertext from a prior node and determining whether the participating node is a selector node for said ciphertext received from the prior node. When the participating node is the selector node for said ciphertext, the method includes selecting a subset of said ciphertext, decrypting the selected subset of said ciphertext to provide opted ciphertext and transmitting said opted ciphertext to the next node. When the participating node is other than the selector node for said ciphertext, the method includes decrypting said ciphertext received from the prior node and transmitting the decrypted ciphertext to the next node.

Abstract: Methods and system of recording work history of a mining node on a blockchain in a blockchain network. The methods may include mining a first block containing a registration generation transaction that includes, within a registration information field, a miner identifier for the mining node; and mining two or more additional blocks in an order, each additional block containing a generation transaction that includes an information field containing the miner identifier, a reference to the generation transaction of the preceding additional block in the order, wherein the registration generation transaction is a first block in the order. Work history may be verified by tracing the recorded work history and validating the miner identifier. Recorded work history may serve as the basis for a reputation score for the miner, which reflects contributed work evidenced by the proof-of-work secured work history.

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: 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 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: 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: 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.