Abstract: A method in accordance with the invention includes: providing to a hub, from an enclave associated with a TEE at a node, an enclave public key; establishing a channel with the hub by broadcasting to a blockchain network a funding transaction which encumbers a digital asset with a first public key, a second public key and a third public key such that the encumbrance of the digital asset may be removed by: 1) both a first signature generated from a first private key corresponding to the first public key and a second signature generated from a second private key corresponding to the second public key; or 2) a third signature, valid for the third public key, the third public key associated with a group; receiving a commitment transaction encrypted with the enclave public key; detecting a failure; and issuing a failsafe activation request to the group using data from the enclave.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provides protocols, methods and systems which provides advantages such as the resistance of centralisation of mining on a blockchain network, preferably a Proof-of-Work blockchain. A method in accordance with an embodiment may comprise generating a plurality of non-parallelisable challenges (or “puzzles”) and allocating one of said plurality of challenges to each miner on the network. The miner uses an inherently sequential (non-parallelisable) algorithm to find a solution to his allocated challenge. The challenges are generated by a committee of nodes, and a new set of challenges is generated for each block.

Abstract: A method of digitally signing a message is disclosed. The method comprises distributing first shares of a first secret value among a plurality of participants, wherein the first secret value is a private key accessible by means of a first threshold number of the first shares, and is inaccessible to less than the first threshold number of the first shares; distributing second shares of a second secret value among the participants, wherein the second secret value is an ephemeral key, wherein said ephemeral key is inaccessible to less than said first threshold number of said second shares; and distributing third shares of a third secret value among the participants, wherein each third share is adapted to be applied to a message to generate a respective fourth share of a fourth secret value, wherein the fourth secret value is the message signed with the private key and using the ephemeral key.

Abstract: Techniques are presented to instantiate an event chain with a first block, wherein the first block is timestamped with an instantiation time; monitor for an event associated with a monitoring request; signal to other nodes in a plurality of nodes based on the monitoring by providing a commitment to a plurality of nodes in the plurality of nodes, wherein based on occurrence of the event providing either a dummy signal or an indicator comprising an encryption private key share held by the node, wherein the commitment is provided to the other nodes in the plurality of nodes; monitor for commitments from the other nodes in the plurality of nodes, wherein each commitment comprises a dummy signal or an encryption key share; process the commitments received from the other nodes to obtain an encryption private key share; and identify the encryption private key based on the analysis of the commitments.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides flavor altering and/or sweetness enhancing compositions, methods, and food and beverage products using a soluble oligomeric component selected from soluble dietary fiber and polydextrose to alter flavor and/or enhance sweetness.

Abstract: This invention relates to distributed systems, and more particularly to methods and systems for event-locked operations in transactions using a blockchain network. The method includes: detecting, by a first node that is a member of a congress comprising a plurality of nodes, malicious activity by a malicious node that is also a member of the congress; providing, by the first node, a partial signature on a confiscation transaction to transfer portion of digital asset(s) deposited by the malicious node to an unspendable address, wherein the digital asset(s) deposited by the malicious node; determining, by a threshold number of members of the congress, that the digital assets of the malicious node should be confiscated, and then confiscating the at least portion of digital asset(s) of the malicious node by generating a valid signature for the confiscation transaction and suspending the malicious node from further participation in the congress.

Abstract: Techniques are presented to enable recovery of one or more digital assets held on a blockchain after a private key is lost. The computer implemented method comprises setting access for the one or more digital assets held on the blockchain under the public key Pk and accessible using the corresponding private key Sk of the user such that the one or more digital assets are also accessible using a private key x shared by a congress on the blockchain network, each member of the congress having a private key share xi to be used in a threshold signature scheme used to generate a valid signature. As a result of the private key Sk being lost, the congress accesses the one or more digital assets on behalf of the user in response to the user proving their identity to the congress by providing a recovery password.

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.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes: storing an encryption public key that is associated with a group of nodes, each node in the group associated with a private key share, the private key shares associated with a threshold private key reconstruction scheme for the group to allow an encryption private key associated with the encryption public key to be determined from at least a threshold of the private key shares; iteratively obtaining a plurality of indicators provided by a plurality of nodes of the group, each of the indicators representing one of an encryption private key share or a dummy signal; and identifying the encryption private key by iteratively: i) selecting a subset of the indicators; ii) calculating a possible shared secret; and iii) evaluating each possible shared secret against the encryption public key to determine whether the possible shared secret is the encryption private key. The invention is suited for implementation on a blockchain.

Abstract: There is disclosed a computer-implemented method of proposing a block for addition to a first blockchain, the method comprising: identifying a block of a second blockchain; and including in a proposal block for the first blockchain a reference to the identified block of the second blockchain only when: the identified block of the second blockchain extends the second blockchain; and/or the identified block of the second blockchain exceeds a threshold probability of finality; and proposing the proposal block for addition to the first blockchain.

Abstract: There is described a computer-implemented method of outputting a transmission to a second node of a blockchain, the method being performed by a first node of the blockchain, the method comprising: determining a computational power devoted by a further node to a blockchain; determining, based on the determined computational power, a parameter relating to: the influence of the further node on a consensus mechanism of the blockchain; and/or a reward for the further node; and outputting a transmission to the second node of the blockchain in dependence on the parameter.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method is described for enabling recovery of one or more digital assets held on a blockchain by a user under a public key Pk after a corresponding private key Sk for accessing the one or more digital assets is lost. The computer implemented method comprises setting access for the one or more digital assets held on the blockchain under the public key Pk and accessible using the corresponding private key Sk of the user such that the one or more digital assets are also accessible using a private key x shared by a congress on the blockchain network, the congress comprising a group of users on the blockchain network, each member of the congress having a private key share xi, the private key share xi to be used in a threshold signature scheme in which at least a threshold of private key shares must be used to generate a valid signature through the combination of partial signatures of the congress to access the one or more digital assets on behalf of the user.

Abstract: There may be provided a computer-implemented method. It may be implemented at least in part using a blockchain network such as, for example, the Bitcoin network.

Abstract: A method in accordance with the invention includes: providing to a hub, from an enclave associated with a TEE at a node, an enclave public key; establishing a channel with the hub by broadcasting to a blockchain network a funding transaction which encumbers a digital asset with a first public key, a second public key and a third public key such that the encumbrance of the digital asset may be removed by: 1) both a first signature generated from a first private key corresponding to the first public key and a second signature generated from a second private key corresponding to the second public key; or 2) a third signature, valid for the third public key, the third public key associated with a group; receiving a commitment transaction encrypted with the enclave public key; detecting a failure; and issuing a failsafe activation request to the group using data from the enclave.

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.

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.

Abstract: A method of digitally signing a message is disclosed. The method comprises distributing first shares of a first secret value among a plurality of participants, wherein the first secret value is a private key accessible by means of a first threshold number of the first shares, and is inaccessible to less than the first threshold number of the first shares; distributing second shares of a second secret value among the participants, wherein the second secret value is an ephemeral key, wherein said ephemeral key is inaccessible to less than said first threshold number of said second shares; and distributing third shares of a third secret value among the participants, wherein each third share is adapted to be applied to a message to generate a respective fourth share of a fourth secret value, wherein the fourth secret value is the message signed with the private key and using the ephemeral key.

Abstract: A method in accordance with the invention includes: providing to a hub, from an enclave associated with a TEE at a node, an enclave public key; establishing a channel with the hub by broadcasting to a blockchain network a funding transaction which encumbers a digital asset with a first public key, a second public key and a third public key such that the encumbrance of the digital asset may be removed by: 1) both a first signature generated from a first private key corresponding to the first public key and a second signature generated from a second private key corresponding to the second public key; or 2) a third signature, valid for the third public key, the third public key associated with a group; receiving a commitment transaction encrypted with the enclave public key; detecting a failure; and issuing a failsafe activation request to the group using data from the enclave.

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.