Consensus system for managing digital record

Abstract

The disclosure describes a peer-to-peer consensus system and method for maintaining a manipulation resistant updateable shared ledger. The system achieves consensus on a shared ledger between a plurality of peers and prevents double spending in light of network latency, data corruption and intentional manipulation of the system. Consensus is achieved using layered block validation authorities. One layer of the block validation authority is the validating block signer validation authority weights and their total for each block. The other layer is the stake balances. Each validating block signer validation authority weight is determined to avoid double counting of validation weights of stake balances.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . A decentralized consensus system for maintaining a shared digital ledger based on layered block validation authorities, the system comprising:
 i) a node computer including a processing unit, some amount of memory accessed by said processing unit, and a network interface operatively coupled to said processing unit and a wide area network;   ii) said node computer including a consensus system software application running on said processing unit of said node computer; and   iii) said consensus system software application adapted to:
 1) load an initial ledger; 
 2) connect to peer nodes over said wide area network; 
 3) download block chain data from connected peer nodes running said consensus system software application, said block chain data constructed by said consensus system software application, said block chain data including a block chain having a set of fork chains and a set of blocks, each fork chain within said set of fork chains including a subset of blocks of said set of blocks, each block within said set of blocks created by a creator block signer within a set of block signers using said consensus system software application, each block signer within said set of block signers corresponding to a block signer validation authority weight, each block within said set of blocks corresponding to a validation record, said validation record including a set of validating block signer validation authority weights corresponding to said set of block signers respectively, each validating block signer validation authority weight within said set of signed block signer validation authority weights being zero or higher, said validation record including a validating block signer validation authority weight total being a sum of said set of validating block signer validation authority weights, each stake balance within said set of stake balances corresponding to a subset of voted block signers within said set of block signers, each voted block signer within said subset of voted block signers assigned with a delegated stake of said stake balance, each block signer validation authority weight being a sum of delegated stakes of corresponding said block signer, said validation record including a subset of validating stake balances within said set of stake balances, said validation record including a validating stake balance total being a sum of said subset of validating stake balances; 
 4) add, for each validation record, said validating stake balance total to said validating block signer validation authority weight total to form a total validation; 
 5) determine a consensus data block chain from said set of fork chains, wherein:
 a) said set of form chains includes a first fork chain starting with a first block within said set of blocks and a second fork chain starting with a second block within said set of blocks; and 
 b) said consensus data block chain is said first fork chain when said total validation of said first block is higher than said total validation of said second block. 
 
   
     
     
         4 . The decentralized consensus system of  claim 3  wherein, for each stake balance within said set of stake balances, said delegated stakes to block signers within said subset of voted block signers are same. 
     
     
         5 . The decentralized consensus system of  claim 4  wherein said set of blocks includes a third block and a fourth block associated with a first transaction, wherein:
 i) said third block immediately precedes said fourth block within a same fork chain within said set fork chains; 
 ii) said first transaction references said third block, thus validating said third block; 
 iii) said first transaction references said third block, thus validating said third block; 
 iv) said first transaction corresponds to a first transaction balance, said first transaction balance is a stake balance within said set of stake balances, wherein said first transaction balance becomes a validating stake balance of said third block and is included in said validating stake balance total of said third block; 
 v) for each block signer within said set of block signers, said validating block signer validation authority weight of said third block is set to corresponding said block signer validation authority weight when either said third block or said fourth block is validated by said block signer; 
 vi) for each block signer within said set of block signers, said validating block signer validation authority weight of said third block is further deducted by said delegated stake corresponding to said first transaction balance when said block signer is within said subset of voted block signers of said first transaction balance; and 
 vii) for each block signer within said set of block signers, said validating block signer validation authority weight of said third block is further set to zero when said validating block signer validation authority weight of said third block is smaller than zero. 
 
     
     
         6 . The decentralized consensus system of  claim 5  wherein said first transaction balance is not a validating stake balance of said fourth block when said first transaction does not reference said fourth block. 
     
     
         7 . The decentralized consensus system of  claim 6  wherein said fourth block precedes a fifth block within said same fork chain, wherein:
 i) said fifth block is associated with a second transaction having a second transaction balance and referencing said fourth block; 
 ii) for each block signer within said set of block signers, said validating block signer validation authority weight of said third block is further deducted by said delegated stake corresponding to said second transaction balance when said block signer is within said subset of voted block signers of said second transaction balance; and 
 vii) for each block signer within said set of block signers, said validating block signer validation authority weight of said third block is further set to zero when said validating block signer validation authority weight of said third block is smaller than zero.