Zero knowledge blockchain attribution

Abstract

A content publisher may transfer an impression token value to a user in response to the content publisher displaying an advertisement for a merchant to the user. The content publisher may record the transfer on a zero knowledge blockchain. The merchant may transfer a conversion token value to the user in response to the user making a purchase from the merchant. The merchant may record the transfer on the zero knowledge blockchain. The user may transfer the impression token value and the conversion token value to a measurement company. The measurement company may calculate attribution and lift results for the advertisement.

1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 observing by the content publisher, an impression token value of one or more impression tokens from a content publisher to a client device, wherein the one or more impression tokens are generated by the content publisher and the impression token value is transferred in response to the content publisher providing a sponsored content item of a merchant for display on the client device, and wherein the transfer of the impression token value is recorded on a blockchain as an impression block;   observing transfer of a conversion token value of one or more conversion tokens from the merchant to the client device, wherein the one or more conversion tokens are generated by the merchant and the conversion token value is transferred in response to a purchase from the merchant by the client device, and wherein the transfer of the conversion token value is recorded on the blockchain as a conversion block;   receiving the impression token value and the conversion token value from the client device and relative timing information from the client device, wherein the transfer of the impression token value and the conversion token value from the client device is recorded on the blockchain as a measurement block, wherein the relative timing information when exposed indicates a first time related to the display of the sponsored content item on the client device and a second time related to the purchase from the merchant by the client device; and   attributing the purchase to the content publisher based on the first time and the second time indicated in the relative timing information and the transfer of the impression token value and the conversion token value recorded in the measurement block.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more impression tokens are generated by the content publisher. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing the attribution of the purchase to the content publisher or the merchant. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein attributing the purchase comprises:
 observing transfer of a second impression token value of impression tokens from a second content publisher at a third time,   responsive to determining that the first time related to the display of the sponsored content item on the client device is closer to the second time related to the purchase from the merchant by the client device than the third time, attributing the purchase to the content publisher.   
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising calculating a lift result based at least on the impression token value and the conversion token value received from the client device, the lift result indicating an increase in likelihood of users purchasing from the merchant after viewing the sponsored content item than users who did not view the sponsored content item. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 5 , further comprising providing the lift result to the content publisher or the merchant. 
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the attribution of the purchase is performed by a measurement company, and the measurement company is a subsystem of the content publisher or the merchant. 
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the relative timing information comprises a timestamp for the one or more impression tokens and a second timestamp for the one or more conversion tokens. 
     
     
         9 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions executable by a processor, the instructions when executed causing the processor to perform actions comprising:
 observing transfer of an impression token value of one or more impression tokens from a content publisher to a client device wherein the one or more impression tokens are generated by the content publisher and the impression token value is transferred in response to the content publisher providing a sponsored content item of a merchant for display on the client device, and wherein the transfer of the impression token value is recorded on a blockchain as an impression block;   observing transfer of a conversion token value of one or more conversion tokens from the merchant to the client device, wherein the one or more conversion tokens are generated by the merchant and the conversion token value is transferred in response to a purchase from the merchant by the client device, and wherein the transfer of the conversion token value is recorded on the blockchain as a conversion block;   receiving the impression token value and the conversion token value from the client device and relative timing information from the client device, wherein the transfer of the impression token value and the conversion token value from the client device is recorded on the blockchain as a measurement block, wherein the relative timing information when exposed indicates a first time related to the display of the sponsored content item on the client device and a second time related to the purchase from the merchant by the client device; and   attributing the purchase to the content publisher based on the first time and the second time indicated in the relative timing information and the transfer of the impression token value and the conversion token value recorded in the measurement block.   
     
     
         10 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 9 , wherein the one or more impression tokens are generated by the content publisher. 
     
     
         11 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 9 , further comprising providing the attribution of the purchase to the content publisher or the merchant. 
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 9 , wherein attributing the purchase comprises:
 observing transfer of a second impression token value of impression tokens from a second content publisher at a third time,   responsive to determining that the first time related to the display of the sponsored content item on the client device is closer to the second time related to the purchase from the merchant by the client device than the third time, attributing the purchase to the content publisher.   
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 9 , further comprising calculating a lift result based at least on the impression token value and the conversion token value received from the client device, the lift result indicating an increase in likelihood of users purchasing from the merchant after viewing the sponsored content item than users who did not view the sponsored content item. 
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 13 , wherein the attribution of the purchase is performed by a measurement company, and the measurement company is a subsystem of the content publisher or the merchant. 
     
     
         15 . A computer system comprising:
 a computer processor; and   a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that when executed by the computer processor cause the computer system to perform actions comprising:
 observing transfer of an impression token value of one or more impression tokens from a content publisher to a client device wherein the one or more impression tokens are generated by the content publisher and the impression token value is transferred in response to the content publisher providing a sponsored content item of a merchant for display on the client device, and wherein the transfer of the impression token value is recorded on a blockchain as an impression block; 
 observing transfer of a conversion token value of one or more conversion tokens from the merchant to the client device, wherein the one or more conversion tokens are generated by the merchant and the conversion token value is transferred in response to a purchase from the merchant by the client device, and wherein the transfer of the conversion token value is recorded on the blockchain as a conversion block; 
 receiving the impression token value and the conversion token value from the client device and relative timing information from the client device, wherein the transfer of the impression token value and the conversion token value from the client device is recorded on the blockchain as a measurement block, wherein the relative timing information when exposed indicates a first time related to the display of the sponsored content item on the client device and a second time related to the purchase from the merchant by the client device; and 
 attributing the purchase to the content publisher based on the first time and the second time indicated in the relative timing information and the transfer of the impression token value and the conversion token value recorded in the measurement block. 
   
     
     
         16 . The computer system of  claim 15 , wherein the one or more impression tokens are generated by the content publisher. 
     
     
         17 . The computer system of  claim 15 , further comprising providing the attribution of the purchase to the content publisher or the merchant. 
     
     
         18 . The computer system of  claim 15 , wherein attributing the purchase comprises:
 observing transfer of a second impression token value of impression tokens from a second content publisher at a third time,   responsive to determining that the first time related to the display of the sponsored content item on the client device is closer to the second time related to the purchase from the merchant by the client device than the third time, attributing the purchase to the content publisher.   
     
     
         19 . The computer system of  claim 15 , further comprising calculating a lift result based at least on the impression token value and the conversion token value received from the client device, the lift result indicating an increase in likelihood of users purchasing from the merchant after viewing the sponsored content item than users who did not view the sponsored content item. 
     
     
         20 . The computer system of  claim 19 , further comprising calculating a lift result based at least on the impression token value and the conversion token value received from the client device, the lift result indicating an increase in likelihood of users purchasing from the merchant after viewing the sponsored content item than users who did not view the sponsored content item.