Study on Applications of Block-chain as Distributed Algorithms

• Project/Area Number: 16K12425
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Information network
• Research Institution: National Institute of Informatics
• Principal Investigator: Satoh Ichiro 国立情報学研究所, 情報社会相関研究系, 教授 (80282896)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2018)
• Budget Amount: ¥3,380,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥780,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥1,690,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥390,000); Fiscal Year 2016: ¥1,690,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥390,000)
• Keywords: 分散アルゴリズム / ブロックチェイン / 分散同意問題 / ブロックチェーン / 分散システム / ビットコイン / 計算機システム / セキュア・ネットワーク / 情報システム

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Blockchain is the core technology of existing electric currency systems, e.g., Bitcoin, was studied on the assumption that there were possibilities as general-purpose technologies of distributed systems in addition to their intial target, virtual currency. In this research, we systematically organized whether the functional requirements in the distributed algorithm can be solved by the function of the bitcoin implementation technology, and clarified the method to realize the representative distributed algorithm with the bitcoin technology. When using Bitcoin implementation technology as a distributed algorithm implementation technology, there is directions for modification among bitcoin implementation technologies because the virtual currency and the distribution algorithm have different technical requirements.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究により、ブロックチェインにより実現できる分散同意により、分散相互排除やリーダ選出など、複数コンピュータの同一情報を保持することが求められる分散アルゴリズムを実現できることがわかった。しかし、ブロックチェインが必要となるPoWは従来の分散アルゴリズムには負担を分散システムに求めること、ブロックチェインで実現できる分散アルゴリズムは多数ある一方、ブロックチェイン以外では実現できない、または実現が困難となる分散アルゴリズムは見いだせないことも明らかになった。

Research Products

• [Presentation] An Approach for Recovering Distributed Systems from Disasters (2018)
  • Author(s): Ichiro Satoh
  • Organizer: 8th International Conference on Bioinspired Optimization Methods and Their Applications
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Mobile Agent: Lost Agent Technology. Why could Mobile Agents be in Practice? (2017)
  • Author(s): Ichiro Satoh
  • Organizer: ractical Applications of Cyber-Physical Multi-Agent Systems 2017
  • Int'l Joint Research / Invited
• [Presentation] Constraint Solving-Based Itineraries for Mobile Agents (2016)
  • Author(s): Ichiro Satoh
  • Organizer: 3th International Conference Constraint Solving-Based Itineraries for Mobile Agents
  • Place of Presentation: Sevilla, Spain,
  • Year and Date: 2016-06-01
  • Int'l Joint Research