On Distributed Randomness Generation in Blockchains

Ilan Komargodski; Yoav Tamir

doi:10.1007/978-3-031-34671-2_4

On Distributed Randomness Generation in Blockchains

Ilan Komargodski^*, Yoav Tamir

^*Corresponding author for this work

The Rachel and Selim Benin School of Engineering and Computer Science

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

Abstract

We present a smart contract for generating unbiased randomness on a blockchain/ledger-style system. Our smart contract can be stored on a blockchain and be executed publicly whenever needed. In particular, our protocol is suitable for leader-election-style applications and for mitigating front-running attacks. We prove correctness and security of our smart contract within a formal model of a distributed ledger extended by financial incentives and smart contracts. To the best of our knowledge, our formalization is the first to capture the concept of “time” in the context of smart contracts. Furthermore, we show that our protocol is incentive compatible, namely, under some reasonable financial assumption, following the honest execution, even for an all but one corruptions, gives the most financial benefit. Technically, our smart contract utilizes recently-introduced non-malleable time-lock puzzles. At a very high level, these are cryptographic commitments that can be “force opened” after a predefined delay. Using those, we implement a commit-and-reveal-style protocol but where we consider the particulars of the blockchain setting.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Cyber Security, Cryptology, and Machine Learning - 7th International Symposium, CSCML 2023, Proceedings
Editors	Shlomi Dolev, Ehud Gudes, Pascal Paillier
Publisher	Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH
Pages	49-64
Number of pages	16
ISBN (Print)	9783031346705
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-34671-2_4
State	Published - 2023
Event	7th International Symposium on Cyber Security, Cryptology, and Machine Learning, CSCML 2023 - Be'er Sheva, Israel Duration: 29 Jun 2023 → 30 Jun 2023

Publication series

Name	Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
Volume	13914 LNCS
ISSN (Print)	0302-9743
ISSN (Electronic)	1611-3349

Conference

Conference	7th International Symposium on Cyber Security, Cryptology, and Machine Learning, CSCML 2023
Country/Territory	Israel
City	Be'er Sheva
Period	29/06/23 → 30/06/23

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Access to Document

10.1007/978-3-031-34671-2_4

Cite this

Komargodski, I., & Tamir, Y. (2023). On Distributed Randomness Generation in Blockchains. In S. Dolev, E. Gudes, & P. Paillier (Eds.), Cyber Security, Cryptology, and Machine Learning - 7th International Symposium, CSCML 2023, Proceedings (pp. 49-64). (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics); Vol. 13914 LNCS). Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-34671-2_4

Komargodski, Ilan ; Tamir, Yoav. / On Distributed Randomness Generation in Blockchains. Cyber Security, Cryptology, and Machine Learning - 7th International Symposium, CSCML 2023, Proceedings. editor / Shlomi Dolev ; Ehud Gudes ; Pascal Paillier. Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2023. pp. 49-64 (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)).

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Komargodski, I & Tamir, Y 2023, On Distributed Randomness Generation in Blockchains. in S Dolev, E Gudes & P Paillier (eds), Cyber Security, Cryptology, and Machine Learning - 7th International Symposium, CSCML 2023, Proceedings. Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics), vol. 13914 LNCS, Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, pp. 49-64, 7th International Symposium on Cyber Security, Cryptology, and Machine Learning, CSCML 2023, Be'er Sheva, Israel, 29/06/23. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-34671-2_4

On Distributed Randomness Generation in Blockchains. / Komargodski, Ilan; Tamir, Yoav.
Cyber Security, Cryptology, and Machine Learning - 7th International Symposium, CSCML 2023, Proceedings. ed. / Shlomi Dolev; Ehud Gudes; Pascal Paillier. Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2023. p. 49-64 (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics); Vol. 13914 LNCS).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

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Komargodski I, Tamir Y. On Distributed Randomness Generation in Blockchains. In Dolev S, Gudes E, Paillier P, editors, Cyber Security, Cryptology, and Machine Learning - 7th International Symposium, CSCML 2023, Proceedings. Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH. 2023. p. 49-64. (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)). doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-34671-2_4