SIM-P-A Simplified Consensus Protocol Simulator: Applications to Proof of Reputation-X and Proof of Contribution

【Author】 Oyinloye, Damilare Peter; Teh, Je Sen; Jamil, Norziana; Teh, Jiashen

【Source】IEEE INTERNET OF THINGS JOURNAL

【影响因子】10.238

【Abstract】Blockchain is a distributed ledger in which participating users with varying levels of trust agree on the ledger's content using a consensus mechanism called consensus protocols. There has been a rising interest in the design of consensus protocols since they play a central role in blockchain architecture. However, many recently proposed consensus protocols lack experimental verification which hampers the possible deployment of these protocols in real-world blockchain networks. In this article, we propose a simple tool called simplified consensus protocol simulator (SIM-P) that can accurately simulate the behavior of these consensus protocols with ease. It is an agent-based stochastic simulator that relies on the sequential Monte Carlo method to model how block publishers are selected. The likelihood of each node (represented as agents) being selected as a block publisher is represented by independent trials in a binomial experiment. We provide a base SIM-P model that simulates Proof of Work (PoW) for benchmarking purposes. The PoW model also serves as the basic structure of the simulator that can be adapted to other protocols. We showcase the flexibility of SIM-P by proposing two additional simulation models for Proof of Reputation-X and Proof of Contribution, both of which lack experimental verification in their original design specifications. We show how the simulator can be used to produce vital metrics, such as throughput, resistance against the 51% attack, and energy consumption. We verify the accuracy of SIM-P by comparing PoW's simulated results with theoretical estimates and historical Bitcoin data.

【Keywords】Consensus protocol; Protocols; Bitcoin; Peer-to-peer computing; Adaptation models; Stochastic processes; Internet of Things; Blockchain; consensus protocol; proof of contribution; proof of reputation; Proof of Work (PoW); simulator

【发表时间】2023 15-Mar

【收录时间】2023-05-01

【文献类型】理论模型

【主题类别】

区块链技术-核心技术-共识机制