Improving scalability in blockchain systems using multi-level sharding based on heterogeneity of network nodes

【Author】 Matani, Alemeh; Sahafi, Amir; Broumandnia, Ali

【Source】COMPUTING

【影响因子】2.420

【Abstract】Scalability is a challenging issue in blockchain technology, becoming more critical as blockchain systems grow in the amount of transaction data or number of users. Some key metrics affecting scalability in blockchain technology include transaction throughput and latency as well as the storage and communication capabilities the nodes need to participate in the network. Most proposed solutions for blockchain scalability handle only one or a few of these scalability issues assuming that all the blockchain nodes are homogeneous in computational, communication, and storage capabilities. This assumption results in degrading system efficiency and worsens scalability issues due to the unfair distribution of workload among the blockchain nodes. This paper presents a new solution for blockchain scalability that enhances scalability using multi-level sharding based on the heterogeneity of network nodes. In fact, the heterogeneous nodes are dynamically scored based on their resource capacities and contributions to the protocol and then are organized into multiple levels based on their calculated scores and form a hierarchical tree structure. Additionally, a new mechanism for consensus is introduced which makes use of the hierarchical structure to enable a more secure and decentralized consensus-making process. The simulation experiments showed that the proposed solution significantly improves various scalability measurements, including throughput, latency, storage efficiency, and communication overhead while increasing decentralization and maintaining security. The improvement rate over the scalability metrics achieved by the proposed work is proportional to the characteristics of the hierarchical tree structure such as depth and branching ratio.

【Keywords】Blockchain; Scalability; Sharding; Consensus; Hierarchical; Heterogeneity

【发表时间】2025 FEB

【收录时间】2025-04-08

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