Skip to main content

Decentralized Execution of Smart Contracts: Agent Model Perspective and Its Implications

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNSC,volume 10323))

Abstract

Smart contracts are one of the most important applications of the blockchain. Most existing smart contract systems assume that for executing contract over a network of decentralized nodes, the outcome in accordance with the majority can be trusted. However, we observe that users involved with a smart contract may strategically take actions to manipulate execution of the contract for purpose to increase their own benefits. We propose an agent model, as the underpinning mechanism for contract execution over a network of decentralized nodes and public ledger, to address this problem and discuss the possibility of preventing users from manipulating smart contract execution by applying principles of game theory and agent based analysis.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Buying options

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Buterin, V.: A next-generation smart contract and decentralized application platform. White Paper (2014)

    Google Scholar 

  2. Dunbar, G., Wang, R., Wang, X.: Rationalizing irrational beliefs. Theor. Econ. Lett. 6(06), 1219 (2016)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Duong, T., Fan, L., Zhou, H.S.: 2-hop blockchain: Combining proof-of-work and proof-of-stake securely (2016)

    Google Scholar 

  4. Eyal, I., Sirer, E.G.: Majority is not enough: bitcoin mining is vulnerable. In: Christin, N., Safavi-Naini, R. (eds.) FC 2014. LNCS, vol. 8437, pp. 436–454. Springer, Heidelberg (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-45472-5_28

    Google Scholar 

  5. Garay, J., Kiayias, A., Leonardos, N.: The bitcoin backbone protocol: analysis and applications. In: Oswald, E., Fischlin, M. (eds.) EUROCRYPT 2015. LNCS, vol. 9057, pp. 281–310. Springer, Heidelberg (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-46803-6_10

    Google Scholar 

  6. Hofstadter, D.R.: Dilemmas for superrational thinkers, leading up to a luring lottery. Sci. Am. 6, 267–275 (1983)

    Google Scholar 

  7. Kiayias, A., Koutsoupias, E., Kyropoulou, M., Tselekounis, Y.: Blockchain mining games. In: Proceedings of the 2016 ACM Conference on Economics and Computation, pp. 365–382. ACM (2016)

    Google Scholar 

  8. Lewenberg, Y., Bachrach, Y., Sompolinsky, Y., Zohar, A., Rosenschein, J.S.: Bitcoin mining pools: a cooperative game theoretic analysis. In: Proceedings of the 2015 International Conference on Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems, pp. 919–927. International Foundation for Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems (2015)

    Google Scholar 

  9. Luu, L., Chu, D.H., Olickel, H., Saxena, P., Hobor, A.: Making smart contracts smarter. In: Proceedings of the 2016 ACM SIGSAC Conference on Computer and Communications Security, pp. 254–269. ACM (2016)

    Google Scholar 

  10. McKelvey, R.D., Palfrey, T.R.: An experimental study of the centipede game. Econometrica: J. Econ. Soc. 803–836 (1992)

    Google Scholar 

  11. McKelvey, R.D., Palfrey, T.R.: Quantal response equilibria for extensive form games. Exp. Econ. 1(1), 9–41 (1998)

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  12. Nakamoto, S.: Bitcoin: a peer-to-peer electronic cash system (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  13. Osborne, M.J., Rubinstein, A.: A Course in Game Theory. MIT Press, Cambridge (1994)

    Google Scholar 

  14. Pass, R., Seeman, L., Shelat, A.: Analysis of the blockchain protocol in asynchronous networks. IACR Cryptol. ePrint Arch. 2016, 454 (2016)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  15. Rosenthal, R.W.: Games of perfect information, predatory pricing and the chain-store paradox. J. Econ. Theory 25(1), 92–100 (1981)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  16. Sapirshtein, A., Sompolinsky, Y., Zohar, A.: Optimal selfish mining strategies in bitcoin. arXiv preprint arXiv:1507.06183 (2015)

  17. Sompolinsky, Y., Zohar, A.: Secure high-rate transaction processing in bitcoin. In: Böhme, R., Okamoto, T. (eds.) FC 2015. LNCS, vol. 8975, pp. 507–527. Springer, Heidelberg (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-47854-7_32

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  18. Szabo, N.: Formalizing and securing relationships on public networks. First Mon. 2(9) (1997)

    Google Scholar 

  19. Tapscott, D., Tapscott, A.: Blockchain Revolution: How the Technology Behind Bitcoin is Changing Money, Business, and the World. Penguin, Westminster (2016)

    Google Scholar 

  20. Zauner, K.G.: A payoff uncertainty explanation of results in experimental centipede games. Games Econ. Behav. 26(1), 157–185 (1999)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lin Chen .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2017 International Financial Cryptography Association

About this paper

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this paper

Chen, L., Xu, L., Shah, N., Gao, Z., Lu, Y., Shi, W. (2017). Decentralized Execution of Smart Contracts: Agent Model Perspective and Its Implications. In: Brenner, M., et al. Financial Cryptography and Data Security. FC 2017. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 10323. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-70278-0_29

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-70278-0_29

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-70277-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-70278-0

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics