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MANDALA: A scalable blockchain model with mesh-and-spoke network and H-PBFT consensus algorithm

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Abstract

With the rapid development of blockchain technology, the scale of its participants continues to expand. The network structure and the PBFT consensus algorithm of the blockchain have problems such as low transmission efficiency and high communication overhead, resulting in poor scalability. To solve these problems, we aim to improve the scalability of the blockchain so that it can support large-scale nodes for efficient transmission and communication. In this study, we propose a model named MANDALA with Mesh-and-Spoke Network and H-PBFT Consensus. The Mesh-and-Spoke network groups nodes into different layers and regulates communication rules among groups, which improves the network transmission efficiency. Then, we propose the Hierarchical Practical Byzantine Fault Tolerance (H-PBFT) consensus algorithm. It divides the consensus of the whole network into several sub-layers, which achieves lower communication complexity and improves fault tolerance. We simulated the model to validate its performance and security. The results indicated that it reduced the communication overhead and improved the effective transmission rate and throughput under the premise of ensuring security. Compared with other blockchain optimization schemes, our model features better consensus efficiency, security, and scalability.

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Funding

The work is supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (No. 2021YFB2700800).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, People’s Republic of China

    Jinze Li, Xiaofeng Li, He Zhao & Haotian Cheng

  2. University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, People’s Republic of China

    Jinze Li & Xiaofeng Li

  3. Blockchain and Perceptual Computing Engineering and Technology R & D Center, CAS(Hefei) Institute of Technology Innovation, Hefei, China

    Tong Zhou & Nianzu Sheng

  4. Anhui ZhongKeJingGe Technology Co., Ltd., Hefei, China

    Bin Yu, Tong Zhou & Nianzu Sheng

Authors
  1. Jinze Li
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  2. Xiaofeng Li
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  3. He Zhao
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  4. Bin Yu
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  5. Tong Zhou
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Correspondence to He Zhao or Tong Zhou.

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Li, J., Li, X., Zhao, H. et al. MANDALA: A scalable blockchain model with mesh-and-spoke network and H-PBFT consensus algorithm. Peer-to-Peer Netw. Appl. 16, 226–244 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12083-022-01373-w

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