The Framework of Consensus Equilibria for Mining-Pool Games in Blockchain Ecosystems

TL;DR

This paper develops a general framework for understanding the stability of mining-pool games in blockchain ecosystems through the concept of consensus equilibria, linking game theory with blockchain economic behaviors.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of consensus games in blockchain ecosystems and establishes the existence of consensus equilibria for mining gap games, advancing theoretical understanding.

Findings

Consensus equilibria exist for general mining pool games.

The framework explains stability in Bitcoin's mining gap games.

Results suggest consensus equilibria are key to blockchain economic stability.

Abstract

The goal of this paper is to establish the general framework of consensus equilibria for Mining-Pool Games in Blockchain Ecosystems, and with the explanation for the stability of in terms of the existence of consensus equilibria related to mining gap game's behaviors by using one new concept called consensus games in Blockchain Ecosystems, here, the Blockchain ecosystem mainly means the economic activities by taking into the account of three types of different factors which are expenses, reward mechanism and mining power for the work on blockschain by applying the key consensus called Proof of Work due to Nakamoto in 2008. In order to do so, we first give an outline how the general existence of consensus equilibria for Mining Pool Games is formulated, and then used to explain the stable for Gap Games for Bitcoin in the sense by the existence of consensus equilibria under the framework of Blockchain consensus, we then establish a general existence result for consensus equilibria of general mining gap games by using the profit functions for miners as the payoffs in game theory. As applications, the general existence results for consensus equilibria of Gap games are established, which not only help us to claim the existence for the general stability for Gap games under the general framework of Blockchain ecosystems, but also allow us to illustrate a number of different phenomenon on the study of mining-pool games with possible impacts due to miners's gap behaviors with scenarios embedded n Bitcoin economics. Our study on the explanation for the stability of mining gap game for Blockchain ecosystems shows that the concept of consensus equilibria may play a important role for the development of fundamental theory for consensus economics.