Fork-Resilient Cross-Blockchain Transactions through Algebraic Topology

TL;DR

This paper introduces an algebraic-topological framework to analyze cross-blockchain transactions, revealing their limitations under fork suspensions and highlighting the need for more advanced models in blockchain systems.

Contribution

It applies algebraic topology to model blockchains and demonstrates the inherent limitations of current CBT protocols under fork suspensions.

Findings

CBTs cannot reliably complete in committed or aborted states under fork suspensions.

Algebraic topology provides a novel perspective for modeling blockchain transactions.

Current CBT models are insufficient for fault-tolerant blockchain systems.

Abstract

The cross-blockchain transaction (CBT) serves as a cornerstone for the next-generation, blockchain-based data management systems. However, state-of-the-art CBT models do not address the effect of the possible local fork suspension that might invalidate the entire CBT. This paper takes an algebraic-topological approach to abstract the blockchains and their transactions into simplicial complexes and shows that CBTs cannot complete in either a \textit{committed} or an \textit{aborted} status by a $t$-resilient message-passing protocol. This result implies that a more sophisticated model is in need to support CBTs and, thus, sheds light on the future blockchain designs.