A Dynamic Tree Structure for Hierarchical On-Chain Asset Management

TL;DR

This paper presents Sarv, a novel blockchain data structure that efficiently manages hierarchical asset relationships on-chain, supporting operations like modification and disassembly with enhanced security.

Contribution

Introduces Sarv, a scalable, mutable, and secure hierarchical data structure on blockchain using smart contracts and Algorand Standard Assets.

Findings

Sarv enables hierarchical on-chain asset management with real-world applicability.

The structure supports modifications, disassembly, and refurbishment operations.

Sarv demonstrates scalability and security in practical applications.

Abstract

In this paper, we introduce the Sarv, a novel non-monolithic blockchain-based data structure designed to represent hierarchical relationships between digitally representable components. Sarv serves as an underlying infrastructure for a wide range of applications requiring hierarchical data management, such as supply chain tracking, asset management, and circular economy implementations. Our approach leverages a tree-based data structure to accurately reflect products and their sub-components, enabling functionalities such as modification, disassembly, borrowing, and refurbishment, mirroring real-world operations. The hierarchy within Sarv is embedded in the on-chain data structure through a smart contract-based design, utilizing Algorand Standard Assets (ASAs). The uniqueness of Sarv lies in its compact and non-monolithic architecture, its mutability, and a two-layer action authorization scheme that enhances security and delegation of asset management. We demonstrate that Sarv addresses real-world requirements by providing a scalable, mutable, and secure solution for managing hierarchical data on the blockchain.