Paper 2019/579

BlockQuick: Super-Light Client Protocol for Blockchain Validation on Constrained Devices

Dominic Letz

Abstract

Today server authentication is largely handled through Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) in both the private and the public sector. PKI is established as the defacto standard for Internet communication through the world wide web, and its usage in HTTPS, SSL/TLS (Web PKI). However, in its application to Internet of Things (IoT) devices, using Web PKI infrastructure for server authentication has several shortcomings, including issues with validity periods, identity, revocation practice, and governance. Recently, di erent approaches to decentralized PKI (DPKI) using Blockchain technology have been proposed, but so far have lacked practicality in their application to devices commonly used in IoT deployments. The approaches are too resource intensive for IoT devices to handle and even the “light client” protocols have not been resource e cient enough to be practical. We present BlockQuick, a novel protocol for a super-light client, which features reading blockchain data securely from a remote client. BlockQuick requires less data for validation than existing approaches, like PoPoW or FlyClient, while also providing e ective means to protect against eclipse and MITM attacks on the network. BlockQuick clients have low kilobyte RAM requirements, which are optimal for IoT devices and applications with embedded MCUs.