A Segmentation-Based Scheme to Expedite Block Propagation in Blockchain Networks

Abstract

Blockchain technology, the foundation of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, has utility beyond finance due to its decentralized and secure transactional nature. However, today's blockchain networks face the challenge of low transaction throughput due to block propagation delays. In this study, we propose a novel approach that divides large blocks into segments and leverages multi-origin pipelining for segment dissemination, thereby expediting block propagation. The scheme also integrates the use of a Bloom filter for lightweight segment integrity verification to prevent the reception of tampered segments. Simulation results reveal that our scheme outperforms Bitcoin's legacy approach, demonstrating significant improvement in propagation speed, particularly for large blocks, while maintaining a low fork rate.