On the Similarities between Blockchains and Merkle-Damgård Hash Functions

Kimmo Halunen; Visa Vallivaara; Anni Karinsalo

doi:10.1109/QRS-C.2018.00035

On the Similarities between Blockchains and Merkle-Damgård Hash Functions

Kimmo Halunen, Visa Vallivaara, Anni Karinsalo

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference article in proceedings › Scientific › peer-review

5 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Blockchain as a new technology has created a great amount of hype and hope for different applications. There is a promise of a better, decentralised trust based on strict guarantees from cryptography. However, there is a great similarity in the structure of blockchains and classical iterated hash functions of the Merkle-Damgård (M-D) type. As the structure of M-D type hash functions has been extensively studied and many different structural weaknesses have been exposed, it is plausible to think that blockchains also share these structural problems. In this paper, we present the most relevant problems of M-D type hash functions and their relation to blockchains. We also examine how these might affect currently established blockchains. Our results can help in avoiding some problems in the design of new blockchain systems and also provide some (theoretical) limits on the trustworthiness of current blockchains.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Proceedings - 2018 IEEE 18th International Conference on Software Quality, Reliability, and Security Companion, QRS-C 2018
Publisher	IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers
Pages	129-134
Number of pages	6
ISBN (Electronic)	978-1-5386-7839-8
ISBN (Print)	978-1-5386-7840-4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/QRS-C.2018.00035
Publication status	Published - 9 Aug 2018
MoE publication type	Not Eligible
Event	18th IEEE International Conference on Software Quality, Reliability, and Security Companion, QRS-C 2018 - Lisbon, Portugal Duration: 16 Jul 2018 → 20 Jul 2018

Conference

Conference	18th IEEE International Conference on Software Quality, Reliability, and Security Companion, QRS-C 2018
Country/Territory	Portugal
City	Lisbon
Period	16/07/18 → 20/07/18

Keywords

Blockchain
Consensus mechanism
Iterated hash functions

Access to Document

10.1109/QRS-C.2018.00035

Cite this

Halunen, K., Vallivaara, V., & Karinsalo, A. (2018). On the Similarities between Blockchains and Merkle-Damgård Hash Functions. In Proceedings - 2018 IEEE 18th International Conference on Software Quality, Reliability, and Security Companion, QRS-C 2018 (pp. 129-134). Article 8431963 IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers. https://doi.org/10.1109/QRS-C.2018.00035

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abstract = "Blockchain as a new technology has created a great amount of hype and hope for different applications. There is a promise of a better, decentralised trust based on strict guarantees from cryptography. However, there is a great similarity in the structure of blockchains and classical iterated hash functions of the Merkle-Damg{\aa}rd (M-D) type. As the structure of M-D type hash functions has been extensively studied and many different structural weaknesses have been exposed, it is plausible to think that blockchains also share these structural problems. In this paper, we present the most relevant problems of M-D type hash functions and their relation to blockchains. We also examine how these might affect currently established blockchains. Our results can help in avoiding some problems in the design of new blockchain systems and also provide some (theoretical) limits on the trustworthiness of current blockchains.",

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Halunen, K, Vallivaara, V & Karinsalo, A 2018, On the Similarities between Blockchains and Merkle-Damgård Hash Functions. in Proceedings - 2018 IEEE 18th International Conference on Software Quality, Reliability, and Security Companion, QRS-C 2018., 8431963, IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, pp. 129-134, 18th IEEE International Conference on Software Quality, Reliability, and Security Companion, QRS-C 2018, Lisbon, Portugal, 16/07/18. https://doi.org/10.1109/QRS-C.2018.00035

On the Similarities between Blockchains and Merkle-Damgård Hash Functions. / Halunen, Kimmo; Vallivaara, Visa ; Karinsalo, Anni.
Proceedings - 2018 IEEE 18th International Conference on Software Quality, Reliability, and Security Companion, QRS-C 2018. IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, 2018. p. 129-134 8431963.

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference article in proceedings › Scientific › peer-review

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T1 - On the Similarities between Blockchains and Merkle-Damgård Hash Functions

AU - Halunen, Kimmo

AU - Vallivaara, Visa

AU - Karinsalo, Anni

PY - 2018/8/9

Y1 - 2018/8/9

N2 - Blockchain as a new technology has created a great amount of hype and hope for different applications. There is a promise of a better, decentralised trust based on strict guarantees from cryptography. However, there is a great similarity in the structure of blockchains and classical iterated hash functions of the Merkle-Damgård (M-D) type. As the structure of M-D type hash functions has been extensively studied and many different structural weaknesses have been exposed, it is plausible to think that blockchains also share these structural problems. In this paper, we present the most relevant problems of M-D type hash functions and their relation to blockchains. We also examine how these might affect currently established blockchains. Our results can help in avoiding some problems in the design of new blockchain systems and also provide some (theoretical) limits on the trustworthiness of current blockchains.

AB - Blockchain as a new technology has created a great amount of hype and hope for different applications. There is a promise of a better, decentralised trust based on strict guarantees from cryptography. However, there is a great similarity in the structure of blockchains and classical iterated hash functions of the Merkle-Damgård (M-D) type. As the structure of M-D type hash functions has been extensively studied and many different structural weaknesses have been exposed, it is plausible to think that blockchains also share these structural problems. In this paper, we present the most relevant problems of M-D type hash functions and their relation to blockchains. We also examine how these might affect currently established blockchains. Our results can help in avoiding some problems in the design of new blockchain systems and also provide some (theoretical) limits on the trustworthiness of current blockchains.

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On the Similarities between Blockchains and Merkle-Damgård Hash Functions

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SENDATE-PLANETS: Secure Networking for a Data Center Cloud in Europe

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On the Similarities between Blockchains and Merkle-Damgård Hash Functions

Abstract

Conference

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Projects

SENDATE-PLANETS: Secure Networking for a Data Center Cloud in Europe

Cite this