Proof-of-randomness protocol for blockchain consensus: a case of Macau algorithms
Wen-Zhuo Zhang, Victor Kai
TL;DR
The paper addresses the high energy cost and potential fairness issues of traditional PoW and PoS blockchain consensus by introducing proof-of-randomness (PoR), which relies on per-node TRNG/QRNG inputs and hash-based aggregation to determine block ownership with low energy use. It formalizes PoR as a new Macau randomized algorithm, where outputs are not predetermined and depend on aggregated random inputs, enabling secure consensus without stake or compute power competition. The work details the generation and testing of true randomness, outlines two PoR variants for small and large networks, and discusses advantages of QRNGs in hardware wallets and ECC security, including potential recovery via quantum keys. It also envisions cooperation between QRNG-based randomness and QKD to achieve quantum-safe networking, aiming to broaden PoR adoption and enhance blockchain security and energy efficiency for Web3 applications.
Abstract
A proof-of-randomness (PoR) protocol is presented as a fair and low energy-cost consensus mechanism for blockchains. Each network node of a blockchain may use a true random number generator (TRNG) and hash algorism to fulfil the PoR protocol. In this paper, we give the consensus mechanism of the PoR protocol, and classify it into a new kind of randomized algorithms called Macau. The PoR protocol could generate a blockchain without any competition of computing power or stake of cryptocurrency. Besides, we give some advantages of integrating quantum random number generator (QRNG) chips into hardware wallets, and also discuss the way to cooperate with quantum key distribution (QKD) technology.