Expanding ethereum’s validator pool: secure transaction validation delegation for low-power nodes with Intel SGX

Details

Supervisors

Riviere, Etienne

Faculty

Ecole polytechnique de Louvain

Degree label

Master [120] : ingénieur civil en informatique, à finalité spécialisée

Abstract

Blockchain technology, particularly within the Ethereum network, has significantly transformed the way transactions are conducted and recorded, offering security, transparency, and decentralization. However, challenges such as centralization, scalability, and the increasing complexity of transactions, particularly with the adoption of smart contracts, pose significant threats to the decentralized of the blockchain. This thesis addresses these challenges by proposing a protocol that enables low-power nodes, like those in the Internet of Things (IoT), to participate in transaction validation. By leveraging Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs), specifically Intel SGX, we securely delegate transaction validation from low-power nodes to more capable servers, reducing the centralization of validation power. The protocol was implemented through modifications to the go-ethereum (geth) client using the EGo framework. While our results demonstrate the feasibility of this approach, they also reveal significant overhead and latency, underscoring the need for further optimization in bandwidth usage and transaction processing. Despite these challenges, the proposed solution shows promise for enhancing decentralization and security in blockchain networks.