Research

A Fast and Scalable Payment Network with Bitcoin Duplex Micropayment Channels

Year 2015
Author Christian Decker, Roger Wattenhofer
Publisher ETH
Link View Research Paper
Categories

Bitcoin / Cryptocurrencies

Bitcoin does not scale, because its synchronization mechanism, the blockchain, limits the maximum rate of transactions the network can process. However, using off-blockchain transactions it is possible to create long-lived channels over which an arbitrary number of transfers can be processed locally between two users, without any burden to the Bitcoin network. These channels may form a network of payment service providers (PSPs). Payments can be routed between any two users in real time, without any confirmation delay. In this work we present a protocol for duplex micropayment channels, which guarantees end-to-end security and allow instant transfers, laying the foundation of the PSP network.