Accession Number : ADA621867

Title :   A TorPath to TorCoin: Proof-of-Bandwidth Altcoins for Compensating Relays

Descriptive Note : Conference paper

Corporate Author : NAVAL RESEARCH LAB WASHINGTON DC

Personal Author(s) : Ghosh, Mainak ; Richardson, Miles ; Ford, Bryan ; Jansen, Rob

Full Text : https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a621867.pdf

Report Date : 18 Jul 2014

Pagination or Media Count : 14

Abstract : The Tor network relies on volunteer relay operators for relay bandwidth, which may limit its growth and scaling potential. We propose an incentive scheme for Tor relying on two novel concepts. We introduce TorCoin, an altcoin that uses the Bitcoin protocol to reward relays for contributing bandwidth. Relays mine TorCoins, then sell them for cash on any existing altcoin exchange. To verify that a given TorCoin represents actual bandwidth transferred, we introduce TorPath a decentralized protocol for forming Tor circuits such that each circuit is privately-addressable but publicly veriable. Each circuit's participants may then collectively mine a limited number of TorCoins, in proportion to the end-to-end transmission goodput they measure on that circuit.

Descriptors :   *COMMUNICATIONS TRAFFIC , *COMPUTER NETWORK SECURITY , *COMPUTER OPERATORS , *DATA TRANSMISSION SECURITY , BANDWIDTH , CIRCUITS , COMMUNICATIONS PROTOCOLS , CRYPTOGRAPHY , INFORMATION ASSURANCE , INTERNET , MATRICES(MATHEMATICS) , MOTIVATION , NETWORK ARCHITECTURE , OPERATING SYSTEMS(COMPUTERS) , PACKET SWITCHING , PATHS , RELAYS , SCALING FACTOR , SECURE COMMUNICATIONS , TRANSMITTER RECEIVERS

Subject Categories : Computer Systems Management and Standards
      Cybernetics
      Radio Communications

Distribution Statement : APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE