BSafe.network

The Research Network for Blockchain TechnologyWhite Paper

May 8, 2017

1. Summary
The BSafe.network is a neutral and open research network for Bitcoin, blockchain anddistributed ledger technologies established by academic researchers. This network’s
short-term aim is to identify and engage academic interest in the emerging Bitcoin andblockchain technology space. By bringing academic rigor and excellence, it enables
telemetry and a scientific approach to long-term innovation and engenders societal
trust in these new digital public platform technologies. ​The project aims to mimic thesame degree of impact that BSD ( Berkeley Software Distribution) and the NSFNET(The National Science Foundation Network) had on the evolution of the Internet. The
former provided robust, liberally licensed software that put into practice the many
theoretical advances made by academia. The latter scaled expertise, experience andresources.
Each individual, or a group of researcher(s), conducts academic research over theBSafe.network on their protocol of interest (initially the Bitcoin, Ethereum andHyperledger Protocols). By operating research nodes on these protocols theBSafe.network establishes additional neutral, stable and sustainable blockchain nodesthat contribute to the better understanding of the properties of public blockchain
networks such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. It also becomes a common academic
platform on which to conduct coordinated international joint research projects. The
BSafe.network provides a neutral platform that produces fair and reliable competitionsof blockchain-related technology and applications using a technological layered
approach the same as with Internet technology.
Research results on the BSafe.network can be deployed as software code, academic
papers, technical papers, experimental analysis of results and guidelines. These results
help to drive more applied innovation and real-world safe use of blockchain technology
with the contribution by academia.

2. Background1

After the invention of Bitcoin , the Bitcoin protocol, many crypto-currencies, blockchain
and distributed ledger technology and applications were developed. “Bitcoin” and“blockchain” are recognized as the foundation of future transactions and a new digitalecosystems. Hence, a large number of startup companies and experimental projects
have emerged in this space.
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Satoshi Nakamoto, “Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System”

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Bitcoin and blockchain technology are thought to have the similar potential
transformative impact to society as the Internet. However, development of commercial
applications appears faster than the development of the Internet during the equivalent
period of development.
If one compares the history of blockchain technology to the development of theInternet, technology is developed and deployed through the following 5 steps; (1)academic research by universities, (2) development and deployment by companies, (3)standardization, (4) commercialization and monetization by companies (5) new
requirements for research.
These are natural, iterative steps to deploy stable and mature technology to the public.
This is the reason why the Internet became a foundation of our business and life,
though current blockchains are not mature enough and comparable to the Internet’s
development in its early stage in 1990’s. For example, NSFNET (The National ScienceFoundation Network) and BSD (Berkeley Software Distribution) served important roles
to make the Internet technology mature enough for commercialization. However, in thecase of the Bitcoin Protocol, much investment was injected into the business
community and startup companies, hence, these companies started their businesswith unmeasured technology. In the past development process, there are nostandardization activities and too weak a link between Bitcoin developers andacademic universities which can provide deep insight and careful verification of thetechnology.
Bitcoin and blockchain currently collect much media attention under the keyword of“Fintech”. This indicates that many persons are only vaguely aware of the meaning andimpact of these technologies. However, to make these technologies stable andsustainable, we need careful study by scientist, economist, sociologist etc. Thus, weshould connect academia to the protocol development community. That is, we need toactively include the blockchain ecosystem with academia. This does not mean that thecurrent technology is unsound. It means the ecosystem with academia andstandardization is a stronger foundation of future innovation by Bitcoin and blockchain.
As a result, at this time we need to connect academia to blockchain technology tomake these technology more reliable and sustainable toward long-term innovation.

3. Goal of BSafe.network
3.1. Goal
The goal of the BSafe.network is to construct a neutral, stable and sustainable
research network for blockchain technology. This network is used for academic3research, not only technology research but also interdisciplinary social andeconomic research. BSafe.network aims to become an academic foundation ofBitcoin and blockchain and an academic safety net for these technologies likethe NSFNET for the Internet technology and aims to provide the same degree of
impact as BSD (Berkeley Software Distribution).
To realize a sustainable and decentralized blockchain network, large numbers of
stable and neutral nodes are needed. The BSafe.network aims to help build thisnetwork by using the neutral role of a academia like university. BSafe.network
aims to have a criticial mass of nodes as a proportion of the current number of
Bitcoin nodes.
BSafe.network aims to connect academia and real-life development, and to be atestbed and trust anchor for any research and real-life technology andapplication. For example, Bitcoin and other blockchain technology such as
Ethereum can be linked to BSafe.network. The research results can be used forthe future development of reliable technology, applications, technology andoperational guidelines to which society can refer for the safe use of Bitcoin andblockchain technology.

3.2. Benefits
Benefits from BSafe.network are as follows.
• We can have a reliable and neutral blockchain network for academic researchwith large number of nodes.
• Researchers conduct any blockchain related research• Blockchain technology• Application• Economic aspects• Social and Political aspects• Researchers conduct international joint research over the BSafe.network• We can easily provide the research results to public• Technology• Codes• Experimental results• Technical and operational guideline

3.3. Who can join
Universities and individual researchers can join the BSafe.network. Eachparticipant must eventually operate a node of the BSafe.network in their
protocol of research interest. Because neutrality is critical value of theBSafe.network, private companies can join research over BSafe.network
4through university. There are ideally minimum three nodes per a country torealize uniform distribution of the nodes.

4. Technical overview
On the BSafe.network, each academic organization sets up a blockchain node. Allnodes communicate with other nodes in a Peer-to-Peer (P2P) network manner. Eachnode is a fully operational blockchain node, and participants may add non-full node
(like SPV-node) for their research purposes.
Existing Bitcoin and many blockchain networks are realized by software with all related
functionality tightly integrated together; including P2P network, consensus algorithm,
forming blockchain, reward mechanism, and business logic. Considering the aims ofBSafe.network, any researcher can conduct research on any related technology issues
to blockchain. In the BSafe.network, these technical issues are considered withtechnology structures. By allocating these technology structures, research works canbe done independent from other technology areas. This is same as the Internet
technology and same idea which helped huge number of innovation of the Internet. A
participant may develop any new technology and software code for each technology
area. The supposed structure of technology area, but not limited to, is(1) Network: Broadcasting transaction and blocks,(2) Consensus: The agreement-reaching engine,(3) Storage: Bootstrapping new nodes, storing archival data,(4) Access control: Manage access rights of the storage data,(5) Application: Transaction graph, scripting language semantics,(6) View: Cached summary of the transaction log, and(7) Side-plane: Off chain contracts.
The softwares operated at each node are shared by using common repository which
can be accessed by all participants.

5. Steps of construction
BSafe.network is initiated and constructed through following four steps.

(1) Build a fundamental blockchain network5

At the first step, BSafe.network delivers reference software as a fundamental
blockchain network. In 2016, as a bootstrapping phase and proof of concept,
BSafe.network conducts following research.

Fig. 1. Steps of construction● Security evaluation of Bitcoin with Segregated Witness (SegWit)● Add Ethereum and Hyperledger as targets of evaluation(2) Enhancement of software of fundamental blockchain
technologyIn this step, enhancement of the fundamental software is conducted. This includes
designing the specification of the layer (1) and technical structure of the upper layers.
This step is needed to make layer-specific research. Software development guides andreference implementations are delivered to members.

(3) Research by using application software
In this step, members develop software for their research and do research by using thesoftware. The software is registered into the BSafe.network repository and the statusof research is managed (not controlled) by a committee of BSafe.network fromoperational and security reasons.

(4) Organizing international joint research
In this step, international joint research projects by using software developed by using
BSafe.network are organized.

6. Organization
6.1. Organization overview
Bootstrapping6

In 2016, BSafe.network is at the bootstrap phase. Small number of universities
conduct proof of concept research. We aim to include 30 universities by the endof 2016.
After 2017
From 2017, BSafe.network aims to extend its scope and network wider by
setting up a more formal organization. The organization and IP (IntellectualProperty) policy will be discussed before proceeding to the next phase.

6.2. Membership
Membership of BSafe.network is managed by a secretariat. The participation bya academic researcher requires no fees. Each member should follow the bylaw
and related operational rules.

6.3. Organization management
BSafe.network appoints Chair(s) to lead its activities. Secretariat(s) support theChairs.
BSafe.network will have organization for planning, financial management,
research management, deployment, liaison to related organization and publicrelation. The details are to be discussed.

6.4. Software management
Any participant may develop software for BSafe.network and using over it. All softwares
related to BSafe.network are registered software repository inside the Safe.network. It
may be published with approval by deployment committee. Fundamental software codefor layer (1) is initially provided to all participants.

6.5. Research and discussion platform
BSafe.network sets online discussion platform for research and software development.
This is basically accessible only by the participants.

6.6. Research management
Research activities on the BSafe.network are managed (not controlled) by thecommittee. That is, all research projects are registered and checked if software andprotocol of the research project are correctly operated without software flaws andsecurity incidents.

76.7. Research result deployment
Intellectual properties of research results, including software code, experimental
data, academic papers, technical reports and patents belong to related
researchers of each project. They can decide the intellectual policy of theirresults. Sponsor of BSafe.network may use the intellectual property. The
research results may be published, when the related researchers anddeployment committee agree, with referring BSafe.network.

7. How to join
To become a research node, the neutral academic researcher should read and agree
the bylaw, then send the application form to the secretariat.
Contact information:
Web site: ​http://BSafe.network
E-mail: info@bsafe.network

8. List of current participants
North and South America●●●●

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Media Lab, USA
Boston University, USA
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, USA
University of British Columbia, Canada

Asia
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The University of Tokyo, Japan
Keio University, Japan
Toho University, Japan
Ritsumeikan University, JapanSIM University, Singapore
Indian Statistical Institute, India

Europe● Newcastle University, UK8●
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Imperial College London, UKUniversity of Cambridge, UK
Télécom SudParis, France
ETH Zurich, Switzerland
École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland
University of Nicosia, Cyprus
Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, SpainAfrica● University of Cape Coast, Ghana

9. Conclusion
BSafe.network is a neutral, stable and sustainable research network by universities. It
can be used for academic research related to any layer in the blockchain technology
stack and its applications. It is like “NSF-NET” of the Internet technology and it
encourages technology enhancements, competitions and innovations with fine-grainedlayers of blockchain technology. It also becomes a platform of global scale joint
research and experiments.

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