BlackboxChain

A system of smart contracts that orchestrate the data and software acquisition, enforce the execution of the software over the given data into a blockchain-unrelated component and make the computation output available to the recipient.

The project was implemented as part of my Master’s Thesis in Informatics at the Technical University of Munich (TUM).

More information here.

Prerequisites:

Angular CLI

NodeJS

Truffle

Metamask

IPFS

Docker

Start the Ethereum blockchain test network

• truffle dev

Compile and migrate the contracts

• compile && migrate

Run the dapp using the Angular CLI:

• First run npm install
• Then run ng serve --open
• Navigate to src/app/oracles and run node ValidationOracle.jsx to start the oracle service

BigchainDB Testnet Credentials

• api_url: https://test.bigchaindb.com/api/v1/
• app_id: c2c9c771
• app_key: 28b8fde912535489c425c2e266030b0e

Configure Metamask to connect to Truffle Blockchain network

• Custom RPC: http://localhost:9545
• Copy the mnemonic phrase from Truffle to metamask

Workflow

As a Container provider

1. Start a container

2. Attach to the running container and run the generateKeys.sh script

3. Exit from the container and copy the generated public key in the host machine locally

4. Add the container's filesystem on IPFS

5. Using the BlackboxChain dapp store the necessary information on the blockchain/BigchainDB

Required:

• Docker container ID

• IPFS address of container's filesystem

• Container's public key

• Container's specification

• Usage cost (in Ether)

As a Software provider

1. Add software on IPFS

2. Using the BlackboxChain dapp store the necessary information on the blockchain/BigchainDB

Required:

• Software filename

• IPFS address of software

• Input parameter specification

• Software specification

• Usage cost (in Ether)

As a Dataset provider

1. Run randomKeyGen.sh (helper_scripts) to generate a one-time password

2. Run generateKeys.sh (helper_scripts) to generate a private/public key pair

3. Run encryptLargeFile.sh (helper_scripts) to encrypt the dataset with the one-time password

4. Download a container's public key using the BlackboxChain dapp and run encryptRandomKey.sh (helper_scripts) to encrypt the one-time password with the container's public key

5. Add the two encrypted files on IPFS

6. Using the BlackboxChain dapp store the necessary information on the blockchain/BigchainDB

Required:

• Name of the dataset

• IPFS address of the enrcypted dataset

• IPFS address of the encrypted one-time password

• Dataset specification

• Usage cost (in Ether)

I want to..

Perform a Computation

From the menu on top, click Computation and then:

1. Upload your public key

2. Select a software

3. Select a dataset

4. Select a container that will perform the computation

Click Run in order to start the computation

Get the result

The result is encrypted with a one-time password, and the password is encrypted with the user's public key.

To get the computation output, from the top menu, click Results and then:

1. Run getResult.sh (helper_scripts) and give the displayed IPFS addresses

2. The result is available in the result.bin file