A Fast Cross‐Chain Protocol Based on Trusted Notary Group for Metaverse

ABSTRACT The metaverse is a virtual environment that combines the real and digital worlds through technological and social structures. It heralds a novel paradigm in internet applications and societal engagement by weaving together diverse cutting‐edge technologies to facilitate a virtual representation of the tangible world. Within the metaverse, the facets of economy, culture, and other dimensions are fully documentable, trackable, and quantifiable, largely owing to the capabilities of blockchain technology. Nonetheless, the transactional volume within the metaverse is typically substantial, posing challenges for a singular blockchain platform in terms of efficiency and support capacity. Consequently, a multi‐blockchain infrastructure becomes essential to underpin the economic fabric of the metaverse. Enabling the collaborative operation of multiple blockchain platforms, specifically achieving the seamless transfer of value across different blockchain ecosystems, has emerged as a critical challenge. To address this challenge, this paper introduces a cross‐chain protocol predicated on a multi‐role notary system designed to facilitate inter‐blockchain value transfers. The protocol specifies the functions of different entities within the notary framework, allocating specific duties to notaries, committees, and a leader. It also promotes mutual oversight among notaries to sustain a dynamic and equitable group structure. Furthermore, an incentive mechanism is proposed to motivate committee members toward prompt and judicious decision‐making regarding votes. Based on experiments conducted on the Ethereum platform, our proposed solution exhibits a 75% reduction in transaction time compared to Ethereum's transaction confirmation time.