A Novel Blockchain Network Structure and Transaction Propagation Method With Low Latency

ABSTRACT Blockchain faces problems such as network congestion, high data propagation latency, and low throughput. These problems seriously affect the large‐scale application of blockchain, so the performance optimization of blockchain networks is imminent. To reduce the propagation delay of transactions and blocks in the blockchain network and create conditions for shortening the block interval to increase throughput, we design a novel blockchain network structure and transaction propagation method. We propose a neighbouring node selection algorithm based on location and delay, introduce clusters and supernodes, and construct a low‐latency network structure. In the new network structure, we design a transaction propagation method based on random linear network coding to reduce the latency and bandwidth consumption of syncing transactions across the entire network. The improvement in transaction propagation delay minimizes the probability of missing transactions in compact block, thus indirectly optimizing the block propagation delay. Simulation results show that our network structure can reduce block propagation delay by 19.7%. The new network structure combined with the transaction propagation method based on network coding enables the overall scheme to shorten the time it takes for a block to reach consensus in the network by 65.1%.