---
_id: '10324'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: Off-chain protocols (channels) are a promising solution to the scalability
    and privacy challenges of blockchain payments. Current proposals, however, require
    synchrony assumptions to preserve the safety of a channel, leaking to an adversary
    the exact amount of time needed to control the network for a successful attack.
    In this paper, we introduce Brick, the first payment channel that remains secure
    under network asynchrony and concurrently provides correct incentives. The core
    idea is to incorporate the conflict resolution process within the channel by introducing
    a rational committee of external parties, called wardens. Hence, if a party wants
    to close a channel unilaterally, it can only get the committee’s approval for
    the last valid state. Additionally, Brick provides sub-second latency because
    it does not employ heavy-weight consensus. Instead, Brick uses consistent broadcast
    to announce updates and close the channel, a light-weight abstraction that is
    powerful enough to preserve safety and liveness to any rational parties. We formally
    define and prove for Brick the properties a payment channel construction should
    fulfill. We also design incentives for Brick such that honest and rational behavior
    aligns. Finally, we provide a reference implementation of the smart contracts
    in Solidity.
acknowledgement: We would like to thank Kaoutar Elkhiyaoui for her valuable feedback
  as well as Jakub Sliwinski for his impactful contribution to this work.
alternative_title:
- LNCS
article_processing_charge: No
arxiv: 1
author:
- first_name: Zeta
  full_name: Avarikioti, Zeta
  last_name: Avarikioti
- first_name: Eleftherios
  full_name: Kokoris Kogias, Eleftherios
  id: f5983044-d7ef-11ea-ac6d-fd1430a26d30
  last_name: Kokoris Kogias
- first_name: Roger
  full_name: Wattenhofer, Roger
  last_name: Wattenhofer
- first_name: Dionysis
  full_name: Zindros, Dionysis
  last_name: Zindros
citation:
  ama: 'Avarikioti Z, Kokoris Kogias E, Wattenhofer R, Zindros D. Brick: Asynchronous
    incentive-compatible payment channels. In: <i>25th International Conference on
    Financial Cryptography and Data Security</i>. Vol 12675. Springer Nature; 2021:209-230.
    doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-64331-0_11">10.1007/978-3-662-64331-0_11</a>'
  apa: 'Avarikioti, Z., Kokoris Kogias, E., Wattenhofer, R., &#38; Zindros, D. (2021).
    Brick: Asynchronous incentive-compatible payment channels. In <i>25th International
    Conference on Financial Cryptography and Data Security</i> (Vol. 12675, pp. 209–230).
    Virtual: Springer Nature. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-64331-0_11">https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-64331-0_11</a>'
  chicago: 'Avarikioti, Zeta, Eleftherios Kokoris Kogias, Roger Wattenhofer, and Dionysis
    Zindros. “Brick: Asynchronous Incentive-Compatible Payment Channels.” In <i>25th
    International Conference on Financial Cryptography and Data Security</i>, 12675:209–30.
    Springer Nature, 2021. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-64331-0_11">https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-64331-0_11</a>.'
  ieee: 'Z. Avarikioti, E. Kokoris Kogias, R. Wattenhofer, and D. Zindros, “Brick:
    Asynchronous incentive-compatible payment channels,” in <i>25th International
    Conference on Financial Cryptography and Data Security</i>, Virtual, 2021, vol.
    12675, pp. 209–230.'
  ista: 'Avarikioti Z, Kokoris Kogias E, Wattenhofer R, Zindros D. 2021. Brick: Asynchronous
    incentive-compatible payment channels. 25th International Conference on Financial
    Cryptography and Data Security. FC: Financial Cryptography, LNCS, vol. 12675,
    209–230.'
  mla: 'Avarikioti, Zeta, et al. “Brick: Asynchronous Incentive-Compatible Payment
    Channels.” <i>25th International Conference on Financial Cryptography and Data
    Security</i>, vol. 12675, Springer Nature, 2021, pp. 209–30, doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-64331-0_11">10.1007/978-3-662-64331-0_11</a>.'
  short: Z. Avarikioti, E. Kokoris Kogias, R. Wattenhofer, D. Zindros, in:, 25th International
    Conference on Financial Cryptography and Data Security, Springer Nature, 2021,
    pp. 209–230.
conference:
  end_date: 2021-03-05
  location: Virtual
  name: 'FC: Financial Cryptography'
  start_date: 2021-03-01
date_created: 2021-11-21T23:01:29Z
date_published: 2021-10-23T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2023-08-14T12:59:58Z
day: '23'
department:
- _id: ElKo
doi: 10.1007/978-3-662-64331-0_11
external_id:
  arxiv:
  - '1905.11360'
  isi:
  - '000712016200011'
isi: 1
language:
- iso: eng
main_file_link:
- open_access: '1'
  url: https://arxiv.org/abs/1905.11360
month: '10'
oa: 1
oa_version: Preprint
page: 209-230
publication: 25th International Conference on Financial Cryptography and Data Security
publication_identifier:
  eisbn:
  - 978-3-662-64331-0
  eissn:
  - 1611-3349
  isbn:
  - 9-783-6626-4330-3
  issn:
  - 0302-9743
publication_status: published
publisher: Springer Nature
quality_controlled: '1'
scopus_import: '1'
status: public
title: 'Brick: Asynchronous incentive-compatible payment channels'
type: conference
user_id: 4359f0d1-fa6c-11eb-b949-802e58b17ae8
volume: '12675 '
year: '2021'
...