Return-Path: Received: from smtp3.osuosl.org (smtp3.osuosl.org [140.211.166.136]) by lists.linuxfoundation.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 47B29C000B for ; Fri, 18 Feb 2022 02:45:36 +0000 (UTC) Received: from localhost (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by smtp3.osuosl.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 28BCC60A70 for ; Fri, 18 Feb 2022 02:45:36 +0000 (UTC) X-Virus-Scanned: amavisd-new at osuosl.org X-Spam-Flag: NO X-Spam-Score: -1.601 X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.601 tagged_above=-999 required=5 tests=[BAYES_00=-1.9, DKIM_SIGNED=0.1, DKIM_VALID=-0.1, DKIM_VALID_AU=-0.1, DKIM_VALID_EF=-0.1, FREEMAIL_FROM=0.001, FROM_LOCAL_NOVOWEL=0.5, SPF_HELO_PASS=-0.001, SPF_PASS=-0.001] autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no Authentication-Results: smtp3.osuosl.org (amavisd-new); dkim=pass (2048-bit key) header.d=protonmail.com Received: from smtp3.osuosl.org ([127.0.0.1]) by localhost (smtp3.osuosl.org [127.0.0.1]) (amavisd-new, port 10024) with ESMTP id PJqgP7izFdsB for ; Fri, 18 Feb 2022 02:45:34 +0000 (UTC) X-Greylist: domain auto-whitelisted by SQLgrey-1.8.0 Received: from mail-40135.protonmail.ch (mail-40135.protonmail.ch [185.70.40.135]) by smtp3.osuosl.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 8F963607A4 for ; Fri, 18 Feb 2022 02:45:34 +0000 (UTC) Date: Fri, 18 Feb 2022 02:45:23 +0000 DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=protonmail.com; s=protonmail3; t=1645152330; bh=/HqxW3AbO7u2lZrZkUn5O7nkazua1RuGFN3C0mLou5Q=; h=Date:To:From:Reply-To:Subject:Message-ID:From:To:Cc:Date:Subject: Reply-To:Feedback-ID:Message-ID; b=E4OzuNjY+2UnfI+hpKk9wAOZZbPiDc8IG5aUlOAuwAzMFcESldJppzj/870VGdkjd BMkXwc1R2ePOTV9J88e/gEP/Av7bXjCFu6/hgTxDsHFqpeamaWrg7IrtK2P2HWR9Ub u70y5JiWgUG8YdIZxnDwoS2jgnBcERN76fFpfB1W5gjK1eQx+56qIwMqpA7mLQXypY 1qkloJw7oGk6Cg7+0J5XnCcAHjglBuu3BXsBgO8grHSIBAkuRpJzmShybD7X4iwYp9 o42PuflRBCdUC8OCz3glt+9pOVFI9K7f59caQhZ9BvWa3mYGrJVEF/s76z2Org3ds+ boECR2NjssY4g== To: Anthony Towns , bitcoin-dev From: ZmnSCPxj Reply-To: ZmnSCPxj Message-ID: <6nZ-SkxvJLrOCOIdUtLOsdnl94DoX_NHY0uwZ7sw78t24FQ33QJlJU95W7Sk1ja5EFic5a3yql14MLmSAYFZvLGBS4lDUJfr8ut9hdB7GD4=@protonmail.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Subject: [bitcoin-dev] `OP_EVICT`: An Alternative to `OP_TAPLEAFUPDATEVERIFY` X-BeenThere: bitcoin-dev@lists.linuxfoundation.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.15 Precedence: list List-Id: Bitcoin Protocol Discussion List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 18 Feb 2022 02:45:36 -0000 `OP_EVICT`: An Alternative to `OP_TAPLEAFUPDATEVERIFY` =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D In late 2021, `aj` proposed `OP_TAPLEAFUPDATEVERIFY` in order to implement CoinPools and similar constructions. `Jeremy` observed that due to the use of Merkle tree paths, an `OP_TLUV` would require O(log N) hash revelations in order to reach a particular tapleaf, which, in the case of a CoinPool, would then delete itself after spending only a particular amount of funds. He then observed that `OP_CTV` trees also require a similar revelation of O(log N) transactions, but with the advantage that once revealed, the transactions can then be reused, thus overall the expectation is that the number of total bytes onchain is lesser compared to `OP_TLUV`. After some thinking, I realized that it was the use of the Merkle tree to represent the promised-but-offchain outputs of the CoinPool that lead to the O(log N) space usage. I then started thinking of alternative representations of sets of promised outputs, which would not require O(log N) revelations by avoiding the tree structure. Promised Outputs ---------------- Fundamentally, we can consider that a solution for scaling Bitcoin would be to *promise* that some output *can* appear onchain at some point in the future, without requiring that the output be shown onchain *right now*. Then, we can perform transactional cut-through on spends of the promised outputs, without requiring onchain activity ("offchain"). Only if something Really Bad (TM) happens do we need to actually drop the latest set of promised outputs onchain, where it has to be verified globally by all fullnodes (and would thus incur scaling and privacy costs). As an example of the above paradigm, consider the Lightning Network. Outputs representing the money of each party in a channel are promised, and *can* appear onchain (via the unilateral close mechanism). In the meantime, there is a mechanism for performing cut-through, allowing transfers between channel participants; any number of transactions can be performed that are only "solidified" later, without expensive onchain activity. Thus: * A CoinPool is really a way to commit to promised outputs. To change the distribution of those promised outputs, the CoinPool operators need to post an onchain transaction, but that is only a 1-input-1-output transaction, and with Schnorr signatures the single input requires only a single signature. But in case something Really Bad (TM) happens, any participant can unilaterally close the CoinPool, instantiating the promised outputs. * A statechain is really just a CoinPool hosted inside a Decker-Wattenhofer or Decker-Russell-Osuntokun construction. This allows changing the distribution of those promised outputs without using an onchain transaction --- instead, a new state in the Decker-Wattenhofer/Decker-Russell-Osuntokun construction is created containing the new state, which invalidates all older states. Again, any participant can unilaterally shut it down, exposing the state of the inner CoinPool. * A channel factory is really just a statechain where the promised outputs are not simple 1-of-1 single-owner outputs, but are rather 2-of-2 channels. This allows graceful degradation, where even if the statechain ("factory") layer has missing participants, individual 2-of-2 channels can still continue operating as long as they do not involve missing participants, without requiring all participants to be online for large numbers of transactions. We can then consider that the base CoinPool usage should be enough, as other mechanisms (`OP_CTV`+`OP_CSFS`, `SIGHASH_NOINPUT`) can be used to implement statechains and channels and channel factories. I therefore conclude that what we really need is "just" a way to commit ourselves to exposing a set of promised outputs, with the proviso that if we all agree, we can change that set (without requiring that the current or next set be exposed, for both scaling and privacy). (To Bitcoin Cashers: this is not an IOU, this is *committed* and can be enforced onchain, that is enough to threaten your offchain counterparties into behaving correctly. They cannot gain anything by denying the outputs they promised, you can always drop it onchain and have it enforced, thus it is not just merely an IOU, as IOUs are not necessarily enforceable, but this mechanism *would* be. Blockchain as judge+jury+executioner, not noisy marketplace.) Importantly: both `OP_CTV` and `OP_TLUV` force the user to decide on a particular, but ultimately arbitrary, ordering for promised outputs. In principle, a set of promised outputs, if the owners of those outputs are peers, does not have *any* inherent order. Thus, I started to think about a commitment scheme that does not impose any ordering during commitment. Digression: N-of-N With Eviction -------------------------------- An issue with using an N-of-N construction is that if any single participant is offline, the construction cannot advance its state. This has lead to some peopple proposing to instead use K-of-N once N reaches much larger than 2 participants for CoinPools/statechains/ channel factories. However, even so, K-of-N still requires that K participants remain online, and the level K is a security parameter. If less than K participants are online, then the construction *still* cannot advance its state. Worse, because K < N, a single participant can have its funds outright stolen by a quorum of K participants. There is no way to prove that the other participants in the same construction are not really sockpuppets of the same real-world entity, thus it is entirely possible that the K quorum is actually just a single participant that is now capable of stealing the funds of all the other participants. The only way to avoid this is to use N-oF-N: N-of-N requires *your* keys, thus the coins are *your* coins. In short: K-of-N, as it allows the state to be updated without your keys (on the excuse that "if you are offline, we need to be able to update state"), is *not your keys not your coins*. K-of-N should really only be used if all N are your sockpuppets, and you want to HODL your funds. This is the difference between consensus "everyone must agree" and voting "enough sockpuppets can be used to overpower you". With `OP_TLUV`, however, it is possible to create an "N-of-N With Eviction" construction. When a participant in the N-of-N is offline, but the remaining participants want to advance the state of the construction, they instead evict the offline participant, creating a smaller N-of-N where *all* participants are online, and continue operating. This avoids the *not your keys not your coins* problem of K-of-N constructions, while simultaneously providing a way to advance the state without the full participant set being online. The only real problem with `OP_TLUV` is that it takes O(log N) hash revelations to evict one participant, and each evicted participant requires one separate transaction. K-of-N has the "advantage" that even if you are offline, the state can be advanced without evicting you. However, as noted, as the coins can be spent without your keys, the coins are not your coins, thus this advantage may be considered dubious --- whether you are online or offline, a quorum of K can outright steal your coins. Eviction here requires that your coins be returned to your control. Committing To An Unordered Set ------------------------------ In an N-of-N CoinPool/statechain/channel factory, the ownership of a single onchain UTXO is shared among N participants. That is, there are a number of promised outputs, not exposed onchain, which the N participants agree on as the "real" current state of the construction, However, the N participants can also agree to change the current state of the construction, if all of them sign off on the change. Each of the promised outputs has a value, and the sum of all promised values is the value of the onchain UTXO. Interestingly, each of the promised outputs also has an SECP256K1 point that can be used as a public key, and the sum of all promised points is the point of the onchain UTXO. Thus, the onchain UTXO can serve as a commitment to the sum of the promised outputs. The problem is committing to each of the individual promised outputs. We can observe that a digital signature not only proves knowledge of a private key, it also commits to a particular message. Thus, we can make each participant sign their own expected promised output, and share the signature for their promised output. When a participant is to be evicted, the other participants take the signature for the promised output of the to-be-evicted participant, and show it onchain, to attest to the output. Then, the onchain mechanism should then allow the rest of the funds to be controlled by the N-of-N set minus the evicted participant. `OP_EVICT` ---------- With all that, let me now propose the `OP_EVICT` opcode. `OP_EVICT` accepts a variable number of arguments. * The stack top is either the constant `1`, or an SECP256K1 point. * If it is `1` that simply means "use the Taproot internal pubkey", as is usual for `OP_CHECKSIG`. * The next stack item is a number, equal to the number of outputs that were promised, and which will now be evicted. * The next stack items will alternate: * A number indicating an output index. * A signature for that output. * Output indices must not be duplicated, and indicated outputs must be SegWit v1 ("Taproot") outputs. The public key of the output will be taken as the public key for the corresponding signature, and the signature only covers the output itself (i.e. value and `scriptPubKey`). This means the signature has no `SIGHASH`. * As the signature covers the public key, this prevents malleation of a signature using one public key to a signature for another public key. * After that is another signature. * This signature is checked using `OP_CHECKSIG` semantics (including `SIGHASH` support). * The public key is the input point (i.e. stack top) **MINUS** all the public keys of the indicated outputs. As a concrete example, suppose A, B, C, and D want to make a CoinPool (or offchain variant of such) with the following initial state: * A :=3D 10 * B :=3D 6 * C :=3D 4 * D :=3D 22 Let us assume that A, B, C, and D have generated public keys in such a way to avoid key cancellation (e.g. precommitment, or the MuSig scheme). The participants then generate promised outputs for the above, and each of them shares signatures for the promised outputs: * sign(a, "A :=3D 10") * sign(b, "B :=3D 6") * sign(c, "C :=3D 4") * sign(d, "D :=3D 22") Once that is done, they generate: * Q =3D A + B + C + D * P =3D h(Q|`<1> OP_EVICT`) * Q Then they spend their funds, creating a Taproot output: * P :=3D 42 If all participants are online, they can move funds between each other (or to other addresses) by cooperatively signing using the point P, and the magic of Taproot means that use of `OP_EVICT` is not visible. Suppose however that B is offline. Then A, C, and D then decide to evict B. To do so, they create a transaction that has an output with "B :=3D 6", and they reveal the `OP_EVICT` Tapscript as well as sign(b, "B :=3D 6"). This lets them change state and spend their funds without B being online. And B remains secure, as they cannot evict B except using the pre-signed output, which B certifies as their expected promised output. Note that the opcode as described above allows for multiple evictions in the same transaction. If B and C are offline, then the remaining participants simply need to expose multiple outputs in the same transaction. Security -------- I am not a cryptographer. Thus, the security of this scheme is a conjecture. As long as key cancellation is protected against, it should be secure. The combined fund cannot be spent except if all participants agree. A smaller online participant set can be created only if a participant is evicted, and eviction will force the owned funds of the evicted participant to be instantiated. The other participants cannot synthesize an alternate signature signing a different value without knowledge of the privkey of the evicted participant. To prevent signature replay, each update of an updateable scheme like CoinPool et al should use a different pubkey for each participant for each state. As the signature covers the pubkey, it should be safe to use a non-hardened derivation scheme so that only a single root privkey is needed. Additional Discussion --------------------- ### Eviction Scheme We can consider that the eviction scheme proposed here is the following contract: * Either all of us agree on some transfer, OR, * Give me my funds and the rest of you can all go play with your funds however you want. The signature that commits to a promised output is then the agreement that the particular participant believes they are entitled to a particular amount. We can consider that a participant can re-sign their output with a different amount, but that is why `OP_EVICT` requires the *other* participants to cooperatively sign as well. If the other participants cooperatively sign, they effectively agree to the participant re-signing for a different amount, and thus actually covered by "all of us agree". ### Pure SCRIPT Contracts A "pure SCRIPT contract" is a Taproot contract where the keyspend path is not desired, and the contract is composed of Tapscript branches. In such a case, the expected technique would be for the contract participants to agree on a NUMS point where none of the participants can know the scalar (private key) behind the point, and to use that as the internal Taproot pubkey `Q`. For complete protocols, the NUMS point can be a protocol-defined constant. As the `OP_EVICT` opcode requires that each promised output be signed, on the face of it, this technique cannot be used for `OP_EVICT`-promised outputs, as it is impossible to sign using the NUMS point. However, we should note that the requirement of a "pure SCRIPT" contract is that none of the participants can unilaterally sign an alternate spend. Using an N-of-N of the participants as the Taproot internal pubkey is sufficient to ensure this. As a concrete example: suppose we want an HTLC, which has a hashlock branch requiring participant A, and a timelock branch requiring participant B. Such a simple scheme would not require that both A and B be able to cooperatively spend the output, thus we might have preferred the technique of using a NUMS point as Taproot internal pubkey. But using a NUMS point would not allow any signature, even the `OP_EVICT`-required signatures-of-promised-outputs. Instead of using a NUMS point for the Taproot internal pubkey, we can use the sum of `A[tmp] + B[tmp]` (suitably protected against key cancellation). Then both A and B can cooperatively sign the promised output, and keep the promised output in an `OP_EVICT`-enforced UTXO. After creating the signature for the promised output, A and B can ensure that the keypath branch cannot be used by securely deleting the private keys for `A[tmp]` and `B[tmp]` respectively. ### Signature Half-Aggregation It is possible to batch-validate, and as `OP_EVICT` must validate at least two signatures (an eviction and the signature of the remaining) it makes sense to use batch validation for `OP_EVICT`. Of note is that Schnorr signatures allow for third-party half-aggregation, where the `s` components of multiple signatures are summed together, but the `R` components are not. (Warning: I am not aware of any security proofs that half-aggregation is actually **safe**! In particular, BIP-340 does not define half-aggregation, and its batch validation algorithm is not, to my naivete, extensible to half-aggregation.) Basically, if we are batch validating two signatures `(R[0], s[0])`, `(R[1], s[1])` of two messages `m[0]` and `m[1]` signed by two keys `A[0]` and `A[1]`, we would do: * For `i =3D 0, 1`: `e[i] =3D h(R[i]|m[i])` * Check: `(s[0] + s[1]) * G` is equal to `R[0] + e[0] * A[0] + R[1] + e[1] = * A[1]`. As we can see, the `s` can be summed before being posted on the blockchain, as validators do not need individual `s[i]`. However, `R` cannot be summed as each one needs to be hashed. This half-aggregation is third-party, i.e. someone without any knowledge of any private keys can simply sum the `s` components of multiple signatures. As `OP_EVICT` always validates at least two signatures, using half-aggregation can remove at least 32 weight units, and each additional promised output being evicted is another signature whose `s` can be added to the sum. Of course, **that depends on half-aggregation being secure**. ### Relationship to Other Opcodes `OP_CTV` does other things than this opcode, and cannot be used as a direct alternative. In particular while `OP_CTV` *can* commit to a set of promised outputs, if a promised output needs to be published, the remaining funds are now distributed over a set of UTXOs. Thus, "reviving" the CoinPool (or offchain variant thereof) requires consuming multiple UTXOs, and the consumption of multiple UTXOs is risky unless specifically designd for it. (In particular, if the UTXOs have different signer sets, one signer set can initially cooperate to revive the CoinPool, then spend their UTXO to a different transaction, which if confirmed will invalidate the revival transaction.) This opcode seems largely in direct competitiong with `OP_TLUV`, with largely the same design goal. Its advantage is reduced number of eviction transactions, as multiple evictions, plus the revival of the CoinPool, can be put in a single transaction. It has the disadvantage relative to `OP_TLUV` of requiring point operations. I have not explored completely, but my instinct suggests that `OP_TLUV` use may require at least one signature validation anyway. It may be possible to implement `OP_EVICT` in terms of `OP_TX`/`OP_TXHASH`, `OP_CSFS`, and a point-subtraction operation. However, `OP_EVICT` allows for the trivial implementation of batch validation (and, if half-aggregation is safe, to use half-aggregation instead), whereas we expect multiple `OP_CSFS` to be needed to implement this, without any possibility of batch validation. It may be possible to design an `OP_CSFS` variant that allows batch validation, such as by extending the virtual machine with an accumulator for pending signature validations.