SoK: Anonymity of Lightweight Clients in Cryptocurrency Systems

Yiyin Zhang

doi:10.1109/ICBC56567.2023.10174913

SoK: Anonymity of Lightweight Clients in Cryptocurrency Systems

^*Corresponding author for this work

Department of Computer Science

Research output: Chapters, Conference Papers, Creative and Literary Works › RGC 32 - Refereed conference paper (with host publication) › peer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

Cryptocurrencies have developed for over a decade, attracting a large number of users. Based on blockchain technologies, cryptocurrency systems disperse the traditional centralized authority, which naturally requires the transaction history is able to be obtained and verified by all the participants, thus challenging users’ privacy and anonymity. The lightweight client is the tool to use cryptocurrency systems for resource-constrained device owners. Despite many previous works that have analyzed anonymity issues in cryptocurrency and there are many industrial practices and academic efforts of lightweight clients, there is still a lack of comprehensive anonymity analysis for lightweight clients in cryptocurrency systems.
This article provides a systematization work of the anonymity issues of cryptocurrency lightweight clients and proposes the personal information vector to characterize the degrees of de-anonymizing users. This article reviews existing industrial practices and academic efforts of lightweight clients and discusses their anonymity issues brought by the operations of users with the model of systematization. © 2023 IEEE.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	2023 IEEE International Conference on Blockchain and Cryptocurrency (ICBC)
Publisher	IEEE
Number of pages	18
ISBN (Electronic)	978-8-3503-1019-1
ISBN (Print)	979-8-3503-1020-7
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/ICBC56567.2023.10174913
Publication status	Published - 2023
Event	5th IEEE International Conference on Blockchain and Cryptocurrency (ICBC 2023) - Sofitel Dubai Downtown Hotel, Dubai, United Arab Emirates Duration: 1 May 2023 → 5 May 2023 https://icbc2023.ieee-icbc.org/

Publication series

Name	IEEE International Conference on Blockchain and Cryptocurrency, ICBC
ISSN (Print)	2832-8892
ISSN (Electronic)	2832-8906

Conference

Conference	5th IEEE International Conference on Blockchain and Cryptocurrency (ICBC 2023)
Abbreviated title	IEEE ICBC 2023
Place	United Arab Emirates
City	Dubai
Period	1/05/23 → 5/05/23
Internet address	https://icbc2023.ieee-icbc.org/

Bibliographical note

Research Unit(s) information for this publication is provided by the author(s) concerned.

Research Keywords

lightweight clients
anonymity
cryptocurrency
blockchain
personal information vector

RGC Funding Information

RGC-funded

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10.1109/ICBC56567.2023.10174913

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Cite this

@inproceedings{36d1b7aabbce45ce98659ba62d9a3fdc,

title = "SoK: Anonymity of Lightweight Clients in Cryptocurrency Systems",

abstract = "Cryptocurrencies have developed for over a decade, attracting a large number of users. Based on blockchain technologies, cryptocurrency systems disperse the traditional centralized authority, which naturally requires the transaction history is able to be obtained and verified by all the participants, thus challenging users{\textquoteright} privacy and anonymity. The lightweight client is the tool to use cryptocurrency systems for resource-constrained device owners. Despite many previous works that have analyzed anonymity issues in cryptocurrency and there are many industrial practices and academic efforts of lightweight clients, there is still a lack of comprehensive anonymity analysis for lightweight clients in cryptocurrency systems.This article provides a systematization work of the anonymity issues of cryptocurrency lightweight clients and proposes the personal information vector to characterize the degrees of de-anonymizing users. This article reviews existing industrial practices and academic efforts of lightweight clients and discusses their anonymity issues brought by the operations of users with the model of systematization. {\textcopyright} 2023 IEEE.",

keywords = "lightweight clients, anonymity, cryptocurrency, blockchain, personal information vector",

author = "Yiyin Zhang",

note = "Research Unit(s) information for this publication is provided by the author(s) concerned.; 5th IEEE International Conference on Blockchain and Cryptocurrency (ICBC 2023), IEEE ICBC 2023 ; Conference date: 01-05-2023 Through 05-05-2023",

year = "2023",

doi = "10.1109/ICBC56567.2023.10174913",

language = "English",

isbn = "979-8-3503-1020-7",

series = "IEEE International Conference on Blockchain and Cryptocurrency, ICBC",

publisher = "IEEE",

booktitle = "2023 IEEE International Conference on Blockchain and Cryptocurrency (ICBC)",

address = "United States",

url = "https://icbc2023.ieee-icbc.org/",

}

Zhang, Y 2023, SoK: Anonymity of Lightweight Clients in Cryptocurrency Systems. in 2023 IEEE International Conference on Blockchain and Cryptocurrency (ICBC). IEEE International Conference on Blockchain and Cryptocurrency, ICBC, IEEE, 5th IEEE International Conference on Blockchain and Cryptocurrency (ICBC 2023), Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 1/05/23. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICBC56567.2023.10174913

SoK: Anonymity of Lightweight Clients in Cryptocurrency Systems. / Zhang, Yiyin.
2023 IEEE International Conference on Blockchain and Cryptocurrency (ICBC). IEEE, 2023. (IEEE International Conference on Blockchain and Cryptocurrency, ICBC).

Research output: Chapters, Conference Papers, Creative and Literary Works › RGC 32 - Refereed conference paper (with host publication) › peer-review

TY - GEN

T1 - SoK

T2 - 5th IEEE International Conference on Blockchain and Cryptocurrency (ICBC 2023)

AU - Zhang, Yiyin

N1 - Research Unit(s) information for this publication is provided by the author(s) concerned.

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - Cryptocurrencies have developed for over a decade, attracting a large number of users. Based on blockchain technologies, cryptocurrency systems disperse the traditional centralized authority, which naturally requires the transaction history is able to be obtained and verified by all the participants, thus challenging users’ privacy and anonymity. The lightweight client is the tool to use cryptocurrency systems for resource-constrained device owners. Despite many previous works that have analyzed anonymity issues in cryptocurrency and there are many industrial practices and academic efforts of lightweight clients, there is still a lack of comprehensive anonymity analysis for lightweight clients in cryptocurrency systems.This article provides a systematization work of the anonymity issues of cryptocurrency lightweight clients and proposes the personal information vector to characterize the degrees of de-anonymizing users. This article reviews existing industrial practices and academic efforts of lightweight clients and discusses their anonymity issues brought by the operations of users with the model of systematization. © 2023 IEEE.

AB - Cryptocurrencies have developed for over a decade, attracting a large number of users. Based on blockchain technologies, cryptocurrency systems disperse the traditional centralized authority, which naturally requires the transaction history is able to be obtained and verified by all the participants, thus challenging users’ privacy and anonymity. The lightweight client is the tool to use cryptocurrency systems for resource-constrained device owners. Despite many previous works that have analyzed anonymity issues in cryptocurrency and there are many industrial practices and academic efforts of lightweight clients, there is still a lack of comprehensive anonymity analysis for lightweight clients in cryptocurrency systems.This article provides a systematization work of the anonymity issues of cryptocurrency lightweight clients and proposes the personal information vector to characterize the degrees of de-anonymizing users. This article reviews existing industrial practices and academic efforts of lightweight clients and discusses their anonymity issues brought by the operations of users with the model of systematization. © 2023 IEEE.

KW - lightweight clients

KW - anonymity

KW - cryptocurrency

KW - blockchain

KW - personal information vector

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UR - https://www.scopus.com/record/pubmetrics.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85166239665&origin=recordpage

U2 - 10.1109/ICBC56567.2023.10174913

DO - 10.1109/ICBC56567.2023.10174913

M3 - RGC 32 - Refereed conference paper (with host publication)

SN - 979-8-3503-1020-7

T3 - IEEE International Conference on Blockchain and Cryptocurrency, ICBC

BT - 2023 IEEE International Conference on Blockchain and Cryptocurrency (ICBC)

PB - IEEE

Y2 - 1 May 2023 through 5 May 2023

ER -

SoK: Anonymity of Lightweight Clients in Cryptocurrency Systems

Abstract

Publication series

Conference

Bibliographical note

Research Keywords

RGC Funding Information

Access Output

Other Access Options

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Fingerprint

5th IEEE International Conference on Blockchain and Cryptocurrency (ICBC 2023)

Cite this

SoK: Anonymity of Lightweight Clients in Cryptocurrency Systems

Abstract

Publication series

Conference

Bibliographical note

Research Keywords

RGC Funding Information

Access Output

Other Access Options

Permanent Link

Other Files and Links

Fingerprint

Activities

5th IEEE International Conference on Blockchain and Cryptocurrency (ICBC 2023)

Cite this