---
_id: '12160'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: We present the Filecoin Hierarchical Consensus framework, which aims to overcome
    the throughput challenges of blockchain consensus by horizontally scaling the
    network. Unlike traditional sharding designs, based on partitioning the state
    of the network, our solution centers on the concept of subnets -which are organized
    hierarchically- and can be spawned on-demand to manage new state. Child sub nets
    are firewalled from parent subnets, have their own specific policies, and run
    a different consensus algorithm, increasing the network capacity and enabling
    new applications. Moreover, they benefit from the security of parent subnets by
    periodically checkpointing state. In this paper, we introduce the overall system
    architecture, our detailed designs for cross-net transaction handling, and the
    open questions that we are still exploring.
article_processing_charge: No
author:
- first_name: Alfonso
  full_name: De la Rocha, Alfonso
  last_name: De la Rocha
- first_name: Eleftherios
  full_name: Kokoris Kogias, Eleftherios
  id: f5983044-d7ef-11ea-ac6d-fd1430a26d30
  last_name: Kokoris Kogias
- first_name: Jorge M.
  full_name: Soares, Jorge M.
  last_name: Soares
- first_name: Marko
  full_name: Vukolic, Marko
  last_name: Vukolic
citation:
  ama: 'De la Rocha A, Kokoris Kogias E, Soares JM, Vukolic M. Hierarchical consensus:
    A horizontal scaling framework for blockchains. In: <i>42nd International Conference
    on Distributed Computing Systems Workshops</i>. Vol 2022. Institute of Electrical
    and Electronics Engineers; 2022:45-52. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1109/icdcsw56584.2022.00018">10.1109/icdcsw56584.2022.00018</a>'
  apa: 'De la Rocha, A., Kokoris Kogias, E., Soares, J. M., &#38; Vukolic, M. (2022).
    Hierarchical consensus: A horizontal scaling framework for blockchains. In <i>42nd
    International Conference on Distributed Computing Systems Workshops</i> (Vol.
    2022, pp. 45–52). Bologna, Italy: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
    <a href="https://doi.org/10.1109/icdcsw56584.2022.00018">https://doi.org/10.1109/icdcsw56584.2022.00018</a>'
  chicago: 'De la Rocha, Alfonso, Eleftherios Kokoris Kogias, Jorge M. Soares, and
    Marko Vukolic. “Hierarchical Consensus: A Horizontal Scaling Framework for Blockchains.”
    In <i>42nd International Conference on Distributed Computing Systems Workshops</i>,
    2022:45–52. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, 2022. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1109/icdcsw56584.2022.00018">https://doi.org/10.1109/icdcsw56584.2022.00018</a>.'
  ieee: 'A. De la Rocha, E. Kokoris Kogias, J. M. Soares, and M. Vukolic, “Hierarchical
    consensus: A horizontal scaling framework for blockchains,” in <i>42nd International
    Conference on Distributed Computing Systems Workshops</i>, Bologna, Italy, 2022,
    vol. 2022, pp. 45–52.'
  ista: 'De la Rocha A, Kokoris Kogias E, Soares JM, Vukolic M. 2022. Hierarchical
    consensus: A horizontal scaling framework for blockchains. 42nd International
    Conference on Distributed Computing Systems Workshops. ICDCSW: International Conference
    on Distributed Computing Systems Workshop vol. 2022, 45–52.'
  mla: 'De la Rocha, Alfonso, et al. “Hierarchical Consensus: A Horizontal Scaling
    Framework for Blockchains.” <i>42nd International Conference on Distributed Computing
    Systems Workshops</i>, vol. 2022, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers,
    2022, pp. 45–52, doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1109/icdcsw56584.2022.00018">10.1109/icdcsw56584.2022.00018</a>.'
  short: A. De la Rocha, E. Kokoris Kogias, J.M. Soares, M. Vukolic, in:, 42nd International
    Conference on Distributed Computing Systems Workshops, Institute of Electrical
    and Electronics Engineers, 2022, pp. 45–52.
conference:
  end_date: 2022-07-10
  location: Bologna, Italy
  name: 'ICDCSW: International Conference on Distributed Computing Systems Workshop'
  start_date: 2022-07-10
date_created: 2023-01-12T12:09:28Z
date_published: 2022-11-29T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2023-08-04T09:06:02Z
day: '29'
department:
- _id: ElKo
doi: 10.1109/icdcsw56584.2022.00018
external_id:
  isi:
  - '000895984800009'
intvolume: '      2022'
isi: 1
language:
- iso: eng
month: '11'
oa_version: None
page: 45-52
publication: 42nd International Conference on Distributed Computing Systems Workshops
publication_identifier:
  eisbn:
  - '9781665488792'
  eissn:
  - 2332-5666
publication_status: published
publisher: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
quality_controlled: '1'
scopus_import: '1'
status: public
title: 'Hierarchical consensus: A horizontal scaling framework for blockchains'
type: conference
user_id: 4359f0d1-fa6c-11eb-b949-802e58b17ae8
volume: 2022
year: '2022'
...