Breaking Beam - Reading Assignment

Privacy Coins - Ultimate Course
#61

  1. A one-kernel transaction is a transaction that has not merged with other transactions, Grin has so many because the network is not saturated so there are not enough transactions to be merged in the stem phase of Dandelion

  2. Beam’s solution is to check at every step of the Dandelion stem phase whether merged transactions have at least five outputs, if not then decoy outputs are added

  3. There must be a minimum number of five outputs for Beam nodes to re-broadcast a transaction

  4. The node adds dummy UTXOs as inputs to a random transaction therefore spending the dummy transactions so there’s no clutter on the blockchain

  5. Lelantus-MW will increase the anonymity set to 100,000+

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#62

1.) What is a ‘one-kernel transaction’, and why does Grin have so many of them?
A “One-kernel transaction” is a transaction that was not merged with any other transactions, and thus the inputs of this transaction are linked to its outputs.

2.) What is Beam’s solution to linkability?
At every step of the Dandelion Stem Phase, Beam nodes check whether the merged transactions (might be only one transaction) have at least 5 outputs.

3.) What is the minimum number of outputs required for Beam nodes to re-broadcast a transaction?
5

4.) How does Beam prevent dummy transactions from cluttering up the blockchain?
At a later stage (a randomly chosen block height for each output), the node adds dummy UTXOs as inputs to a random transaction, most likely belonging to a different user, thus spending them and removing them from the blockchain, but also creating a relation between users that are in fact unrelated.

5.) What protocol will increase the anonymity set of Beam to 100,000+?
Lelantus-MW will increase the anonymity set of Beam to 100,000+

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#63
  1. A One-kernel transaction is a transaction that was not merged with any other transaction, meaning that inputs and outputs of such transaction are clearly linked. Grin has many of them because it is still not widespread and adopted by enough people.
  2. Beam uses decoy transactions, that are added by nodes during the Dandelion Stem Phase if merged transactions have less than 5 outputs.
  3. To re-broadcast it, it should have at least 5 outputs.
  4. Adding random UTXOs to spend the dummy transactions.
  5. Lelantus-MW
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#64

1 It is a not yet merged Tx.
2 Adding decoy transactions with the value 0, but inseparable from the real Tx in appearance.
3 5 Coinbase+ four decoy.
4 the decoy transactions links to random users and are spent while that random user is spending another UTxO, thus all the decoys will eventually be burned.
5The Lelantus-MW

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#65
  1. It indicates that a transaction was not merged with any other transactions, and thus the inputs of this transaction are linked to its outputs. The reason why they have so many one-kernel transactions is that Grin network is not saturated and there are not enough transactions to be merged in the stem phase of Dandelion protocol.
  2. adding decoy UTXOs
  3. 5
  4. Decoy outputs are eventually spent, so the mechanism doesn’t create any permanent clutter on the blockchain.
  5. Lelantus
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#66
  1. What is a ‘one-kernel transaction’, and why does Grin have so many of them?
    In Grin, having one kernel indicates that a transaction was not merged with any other transactions, and thus the inputs of this transaction are linked to its outputs.
    The reason for a large amount of such one-kernel transactions being broadcast to the network is that Grin network is not saturated and there are not enough transactions to be merged in the stem phase of Dandelion protocol.
    As the usage grows, the anonymity will improve, but currently, as Ivan has shown it, the anonymity set is very low.
  2. What is Beam’s solution to linkability?
    There is a concept of decoy (aka Dummy) UTXOs.
  3. What is the minimum number of outputs required for Beam nodes to re-broadcast a transaction?
    How do those dummies work? At every step of the Dandelion Stem Phase, Beam nodes check whether the merged transactions (might be only one transaction) have at least 5 outputs.
    If not, decoy outputs are added to the merged transactions, making sure that the number of outputs is at least 5.
  4. How does Beam prevent dummy transactions from cluttering up the blockchain?
    It’s important to note that since those decoy outputs are eventually spent, the mechanism doesn’t create any permanent clutter on the blockchain.
  5. What protocol will increase the anonymity set of Beam to 100,000+?
    Lelantus-MW will dramatically increase the anonymity set (100K outputs) and will make it almost impossible to build the transactions graph if the user chose to use Lelantus-mw transactions from time to time.
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#67

  1. What is a ‘one-kernel transaction’, and why does Grin have so many of them?
    It means that a transaction was not merged with any other transactions, so the inputs can be linked to outputs. Grin network has a lot of these nodes due the fact there isn’t a lot activity (saturation) of network, so single transaction blocks are more common.

  2. What is Beam’s solution to linkability?
    They propose to mix decoys transactions with legitimate ones to increase the anonymity set.

  3. What is the minimum number of outputs required for Beam nodes to re-broadcast a transaction?
    The minimum number are 5. If this requirement is unfulfilled, another “dummy” outputs are added.

  4. How does Beam prevent dummy transactions from cluttering up the blockchain?
    Beam prevents clutter on the blockchain by spending the dummy tx’s.

  5. What protocol will increase the anonymity set of Beam to 100,000+?
    Lelantus-MW protocol

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#68
  1. ONE KERNAL Transaction: one kernel indicates that a transaction isnt merged with any other transactions; the inputs of this transaction are linked to its outputs.
    A low number of transactions make it easier “to spot” merged transactions into the Dandelion

2.BEAM implemented DUMMY UTXO’s to flood the dandelion stem

3.Minimum of 5 nodes / Blocks with 2 Kernals have 7 nodes

4.the node adds dummy UTXOs as inputs to a random transaction, belonging to a different user, thus spending them and removing them from the blockchain

5.By implementing Lelantus-MW to the protocol

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#69

1. What is a ‘one-kernel transaction’, and why does Grin have so many of them?

Is a transaction that has yet to be merged with others to obscure the sender and receiver. Grin has many of them because there is not enough usage on the network to create a larger anonymity set for transactions.

2. What is Beam’s solution to linkability?

At every step of the Dandelion Stem Phase, Beam nodes check whether the merged transactions (might be only one transaction) have at least 5 outputs.

If not, decoy outputs are added to the merged transactions, making sure that the number of outputs is at least 5.

3. What is the minimum number of outputs required for Beam nodes to re-broadcast a transaction?

5

4. How does Beam prevent dummy transactions from cluttering up the blockchain?

Since decoy transactions are eventually spent, the use of dummy transactions does not publish any permanent clutter on the blockchain.

5. What protocol will increase the anonymity set of Beam to 100,000+?

Lelantus-MW

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#70
  1. It indicates that a transaction was not merged with any other transactions, so inputs are linked to it’s outputs.

The Grin network is not saturated and there are not enough transactions to be merged in the stem phase.

  1. Beam uses decoy transactions.

  2. Five outputs.

  3. Dummy UTXO’s are used at random intervals as dummy inputs to future transactions.

  4. Lelantus - MW

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#71
  1. What is a ‘one-kernel transaction’, and why does Grin have so many of them?

One kernel transaction is Grin is a transaction that was not merged with any other transactions, and thus the transaction inputs are linked to its outputs.

Grin has so many of these transactions because Grin network is not saturated and there are not enough transactions to be merged in the stem phase of Dandelion protocol.

  1. What is Beam’s solution to linkability?

Beam has implemented the concept of decoy (aka Dummy) UTXOs.

At a randomly chosen block height for each output, the node adds dummy UTXOs as inputs to a random transaction, most likely belonging to a different user, thus spending them and removing them from the blockchain, but also creating a relation between users that are in fact unrelated.

  1. What is the minimum number of outputs required for Beam nodes to re-broadcast a transaction?

“At every step of the Dandelion Stem Phase, Beam nodes check whether the merged transactions (might be only one transaction) have at least 5 outputs.”

  1. How does Beam prevent dummy transactions from cluttering up the blockchain?

Each one of the dummy outputs has a value of zero and since all those decoy outputs are eventually spent, the mechanism doesn’t create any permanent clutter on the blockchain.

  1. What protocol will increase the anonymity set of Beam to 100,000+?

“Lelantus-MW will dramatically increase the anonymity set (100K outputs) and will make it almost impossible to build the transactions graph”

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#72
  1. What is a ‘one-kernel transaction’, and why does Grin have so many of them?

one-kernel transaction’ is one transaction that was merged with no other transactions, meaning that inputs and outputs of such transaction are clearly linked.

Grin has Not enough transactions to be merged in the stem phase of Dandelion protocol. Yet with a growing # of transactions - thru more adoption- the anonymity improves.

  1. What is Beam’s solution to linkability?

Beam’s decoy transactions make two wallets linking a probabilistic transaction graph decays exponentially the number of hops grow…

  1. What is the minimum number of outputs required for Beam nodes to re-broadcast a transaction?

5

  1. How does Beam prevent dummy transactions from cluttering up the blockchain?

Beam ‘spends’ the dummy transactions by adding random UTXOs.

  1. What protocol will increase the anonymity set of Beam to 100,000+?

Lelantus-MW

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#73

  1. What is a ‘one-kernel transaction’, and why does Grin have so many of them?
    A one-kernel transaction has not been merged with another transaction, therefore sender and receiver are linkable. The Grin network is not saturated, so there are not many transactions which can be merged during the stem phase of Dandelion.

  2. What is Beam’s solution to linkability?
    With dummy UTXO’s. At every step of the Dandelion Stem Phase, Beam nodes check whether the merged transactions (might be only one transaction) have at least 5 outputs. If not, decoy outputs are added to the merged transactions, making sure that the number of outputs is at least 5.

  3. What is the minimum number of outputs required for Beam nodes to re-broadcast a transaction?
    Minimum 5

  4. How does Beam prevent dummy transactions from cluttering up the blockchain?
    Since those decoy outputs are eventually spent, the mechanism doesn’t create any permanent clutter on the blockchain.

  5. What protocol will increase the anonymity set of Beam to 100,000+?
    Lelantus- MW

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#74

Breaking Beam - Reading

  1. A 'one-kernel transaction’ indicates that a transaction was not merged with any other transactions, thus the inputs of the transactions are linked to its outputs.
    Grin have so many of one-kernel transaction because the Grin network is not saturated and there are not enough transaction to merge in the stem phase of Dandelion Protocol.

  2. BEAM’s solution to linkability is that they use the concept of decoy UTXOs - at every step of Dandelion stem phase, BEAM nodes check whether the merged transactions (might be only one transaction) have at least 5(five) outputs.

  3. The minimum number of outputs required for BEAM nodes to re-broadcast a transaction is 5(five) outputs -.

  4. BEAM prevent dummy transactions from cluttering up the blockchain by letting the nodes add dummy UTXOs inputs to a different user, thus spending them and removing them from the blockchain. The fact that the decoy outputs are eventually spent, it does not create clutter.

  5. The protocol that will increase the anonymity set of BEAM to 100,000+ is the Lelantus protocol, This will, almost, make it impossible to build transaction graph if the user chose to use Lelantus - MW transactions from time to time. Transaction with a one-kernel will not really work here.

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#75

Coinbase is a block reward tx, I don’t think its merged. You answered in the previous question there should be at least 5 :wink:

#76

Thanks Alko89 for notifying me. I have made the correction. Really appreciate.

#77
  1. What is a ‘one-kernel transaction’, and why does Grin have so many of them?
    A one kernel txn indicates that a transaction was not merged with any other transactions yet. This is due to the networks low usage.
  2. What is Beam’s solution to linkability?
    Dummy UTXO’s.
  3. What is the minimum number of outputs required for Beam nodes to re-broadcast a transaction?
    5
  4. How does Beam prevent dummy transactions from cluttering up the blockchain?
    At a later stage, the node adds dummy UTXOs as inputs to a random transaction, most likely belonging to a different user, thus spending them and removing them from the blockchain
  5. What protocol will increase the anonymity set of Beam to 100,000+?
    Lelantus MW
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#78

1.- It is a tx that still is not merge with other tx, so the input and output are visibly linked. Grin is not mass adopted and still very tecnical for many users.
2.- Beam uses decoy tx in the Dandelion stem phase if the merge tx has less than 5 outputs.
3.- 5 outputs
4.- With random UTXOs to spend the dummy tx so it doesnt create clutter on the blockchain.
5.- Lelantus MW

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#79
  1. What is a ‘one-kernel transaction’, and why does Grin have so many of them?

Its not mixed with other transactions so sender and receiver can be linked. You cant merge with the stem phase of Dandelion with a low number of transactions.
2. What is Beam’s solution to linkability?

They use decoy transactions which are added up by nodes at the stem phase of the Dandelion Protocol

  1. What is the minimum number of outputs required for Beam nodes to re-broadcast a transaction?

a minimum of five outputs

  1. How does Beam prevent dummy transactions from cluttering up the blockchain?

By adding random UTXO’s to spend them

  1. What protocol will increase the anonymity set of Beam to 100,000+?

Lelantus MW

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#80
  1. Due to slow adoption Grin doesn’t have a ton of TXs so many blocks end up with the Coinbase, fee, and one TX or no TXs. As adoption grows that will decrease.
  2. It uses dummy outputs to create at minimum 5 outputs. This helps to shield the actual receiver. UTXO dummy outputs are letter spent to help aid in the continuation of the chain.
  3. 5 outputs
  4. After use it will spend the UTXO dummies so they are wiped from the chain.
  5. Lelantus the implementation from Zcoin that creates new coins and burns old coins making them harder to track.
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