A Cross-Chain Mechanism Based on Hierarchically Managed Notary Group

Abstract

Blockchain technology, characterized by decentralization, immutability, traceability, and transparency, provides innovative solutions for data management. However, the limited cross-chain interoperability between blockchains hampers their broader application and development. To address this challenge, this paper proposes a Cross-Chain Mechanism Based on Hierarchically Managed Notary Group, abbreviated as HMNG-CCM, which enables secure and efficient cross-chain transactions between blockchains. To mitigate the centralization issue inherent in traditional cross-chain mechanism based on notary, an innovative notary group management approach is introduced. This approach implements hierarchical management by categorizing notaries into three levels—junior notary, intermediate notary, and senior notary—thereby effectively mitigating the centralization problem. Additionally, a functional division mechanism for notary is designed, wherein the roles of transaction processing and verification within the cross-chain transaction process are separated to enhance system reliability. Furthermore, to tackle the complexity of notary reputation evaluation, a reputation assessment scheme based on an improved PageRank algorithm is proposed. Differentiated reputation evaluation strategies are developed for junior and intermediate notaries to ensure fairness and rationality in the assessment process. The effectiveness of this scheme is validated through experiments conducted on the Hyperledger Fabric platform. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed mechanism exhibits strong robustness against malicious notaries while significantly improving transaction speed and success rate. This study offers new theoretical and practical foundations for the optimization and advancement of blockchain cross-chain technology.