C4M: A Partition-Robust Consensus Algorithm for Blockgraph in Mesh Network

Blockchain designed for Mobile Ad hoc Networks (MANET) and mesh networks is an emerging research topic which has to cope with the network partition problem. However, existing consensus algorithms used in blockchains have been designed to work in a fully connected network with reliable communication. As this assumption does not hold anymore in mobile wireless networks, we describe in this paper the problem of network partitions and its impact on blockchain. Then, we propose a new consensus algorithm called Consensus for Mesh (C4M) which inspires from RAFT as a solution to this problem. The C4M consensus algorithm is integrated in Blockgraph, a blockchain solution for MANET and mesh networks. We implemented our solution in NS-3 to analyze its performances through simulations. The simulation results show that the heartbeat interval and the election timeout have a great impact on the leader election time, especially in case of topology changes.