Research On Transaction Forwarding Strategies Under The Risk Of Malicious Attacks In Off-Chain Payment Networks

With the increasing prevalence and expanding application scope of cryptocurrencies,their transaction volume is experiencing exponential growth.However,most cryptocurrency systems are plagued by issues such as limited transaction processing capacity,slow transaction speeds,and high transaction fees.Consequently,enhancing the scalability of cryptocurrency systems,accelerating transaction processing,and reducing transaction fees are among the primary challenges currently faced by these systems.Off-chain payment networks represent an effective solution to the scalability issues of cryptocurrency systems,enabling blockchain nodes to process transactions off-chain through private channels,avoiding the long wait times for online transaction confirmations,and significantly improving transaction processing speeds while reducing fees.However,the inherent characteristics of off-chain payment technology render it vulnerable to various attacks,posing challenges to the security and usability of off-chain payment networks under numerous potential malicious attacks.The latest research on off-chain payment networks focuses on enhancing efficiency and availability by optimizing routing,scheduling,and initial deposits,as well as preventing security and privacy attacks.Nevertheless,the dynamic decision-making of nodes regarding multi-hop transaction forwarding in off-chain payment networks when facing potential malicious attack risks has been overlooked.In off-chain payment networks,nodes transact through private channels,and the creation and closure of these channels require consensus on the blockchain to take effect.As a result,node behavior directly impacts factors such as channel opening,closing,and available funds,ultimately affecting the transaction efficiency and security of the entire payment channel network.In this paper,a game-theoretic analysis method is proposed to address the dynamic decision-making problem of transaction forwarding under malicious attack risk in off-chain payment networks.Firstly,a game-theoretic model is constructed to characterize the dynamic interactions of nodes in off-chain payment networks under the risk environment of malicious attacks.Subsequently,this study employs classical game theory with the complete rationality assumption at the micro level to investigate individual node behavior decision-making and the controllability of payoffs in zero-determinant strategies.By examining equilibrium states formed under conditions that consider nodes’ payoffs,costs,and the mutual influence between them,the research aims to provide transaction forwarding dynamics and strategies for securing advantageous payoffs for individual users within payment networks.Finally,at the macro level,an evolutionary game theory model incorporating boundedly rational game players is adopted to analyze the game characteristics and evolutionary process of the entire off-chain payment network group.Through deriving the evolutionary stable points and evolutionary stable strategies in the off-chain payment network’s evolutionary game,this study predicts the equilibrium states ultimately reached by the payment network under varying degrees of malicious attack risk.This research provides assistance for the design and management of off-chain payment networks in detecting malicious attack risk areas and optimizing the overall transaction efficiency.In this study,the effectiveness of the proposed research methodology is validated through a multitude of simulation experiments.This research offers rational decision-making for nodes regarding transaction forwarding under varying degrees of attack risk,which contributes to enhancing transaction efficiency and maintaining network security.Moreover,the study presents the evolution of transaction forwarding behavior within a group under’malicious attack risk,providing valuable references and suggestions for the design and optimization of off-chain payment networks in the future.The findings of this research lay the groundwork for improving the performance and security of off-chain payment networks,fostering development and innovation within this field.This will ultimately be conducive to further enhancing the practicality of blockchain payment systems,offering users and merchants a more efficient,secure,and reliable payment experience.