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Short Signatures from the Weil Pairing

Boneh, Lynn, and Shacham (BLS) introduced a method for generating extremely short, verifiable digital signatures using pairings on elliptic curves. These signat

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Abstract

Boneh, Lynn, and Shacham (BLS) introduced a method for generating extremely short, verifiable digital signatures using pairings on elliptic curves. These signatures are uniquely ‘aggregatable,’ meaning that multiple signatures from different signers can be combined into a single, succinct signature that proves all individual signatures are valid. This capability is of immense importance to the blockchain industry, particularly for consensus mechanisms and sharded networks (such as Ethereum 2.0). By drastically reducing the data required to verify large groups of participants, the BLS signature scheme facilitates scalability and network efficiency. The paper details the mathematical basis for pairing-based cryptography, moving beyond the standard group operations to utilize bilinear mappings. This work is considered essential reading for those studying the scaling challenges of proof-of-stake networks, as it solves the problem of signature bloat in massive validator sets. Authors: Dan Boneh, Ben Lynn, Hovav Shacham Publication: Academic Paper Publication date: 2001-01-01

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Key findings

  • Introduces a signature scheme that allows for signature aggregation.
  • Provides a method for creating extremely compact digital signatures.
  • Utilizes bilinear pairings to facilitate efficient multi-signature verification.
  • Significantly reduces bandwidth and storage requirements for network consensus.

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Citation

Dan Boneh, Ben Lynn, Hovav Shacham (2001). Short Signatures from the Weil Pairing. Academic Paper. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/3-540-45682-1_30
Canonical knowledge ID: research:short-signatures-from-the-weil-pairing