ONMCA: One-Network-Multi-Chain Architecture for customizable asset-oriented blockchain systems

The development of modern digital economies requires trusted digital asset management (DAM), for which blockchain technology is increasingly being adopted. However, the current architecture for constructing blockchain-based DAM systems (BDAMSs) is inadequate. Existing BDAMSs adopt a modified layered architecture, which enriches the database layer by adding a blockchain platform that acts as a third party to process DAM business logic with pre-written smart contracts. This architecture faces four issues that make it non-credible and non-customizable to DAM demands: 1) pseudo decentralization, 2) not asset-oriented, 3) contract dependency, and 4) high load of chains. To overcome these issues, we propose the One-Network-Multi-Chain Architecture (ONMCA), which allows multiple heterogeneous chains to be established within a same network. ONMCA enables diverse digital assets to be managed in a customizable way through the following features: 1) asset stakeholders are allowed to join the blockchain network, eliminating third parties; 2) transactions are designed to portray the changes in asset states, making the system asset-oriented; and 3) a control layer is added to take over business logic, and smart contracts are forced to regulate asset transactions full-time. We formalize ONMCA and analyze it comprehensively, and the results show that ONMCA meets the requirements of DAM and is qualified to build credible and adaptive BDAMSs.