MasterCard has filed a patent for a system to speed up the activation

[Nikko]

MasterCard has filed a patent for a system to speed up the activation of new nodes in a blockchain, in an application published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) April 26.

The application, which was first filed on October 24, 2016, outlines that the current difficulty facing new nodes –  a computer connected to the blockchain network that stores a copy of the blockchain – is that they are required to individually verify a massive amount of data in order to activate. The patent states that new nodes must verify “thousands, millions, or even billions of transaction records […] in a vast number of different blocks” that may have accumulated over time in a given blockchain, generating a significant delay before each new node can begin to participate in the network.

The patent proposes a technical solution for faster navigation, in which “fast track flags” would be included in block headers, so that new nodes could scan and verify the blockchain at greater speed.

Source: https://cointelegraph.com/news/mastercard-publishes-patent-to-speed-up-blockchain-node-activation