HK40002719A

HK40002719A - Digital asset account management

Info

Publication number: HK40002719A
Application number: HK19126274.0A
Authority: HK
Inventors: S‧盖达姆; G‧普拉卡什; A‧盖达姆; P‧库姆尼克; M‧王; D‧加朗德
Original assignee: 维萨国际服务协会
Priority date: 2016-06-28
Filing date: 2017-05-03
Publication date: 2020-03-27

Description

Digital asset account management

Cross reference to related applications

None.

Technical Field

Background

Several problems arise with the use of cash to conduct transactions. For example, cash transactions are cumbersome for the involved entities. It is a nuisance for the consumer to have to carry cash with them often and to provide the appropriate amount of cash during the transaction. Additionally, if the consumer is unable to provide the correct amount of cash to pay for the transaction, they may receive a certain amount of change (e.g., coins) from the resource provider. This actual change again increases the cash carried by the user. In fact, the actual change carried by the user tends to accumulate because it is often difficult to use it by using it in future transactions. Also, cash transactions can be cumbersome for resource providers because they must manage cash in cash registers. For example, resource providers must ensure that their cash registers hold sufficient cash, as well as sufficient types of bills and coins, to provide the customer with change for the transaction. In addition, the rate at which the resource provider can perform transactions is reduced because it may take longer to conduct cash transactions when it is desired to provide the actual change to the consumer. Thus, performing cash transactions may reduce the efficiency with which the resource provider performs the transactions. It is therefore desirable to not have to rely on cash to conduct transactions.

Embodiments of the present invention address these and other problems, individually and collectively.

Disclosure of Invention

One embodiment of the invention relates to a method relating to a transaction using digital assets. The method may include receiving, by a service provider computer, a request for a digital asset corresponding to an amount owed to a consumer for a transaction between the consumer and a resource provider associated with the resource provider computer. The method may also include generating, by the service provider computer, the digital asset corresponding to the monetary amount, and determining, by the service provider computer, a digital asset identifier associated with the digital asset, wherein the digital asset identifier is ultimately provided to the computing device of the consumer. The method may also include receiving, by the service provider computer, the digital asset identifier from the computing device of the consumer. The method may also include sending, by the service provider computer, a request to a financial institution computer associated with the resource provider to update a non-alterable electronic transaction ledger managed by the financial institution computer. A financial institution computer may update the non-modifiable electronic transaction ledger to indicate a transfer of the digital asset from the resource provider's digital asset account to the consumer's digital asset account. In some embodiments, the transaction is a first transaction, the resource provider is a first resource provider, the resource provider computer is a first resource provider computer, and the financial institution computer is a first financial institution computer.

In some embodiments, a quick settlement process may be performed on the first transaction in real time. In this case, the amount associated with the digital asset is made available to the consumer in real time.

The method may also include receiving, by the service provider computer from the computing device of the consumer, a request to pay for a second transaction using the digital asset, wherein the second transaction is conducted between the consumer and a second resource provider associated with a second resource provider computer. The method may also include generating, by the service provider computer, a token associated with the digital asset, and transmitting, by the service provider computer, the token to the computing device. The method may also include sending, by the service provider computer, a request to a second financial institution computer associated with the second resource provider to update a non-alterable electronic transaction ledger managed by the second financial institution computer. The second financial institution computer may update the non-modifiable electronic transaction ledger to indicate a transfer of the digital asset from the digital asset account of the consumer to a digital asset account of the second resource provider.

In some embodiments, the first financial institution computer, the second financial institution computer, and the service provider computer each manage a non-modifiable electronic transaction ledger that stores information related to transactions performed using digital assets.

In some embodiments, the method may further include enabling the consumer to withdraw cash using their digital asset account. For example, the method may further include receiving, by the service provider computer from the computing device of the consumer, a selection of a third financial institution computer to manage a total amount associated with digital assets corresponding to the digital asset account of the consumer. The method may further include allowing, by the service provider computer, the selected third financial institution computer to aggregate the total amount associated with the digital asset account of the consumer.

Another embodiment of the invention is directed to a method. The method may include receiving, by a service provider computer, a prepaid load request corresponding to an amount owed to a consumer for a transaction conducted between the consumer and a resource provider associated with a resource provider computer, wherein the prepaid load request is generated by the resource provider computer. The method may also include generating, by the service provider computer, a digital asset corresponding to the amount of money. The method may also include sending, by the service provider computer, a request to a financial institution computer associated with the resource provider to update a non-alterable electronic transaction ledger managed by the financial institution computer. The financial institution computer may update the non-modifiable electronic transaction ledger to indicate a transfer of the digital asset to the consumer's digital asset account. The method may also include transmitting, by the service provider computer, a prepaid load response indicating that the amount has been transferred.

Another embodiment of the invention is directed to a service provider computer comprising: a processor and a computer-readable medium coupled to the processor, the computer-readable medium comprising code executable by the processor to implement the methods described herein.

Another embodiment of the invention is directed to a computer device, comprising: a processor and a computer-readable medium coupled to the processor, the computer-readable medium comprising code executable by the processor to implement the methods described herein.

These and other embodiments of the invention are described in more detail below.

Drawings

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of various elements of a digital asset service system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary mapping and flow of digital assets according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates a digital asset service provider computer hosting a digital asset account and a digital asset management service according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates a system having a detailed flow diagram of a transaction in which a consumer receives a change digital asset, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 illustrates a system with a detailed flow diagram of a transaction in which a consumer uses their digital asset account to pay for the transaction, according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 illustrates a system in which a consumer may withdraw cash associated with their digital asset account, according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 8 illustrates a flow diagram of another method of performing a transaction in which a customer receives a change digital asset in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 9 shows a flow diagram of a fast settlement process according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 illustrates a plurality of entries in the form of a blockchain in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Before discussing embodiments of the invention, a description of some terms may be helpful in providing a better understanding of the invention.

"digital currency" may refer to a unit of value that may be used as a form of payment for transactions, including financial transactions. The digital currency may be currency electronically generated by the user computing device and stored in the user computing device. Digital currency can be purchased using conventional currency forms (e.g., legal currency) and generated at a particular value. Typically, digital currency may not have the physical form of currency, but may be accessed by a user computing device (e.g., a mobile device) using a software application such as a digital wallet or mobile application. The type of digital currency may be a cryptocurrency, which is verified using a cryptographic method.

A "digital asset" may refer to digital content associated with a value. In some cases, the digital asset may also indicate a right to use the value and other attributes associated with the digital asset. For example, a digital asset may be data indicative of a digital monetary value, such as a cryptomonetary value. The digital asset may also indicate a plurality of digital asset attributes, such as a Bank Identification Number (BIN) identifier, a digital asset identifier, a timestamp, an acquirer public key, a resource provider identifier, and a resource provider location. In other embodiments, the digital assets may correspond to other non-monetary values, such as access rights data (e.g., the number of authorized uses) and time limit data.

"cryptocurrency payment network" may refer to one or more server computers used to operate and maintain a cryptocurrency system. A cryptocurrency payment network may be used to facilitate the generation/distribution and distribution of digital currency between devices within the cryptocurrency payment network. The cryptocurrency payment network may also be used to enable transaction execution between devices for the transfer of goods/services and/or the transfer of funds. The cryptocurrency payment network may operate a node that manages a transaction ledger.

A "transaction ledger" may refer to a compilation of data from previous transactions. The transaction ledger may be a database or other comparable file structure that may be configured to store data from all previous transactions performed using digital currency, including the date and time of the transaction, the transaction amount, and identification information of the participants of the transaction (e.g., the sender and receiver of the transaction amount). In some embodiments, the transaction ledger can be in the form of an electronic ledger (e.g., a blockchain) in which data already stored in the electronic ledger is unalterable. In some embodiments, each node within the cryptocurrency payment network may store a copy of their own transaction ledger. In other embodiments, only some nodes may store copies of their own transaction ledgers.

An "issuer node" may be a device or module capable of managing the creation and issuance of digital assets. In some embodiments, the issuer node may be operated by a financial institution computer corresponding to the resource provider, which may utilize the issuer node to generate the digital assets.

A "manager node" may be a device or module capable of managing digital assets assigned to and used by a consumer. In some embodiments, the manager node may be operated by a financial institution computer that may submit data to the manager node to update the transaction ledger in the cryptocurrency payment network.

"digital signature" may refer to an electronic signature for a message. In some embodiments, the digital signature may be used to verify the authenticity of transaction messages sent within a cryptocurrency payment network. The digital signature may be a unique value generated from the message and the private key using a cryptographic algorithm. In some embodiments, the signature may be validated using a validation algorithm that employs a public key. The digital signature may be a numerical value, an alphanumeric value, or any other type of data that includes a graphical representation.

A "key" may refer to a piece of data or information used in an algorithm. The key may be unique data and is typically part of a key pair, where a first key may be used to encrypt messages and a second key may be used to decrypt encrypted messages. The key may be a numeric or alphanumeric value and may be generated using an algorithm. A management system server computer in the cryptocurrency payment network may generate and assign a unique key pair for each node in the cryptocurrency payment network.

A "key pair" may include a pair of cryptographic keys, such as a public key and a corresponding private key. The key pair may be used by the node and/or the payment entity to conduct transactions in the cryptocurrency payment network. The key pair may be generated by a server computer associated with the cryptocurrency payment network or may be generated by a financial institution server computer for the payment entity at the time of creating an account with the financial institution server computer. The public key may be distributed throughout the cryptocurrency payment network to allow authentication of payment transaction messages signed with the respective private key.

A "financial institution server computer" may refer to a computer associated with a financial institution (e.g., a bank). Examples of the financial institution server computer may include an access device, a terminal, or a Web server computer hosting a financial institution server internet website. The financial institution server computer may be in any suitable form. Additional examples of financial institution server computers include any device capable of accessing the internet, such as personal computers, cellular or wireless telephones, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), tablet computers, and handheld dedicated readers.

A "resource providing entity" may be an entity that may make resources available to a user. The resource providing entity may also be referred to as a resource provider. Examples of resource providing entities include distributors, merchants, providers, suppliers, owners, merchants, and the like. In some embodiments, such an entity may be a single individual, a group of individuals, or a larger group of individuals (e.g., a company). The resource providing entity may be associated with one or more physical locations (e.g., supermarkets, malls, stores, etc.) and online platforms (e.g., e-commerce websites, online companies, etc.). At the physical location, the resource providing entity may host the access device. In some embodiments, the resource providing entity may provide physical goods (e.g., goods, products, appliances, etc.) to the user. In other embodiments, the resource providing entity may enable the user to use a digital resource (e.g., an electronic document, an electronic file, etc.) or a time (e.g., a rental time, a use time, etc.). In other embodiments, the resource providing entity may manage access to certain resources by users.

A "server computer" may include a powerful computer or cluster of computers. For example, a server computer may be a mainframe, a minicomputer cluster, or a group of servers that function as a unit. In one example, the server computer may be a database server coupled to a Web server. The server computer may be coupled to the database and may include any hardware, software, other logic, or combination of the preceding for servicing requests from one or more client computers. The server computer may include one or more computing devices and may service requests from one or more client computers using any of a variety of computing structures, arrangements, and compilations.

Detailed Description

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a cryptocurrency system capable of performing transactions by transferring digital assets corresponding to cryptocurrency amounts to appropriate entities. The cryptocurrency system includes a digital asset service provider computer that can host a digital asset account associated with each consumer such that each consumer can view, through an application on their computing device, a total amount of cryptocurrency corresponding to their digital asset. Further, the digital asset service provider computer may host a digital asset account associated with a resource provider (e.g., a merchant) that the consumer conducts the transaction.

Digital assets can be used for a variety of transactions. When a consumer conducts a transaction with a resource provider, the resource provider may provide the consumer with change to the transaction by transferring the digital asset corresponding to the change amount from their digital asset account to the consumer's digital asset account. In another transaction conducted between the consumer and the resource provider computer, the consumer may pay for the transaction using their digital asset account by transferring the digital asset corresponding to the transaction amount from their digital asset account to the resource provider's digital asset account.

The digital asset service provider computer may be configured to manage information related to transactions involving the execution of digital assets. For example, the cryptocurrency system may store a transaction ledger on a network that records transaction data related to all transactions performed by consumers under the cryptocurrency system. The transaction ledger can be updated each time a new transaction is made, and the data stored in the ledger can serve as evidence that the digital asset is assigned to a digital asset account of a consumer.

Embodiments of the present invention provide several advantages. For example, embodiments of the present invention enable a consumer, such as a non-banking account consumer who does not have a relationship with a financial institution (e.g., a bank), to perform cashless transactions in a secure manner. Because the recorded data is unalterable, the use of encryption techniques to manage transaction ledgers enables a secure system for transferring digital assets between entities. In addition, the embodiment of the invention avoids the requirement that a consumer and a resource provider manage transaction change, and the management of transaction change by the consumer and the resource provider is very complicated.

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of various elements of a digital asset service system 100, according to an embodiment of the invention. The digital asset service system 100 includes a digital asset account management service system 110, a resource provider service system 111, a consumer service system 112, an authorization service system 113, and a settlement service system 114. The digital asset account management service system 110 may enable management of the issuer node 102, the manager node 104, and the digital asset database 115. Each of these service systems may run on a single computer or multiple systems and computers that may operatively communicate with each other via any suitable communication medium, including the internet, using any suitable communication protocol.

For simplicity of illustration, a specific number of components are shown in FIG. 1. However, it should be understood that embodiments of the invention may include more than one of each component. Moreover, some embodiments of the invention may include fewer or more than all of the components shown in FIG. 1. Further details regarding the components shown in FIG. 1 are described with respect to other figures described herein.

The digital asset account management service system 110 enables management of digital assets corresponding to digital asset accounts hosted by the digital asset service system 100. The digital asset account management service system 110 may provide services such as mapping digital assets to real cryptocurrency amounts, allocating digital assets to consumer and resource provider accounts, and managing unclaimed digital assets. To provide these services, the digital asset account management service system 110 may retrieve or update information in one or more of the issuer node 102, the manager node 104, and the digital asset database 115.

Issuer node 102 may include one or more computers that manage information related to the creation and distribution of digital assets to various entities. Issuer node 102 may generate a digital asset corresponding to a particular dollar value upon request and record information regarding the creation of the digital asset and the issuance of the digital asset to an entity (e.g., a consumer) for a transaction. Issuer node 102 may manage information by recording relevant data in a transaction ledger. In some embodiments, the transaction ledger may be in the form of a blockchain, where each new chunk in the blockchain references a previous chunk (e.g., a hash of the previous chunk) such that any tampering with the data stored in these previous chunks is not undetectable.

The manager node 104 manages information about digital assets associated with the consumer. For example, a resource provider may assign digital assets associated with a particular cryptocurrency value owed to a consumer. Consumers may claim digital assets in order to use cryptographic monetary value in future transactions. The manager node 104 may then record that the digital asset is now owned by the consumer. The manager node 104 may also manage the cryptocurrency used by the consumer in various transactions. For example, after a consumer conducts a transaction using their digital asset account, the manager node 104 may record information related to the transaction (e.g., execution time, transaction amount, participating entities, etc.). The manager node 104 may record information in the transaction ledger. In some embodiments, the transaction ledger may be in the form of a blockchain, where each new chunk in the blockchain references a previous chunk (e.g., a hash of the previous chunk) such that any tampering with the data stored in these previous chunks is not undetectable.

The digital asset database 115 stores any information related to digital assets. For example, the digital asset database 115 may store any number of digital asset attributes (e.g., amount, currency, timestamp, merchant ID, merchant location, digital asset identifier, etc.) for each of a plurality of digital assets. In some embodiments, the digital asset database 115 may store digital asset identifiers corresponding to digital assets that have not been claimed by a consumer or resource provider. Any number of other digital attributes (e.g., amounts) associated with the digital assets corresponding to the digital asset identifiers may be stored in association with the digital asset identifiers. This enables the retrieval of the relevant digital attributes from the digital asset database 115 based on a query that includes the digital asset identifier. Digital asset attributes associated with digital assets may be maintained in the digital asset database 115 until the digital assets are claimed.

The digital asset database 115 may also store tokens for transactions. The token may be an identifier (e.g., a string of characters or a scannable image) associated with a set of digital assets. The token may be used to pay for transactions up to a total amount corresponding to the associated set of digital assets. In some embodiments, the digital asset database 115 may store the token until it is redeemed by the resource provider computer. The digital asset database 115 may store the tokens and related information in a separate data table as well as storing digital attributes organized according to the digital asset identifiers described above.

The digital asset database 115 may include any hardware, software, firmware, or combination thereof for storing and facilitating retrieval of information. Further, the digital asset database 115 may use any of a variety of data structures, arrangements, and compilations to store and facilitate information retrieval.

The resource provider service system 111 enables a resource provider to use services provided by the digital asset service system 100. Resource provider service system 111 may enable a resource provider to register and create accounts using digital asset service system 100. The resource provider service system 111 may provide applications for the resource provider that enable it to view, update, and manage information related to its accounts. The resource provider may use the application to instruct the transfer of digital assets from its account to other accounts and to claim the addition of digital assets to its account.

The consumer service system 112 enables consumers to use the services provided by the digital asset service system 100. The consumer service system 112 may enable consumers to register and create accounts using the digital asset service system 100. The consumer services system 112 may provide applications for consumers that enable them to view, update, and manage information related to their accounts. In some cases, the application may be a digital wallet that can be run on a consumer's device. The consumer may use the application to direct the transfer of digital assets from their account to other accounts and to claim the addition of digital assets to their account.

The authorization service system 113 and the settlement service system 114 can authorize, settle, and settle transactions made using the digital asset service system 100. In some embodiments, the authorization and clearing processes may be performed in real time, while the settlement process may be performed at the end of the day, during which the actual cryptocurrency value is transmitted. In other embodiments, certain settlement processes may be performed in real-time to enable a consumer to immediately use the cryptocurrency corresponding to the digital asset when claiming the digital asset.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary mapping and flow of digital assets according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 2 includes a resource provider computer 201 associated with a financial institution computer 211, a resource provider computer 202 associated with a financial institution computer 212, a resource provider computer 203 associated with a financial institution computer 213, and a resource provider computer 204 associated with a financial institution computer 214. Each resource provider computer may be associated with a financial institution computer that manages its funds. In some embodiments, each of resource provider computers 201-204 may be a merchant computer operated by a merchant, and its corresponding financial institution computer 211-214 may be an acquirer computer operated by the merchant's acquirer or the merchant's bank.

While fig. 2 shows a limited number of resource provider computers and financial institution computers for simplicity, it should be understood that any suitable number of resource provider computers and financial institution computers may be present in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. It should be understood that the resource provider may be used interchangeably with the resource provider computer and the financial institution may be used interchangeably with the financial institution computer. For simplicity, the digital assets are shown in FIG. 2 as "DA".

In the exemplary scenario illustrated in FIG. 2, consumer 220 and consumer 230 have conducted transactions involving digital assets on each resource provider computer. Each transaction results in an amount of change being returned to each consumer. For example, resource provider computer 201 owes $ 2205 to consumer 220 for transactions and $ 2303 to consumer 230 for transactions with consumer 220. Thus, resource provider computer 201 may request that a digital asset corresponding to $5 ("DA $ 5") be distributed to consumer 220 and a digital asset corresponding to $3 ("DA $ 3") be distributed to consumer 230. Similarly, resource provider computer 202, resource provider computer 203, and resource provider computer 204 owe $ 2205 to consumer and $ 2303 to consumer. Accordingly, resource provider computer 202, resource provider computer 203, and resource provider computer 204 may request that a digital asset corresponding to $5 ("DA $ 5") be allocated to consumer 220, and a digital asset corresponding to $3 ("DA $ 3") be allocated to consumer 230.

The allocation of the digital assets may be performed by recording data in a transaction ledger that indicates an owner of the digital assets and an amount of money to which the digital assets correspond. This process is described in more detail herein. In addition to recording data indicative of the allocation of the digital assets, the amount of funds corresponding to the allocated digital assets is managed by a financial institution computer associated with the resource provider computer.

Each financial institution computer 211, 212, 213, 214 may hold or manage funds associated with an amount owed to the consumer by its corresponding resource provider computer. For example, financial institution computer 211 may maintain $5 for consumer 220 and $3 for consumer 230 because resource provider computer 201 requests that a digital asset associated with $5 be distributed to consumer 220 and a digital asset associated with $3 be distributed to consumer 230. Similarly, financial institution computer 212, financial institution computer 213, and financial institution computer 214 may hold $5 for consumer 220 and $3 for consumer 230, respectively, for transactions associated with resource provider computer 202, resource provider computer 203, and resource provider computer 204. While the resource provider computer is shown in FIG. 2 as owed to the consumer for the same amount for simplicity, it should be understood that the amount owed may be different in other circumstances.

The digital asset service provider computer may enable resource providers and consumers to manage their digital assets. The digital asset service provider computer may provide services such as those described with respect to the digital asset service system 100 of fig. 1. For example, a digital asset service provider computer may host digital asset accounts for resource providers and consumers. In some embodiments, the digital asset service provider computer may also host an application through which the resource provider computer and the consumer can view information related to their digital asset account and use their digital asset to conduct transactions. Such features are described in more detail with respect to fig. 3.

Fig. 3 illustrates a digital asset service provider computer 350 hosting digital asset accounts and digital asset management services according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 3 includes the elements of fig. 2. In addition, FIG. 3 includes computing devices 360 and 370, consumer digital asset accounts 320 and 330, resource provider digital asset accounts 301, 302, 303, and 304, and digital asset management service systems 311, 312, 313, and 314.

Each consumer may have all digital asset accounts managed by the digital asset service provider computer 350. For example, consumer 220 may be associated with a consumer digital asset account 320 that includes information related to digital assets assigned to consumer 220, while consumer 230 may be associated with a consumer digital asset account 330 that includes information related to digital assets assigned to consumer 230. In this exemplary case, consumer digital asset account 320 may indicate that the total dollar amount is allocated to consumer 220 from resource provider computers 201, 202, 203, 204, and consumer digital asset account 330 may indicate that the total dollar amount is allocated to consumer 230 from resource provider computers 201, 202, 203, 204, for $ 12.

In some embodiments, each consumer may access their consumer digital asset account through an application running on their computing device (e.g., mobile device). For example, consumer 220 may access consumer digital asset account 320 through an application running on computing device 360, and consumer 230 may access consumer digital asset account 330 through an application running on computing device 370. In some cases, the application may be a digital wallet that allows consumers to load digital assets received from a resource provider into their account, and pay the resource provider using the digital assets in their account, among other actions. The consumer may also use the digital wallet to view the total value of the digital assets associated with their account. In some cases, the digital wallet may be configured such that the consumer may not be able to see which entities issued particular digital assets. However, this information may be stored at the back end and used by the digital wallet to process the transaction. After the application is initially downloaded, the consumer may be requested to provide a user identifier (e.g., email address, phone number, etc.), username, and password. In some cases, the user may be supported for user anonymity by alias identifiers or other alternative information.

Each resource provider computer may also have a digital asset account managed by the digital asset service provider computer 350. For example, resource provider digital asset accounts 301, 302, 303, and 304 may correspond to resource provider computers 201, 202, 203, and 204, respectively. Each resource provider digital asset account may manage information about the digital assets allocated to its corresponding resource provider computer.

In some embodiments, each resource provider computer may access its resource provider digital asset account through an application program. In some cases, the application may run on a resource provider computer or other electronic device (e.g., a mobile point-of-sale device) in communication with the resource provider computer. When performing a transaction involving a digital asset, the resource provider computer may use the application to allocate the digital asset to a consumer that corresponds to a monetary amount. Upon initial download of the application, the resource provider computer may be requested to provide a resource provider name, a resource provider address, and resource provider Account Clearinghouse (ACH) account information (e.g., account number, routing number, etc.). In some cases, the loading of the resource provider may be performed over a financial institution network (e.g., an acquirer network).

The digital asset service provider computer 350 also provides digital asset management services to financial institution computers associated with the resource provider computer. As described above with respect to fig. 2, each financial institution computer may hold funds associated with digital assets transferred to the consumer by its respective resource provider. To track the transferred digital assets and corresponding amounts, the financial institution computer may use a digital asset management service to record relevant information in the transaction ledger.

In some embodiments, the digital asset management service may use blockchain techniques to record information in the transaction ledger. For example, the digital asset management service system 311 may enable the financial institution computer 211 to manage a blockchain ledger that stores information for transactions involving digital assets (e.g., receiving entities, timestamps, amounts, digital asset identifiers, etc.) made by the resource provider computer 201. The financial institution computer 211 may update the blockchain ledger after each new transaction involving a digital asset executed by the resource provider computer 201. In this exemplary case, the financial institution computer 211 may use the digital asset management service system 311 to add an entry to the blockchain ledger indicating that the resource provider computer 201 transferred a digital asset corresponding to $5 to the consumer 220 and transferred a digital asset corresponding to $3 to the consumer 230. Thus, the digital asset management service system 311 may enable storage of a mapping between digital assets distributed by the resource provider computer 201 and consumers to which the digital assets are transferred. Digital asset management service systems 312, 313, and 314 may provide similar services to financial institution computers 212, 213, and 214, respectively.

Embodiments of the present invention enable a consumer to conduct cashless transactions without establishing a direct relationship with any financial institution. Because the funds received by the consumer may be managed by multiple financial institution computers, the consumer does not need to have a bank card account with the financial institution and thus may not have a bank account. By simply registering for the services provided by the digital asset service provider computer 350, the consumer may create a digital asset account that may accumulate funds owed to the consumer by the resource provider. The consumer may then use the funds for a new transaction.

Fig. 4 illustrates an exemplary system 400 according to an embodiment of the invention. Fig. 4 includes a consumer 450 operating a computing device 451, resource provider computers 452 and 454, financial institution computers 453 and 455, a digital asset service provider computer 456, a payment processing server computer 457, and a payment gateway 458. The digital asset service provider computer 456 may provide at least the services described with respect to fig. 1 and 3. In some embodiments, the digital asset service provider computer 456 may be operated by a payment processing server computer 457. In other embodiments, the digital asset service provider computer 456 may be operated by a separate entity.

Computing device 451 may be any suitable electronic device capable of processing information and transmitting information to other electronic devices. The computing device may include a processor, an input device, an output device, and a computer-readable medium coupled to the processor, the computer-readable medium including code executable by the processor. The computing devices may also each include an external communication interface for communicating with other computing devices (e.g., resource provider computers 452 and 454, digital asset service provider computer 456, etc.) over a network.

The computing device 451 may be in any suitable shape. For example, the computing device 451 may be hand-held and compact such that it can be placed in a consumer's wallet and/or pocket (e.g., pocket-sized). Specific examples include cellular or mobile phones, tablets, desktop computers, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), pagers, portable computers, smart cards, and the like. Other examples include wearable devices (e.g., smart watches, glasses, fitness bracelets, foot chains, rings, earrings, etc.) and cars with telecommunication capabilities.

The resource provider computers 425 and 454 may be computers that handle processing for the resource provider performing the transaction. In some embodiments, the resource provider computer may process information received from computing device 451 or a mobile point-of-sale device to which information is provided by consumer 450. The resource provider computers 425 and 454 may forward the information to appropriate entities such as the digital asset service provider computer 456, the financial institution computers 453 and 455, the payment gateway 458, and the payment processing server computer 457. In some cases, resource provider computers 425 and 454 may host online websites or applications through which consumer 450 may perform transactions.

Financial institution computers 453 and 455 may be computers associated with financial institutions (e.g., banks) that manage funds. Financial institution computers 453 and 455 may be associated with resource provider computers 452 and 454, respectively. The financial institution computer 453 may be associated with a financial institution: the financial institution maintains funds associated with the digital assets transferred from the digital asset account of the resource provider computer 452 to the consumer digital asset account. The financial institution computer 455 may be associated with a financial institution: the financial institution maintains funds associated with the digital assets transferred from the digital asset account of the resource provider computer 454 to the consumer digital asset account.

The payment processing server computer 457 may comprise a server computer for payment processing. In some embodiments, the payment processing server computer 457 may be coupled to a database and may include any hardware, software, other logic, or combination of the preceding for servicing requests from one or more client computers. The payment processing server computer 457 may comprise one or more computing devices and may use any of a variety of computing structures, arrangements, and compilations to service requests from one or more client computers. In some embodiments, the payment processing server computer 457 may operate multiple server computers. In such embodiments, each server computer may be configured to process transactions for a given area or to manipulate specific types of transactions based on transaction data.

The payment processing server computer 457 may include data processing subsystems, networks, and operations to support and deliver authorization services, exception file services, and clearing and settlement services. An exemplary payment processing server computer may include VisaNet^TM. Including Visanet^TMThe network within is capable of handling credit card transactions, debit card transactions, and other types of commercial transactions. Visanet^TMSpecifically including an Integrated payment system (Integrated payment system) that processes authorization requests and a Base II system that performs clearing and settlement services. The payment processing server computer may use any suitable wired or wireless networkA wireless network, including the internet.

The payment processing server computer 457 may process transaction-related messages (e.g., authorization request messages and authorization response messages) and determine the respective destination computers for the transaction-related messages. In some embodiments, the payment processing server computer may authorize the transaction on behalf of the authorization computer. The payment processing server computer 457 may also process and/or facilitate clearing and settlement of financial transactions.

The payment gateway 548 may be a server computer that facilitates information from the payment portal to another processing entity. For example, the payment gateway 548 may communicate information received from the resource provider computer 454 to the payment processing server computer 457. In some embodiments, the payment gateway 548 may receive information from an online website hosted by the resource provider computer 454.

Exemplary system 400 may be used for two exemplary transactions by consumer 450. A first transaction may be conducted between a consumer 450 and a resource provider computer 452. A second transaction may be conducted between the consumer 450 and the resource provider computer 454. The consumer 450 and resource provider computers 452 and 454 may register with a digital asset service provider computer 456 and have a digital asset account. Both transactions may involve the transfer of digital assets from one digital asset account to another. The digital asset service provider computer 456 may facilitate the transfer of digital assets.

Clearing and settlement of transactions may be accomplished through mapping of Automated Clearing House (ACH) accounts between the resource provider computer and the digital asset service provider computer 456. For example, the ACH account of the resource provider computer 452 may be mapped by the financial institution computer 453 to the ACH account of the digital asset service provider computer 456, and the ACH account of the resource provider computer 454 may be mapped by the financial institution computer 455 to the ACH account of the digital asset service provider computer 456. In some embodiments, the ACH account of the digital asset service provider computer 456 may be unique to each resource provider.

The consumer 450 may pay for the first transaction using cash and request that the resource provider computer 452 make change to the transaction in the form of a digital asset. The consumer 450 may send the request using an application on the computing device 451, which may communicate the request to the digital asset service provider computer 456. The digital asset service provider computer 456 may generate digital assets corresponding to the amount of change and dispense the digital assets to the digital asset account of the consumer 450. Consumer 450 may claim the digital asset using an application on computing device 451. The digital asset service provider computer 456 may send a request to the financial institution computer 453 to move the change amount from the ACH account of the resource provider computer 452 to the ACH account of the digital asset service provider computer 456. In some embodiments, the request may be sent in real-time as consumer 450 conducts the first transaction to ensure that the amount is immediately available to consumer 450.

The consumer 450 may pay for the second transaction with the resource provider computer 454 using their digital asset account. Consumer 450 may use an application on computing device 451 to input a request to generate a token corresponding to a transaction amount that may be used to pay for the second transaction. The request may be sent to the digital asset service provider computer 456, which may generate a token corresponding to the transaction amount based on the digital assets assigned to the digital asset account of the consumer 450.

The token may be any suitable unique identifier that may be entered into computing device 451 by consumer 450. In some embodiments, the token may be a string of alphanumeric characters that may be typed into computing device 451 by consumer 450. For example, the token may be a six digit string of alphanumeric characters that the consumer 450 may enter into an interface displayed by the computing device 451. In other embodiments, the token may be in another form, such as a scannable image that may be scanned by consumer 450 using an application on computing device 451. For example, the token may be a QR code that the consumer 450 may scan using their application on the computing device 451.

Consumer 450 may access the token through an application on computing device 451 and use the token to pay for the second transaction. In some cases, consumer 450 may enter the token into an online payment website hosted by resource provider computer 454. The payment gateway 458 and the payment processing server computer 457 may process the authorization request for the second transaction. At the end of the day, a settlement process may be performed in which the digital asset service provider computer 456 sends a request to the financial institution computer 455 to move the transaction amount from the ACH account of the digital asset service provider computer 456 to the ACH account of the resource provider computer 454. Further details of exemplary two transactions are described with respect to at least fig. 5 and 6.

Although two exemplary transactions are described in detail herein, embodiments are not so limited. For example, in other embodiments, the first transaction may be paid in a manner other than cash, and the transaction is not limited to being a face-to-face transaction or an online transaction.

FIG. 5 illustrates a system having a detailed flow chart 500 of a transaction in which a consumer receives a change digital asset, according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 5 includes a computing device 549 operated by a consumer 550, a resource provider computer 551 associated with the resource provider, a financial institution computer 552 associated with the resource provider computer 551, an issuer node 553, and a ledger 554, a digital asset service provider computer 555, a digital asset payment network 556 (which may also be referred to as a cryptocurrency payment network), a manager node 557, and a digital asset database 559. The functionality provided by issuer node 553 and manager nodes 557 and 558 may be provided by digital asset service provider computer 555. The financial institution computer 552 may run a digital asset application hosted by a digital asset service provider computer 555. The transaction may be conducted between a consumer 550 and a resource provider computer 551, where the consumer 550 pays for the transaction using cash and receives change for the transaction in the form of a digital asset.

At step 501, consumer 550 pays a transaction fee to the resource provider. In an exemplary case, the transaction amount may be $ 8 and consumer 550 may pay $ 10 for the transaction. Thus, the resource provider may owe the consumer 550 to make a change in an amount of $ 2. The resource provider may have an account with the digital asset service provider computer 555 and may provide the consumer 550 with the option of receiving change in the form of a digital asset.

Consumer 550 may choose to receive change in the form of a digital asset. If the consumer 550 has not installed a digital wallet for managing digital assets on their computing device 549, the consumer 550 may download a digital wallet application hosted by the digital asset service provider computer 555 and set up their digital wallet by providing registration information, such as a user identifier (e.g., email address, phone number, etc.), username, and password. In some embodiments, a key pair corresponding to consumer 550 may be generated and stored by the digital wallet at this time.

The consumer 550 may then indicate to the resource provider that they would like to receive the change amount as a digital asset. In some embodiments, the consumer 550 may interact with the resource provider computer 551 to indicate that they would like to receive the change amount as a digital asset. For example, consumer 550 can activate a button on an interface provided by resource provider computer 551, or send a message from computing device 549 to resource provider computer 551. In other cases, the consumer 550 may verbally communicate the preferences to an agent at the point-of-sale terminal, which may then enter relevant information into the resource provider computer 551.

At step 502, the resource provider computer 551 sends a generation request of the digital asset corresponding to the change amount to the financial institution computer 552. Any communications received and sent by the financial institution computer 552 may be performed by a resource provider digital asset application operated by the resource provider computer 551. During initial setup of the resource provider digital asset application, a key pair corresponding to the resource provider computer 551 may have been generated. In some embodiments, the request may be sent with a change amount, a timestamp corresponding to the transaction, a resource provider identifier, a resource provider location, and other information that may be used to generate the digital asset.

At step 503, the financial institution computer 552 sends a request to the issuer node 553, and the issuer node 553 generates the digital asset based on the request. In some embodiments, the financial institution computer 552 may check whether the resource provider has sufficient funds to provide the change amount before sending the request to generate the digital asset. If sufficient funds are available, the issuer node 553 may generate the digital asset based on the information sent with the request. The digital asset may include data attributes such as a BIN identifier, a digital asset identifier, an amount, currency, a timestamp, an acquirer public key, a resource provider identifier, and a resource provider location. The digital asset identifier may be an identifier generated by issuer node 553 that uniquely identifies the digital asset. For example, the digital asset identifier may be a string of alphanumeric characters or a scannable image (e.g., a QR code). Examples of digital asset identifiers may include transaction identifiers. The amount may correspond to the amount of change sent with the request. The issuer node 553 may send information related to the digital asset, such as certain digital asset attributes associated with the digital asset (e.g., an amount, a resource provider identifier) to the financial institution computer 552.

At step 504, the financial institution computer 552 receives the digital asset attributes associated with the digital asset. The received digital asset attributes include a digital asset identifier that uniquely identifies the digital asset. In this exemplary case, the digital asset identifier may be a 6-bit alphanumeric string, such as "A12345".

At step 505, the financial institution computer 552 creates a request to store digital attributes associated with the digital asset and sends the request to the digital asset service provider computer 555.

At step 506, the digital asset service provider computer 555 stores the digital asset attributes associated with the digital assets in the digital asset database 659. In some embodiments, the digital asset database 659 may store digital asset attributes such that they are indexed by digital asset identifiers. However, the digital asset database 659 may store the digital asset attributes in any suitable manner. In some embodiments, although not required, the digital asset database 659 may store information in a queue such that digital asset attributes are stored in an order relative to the time of generation of the respective digital assets. Information related to the digital assets may remain stored in the digital asset database 559 until the consumer 550 claims the corresponding digital asset.

After the digital asset service provider computer 555 determines the digital asset identifier corresponding to the digital asset, the digital asset identifier may be transmitted from the digital asset service provider computer 555 to the computing device 549 in steps 507, 508, and 509. In some embodiments, the digital asset identifier may be transmitted via the financial institution computer 552 and the resource provider computer 551. The digital asset identifier may be displayed by consumer 550 (e.g., as a string of characters or a scannable image) on their computing device 549. In some cases, steps 507, 508, and 509 may be performed prior to step 506 or in parallel with step 506.

At step 510, the consumer 550 claims the digital asset by sending the received digital asset identifier associated with the digital asset to the digital asset service provider computer 555. For example, the consumer 550 may type the digital asset identifier "a 12345" into their digital wallet application on the computing device 549. The digital wallet application may then send a message to the digital asset service provider computer 555 indicating that the consumer 550 wants to claim the digital asset associated with the entered digital asset identifier.

In other embodiments, consumer 550 may receive the digital asset identifier in another suitable format, such as a scannable image (e.g., a QR code). In this case, the consumer 550 may scan the digital asset identifier using their digital wallet, which may then transmit the digital asset identifier to the digital asset service provider computer 555.

It should be understood that consumer 550 may claim the digital asset at any suitable time after the digital asset is generated. In some embodiments, consumer 550 may choose to claim the digital asset shortly after the transaction, such as when consumer 550 is still at the resource provider location. In other embodiments, consumer 550 may choose to claim the digital asset at a later time.

At step 511, the digital asset service provider computer 555 retrieves information related to the digital asset associated with the received digital asset identifier from the digital asset database 559. The digital asset service provider computer 555 may send a query to the digital asset database 559 to obtain information associated with the digital asset identifier. If the query does not return information, the digital asset database 559 may determine that the digital asset identifier is invalid and may send a notification indicating this information to the computing device 549. If the digital asset identifier is valid, the query may return information related to the digital asset (e.g., digital asset attributes) stored in association with the digital asset identifier to the digital asset service provider computer 555.

At step 512, digital asset service provider computer 555 communicates with manager node 557 and looks up the digital asset account associated with consumer 550. The digital asset account of consumer 550 may be identified by a consumer public address, which may be a public key associated with consumer 550. If a digital asset account associated with consumer 550 does not already exist, digital asset service provider computer 555 may generate a digital asset account for consumer 550. The public key associated with consumer 550 may be retrieved from the digital wallet of consumer 550 and bound to the digital asset account of consumer 550. This enables any digital assets that are issued to a public address associated with consumer 550 to be associated with the digital asset account of consumer 550.

The digital asset service provider computer 555 may send relevant information, including the information retrieved in step 511, to manager node 557, which instructs the transfer of the digital asset. In this case, the information may indicate at least the entity requesting generation of the digital asset (resource provider computer 551) and its public address (public key), the entity receiving the digital asset (consumer 550) and its public address (public key), the digital asset identifier, and the amount of money corresponding to the digital asset. Exemplary information is as follows.

Merchant ID	Consumer ID	Receiver address	Sender address	Digital asset ID	Amount of money
						M1-abc	C1-1234	M1 public key	C1 public key	A12345	$2.00

The digital asset service provider computer 555 may include a digital signature with information to send to the manager node 557. The digital signature may be generated by using a private key associated with the resource provider computer 551 that distributes the digital asset. This may allow other entities (e.g., nodes) that may access the information to verify the transfer of the digital asset based on the digital signature. For example, other entities may verify the digital signature using the corresponding public key associated with the resource provider computer 551 and verify that the information is valid. This verification may ensure that the digital asset is owned by consumer 550.

At step 513, the digital asset service provider computer 555 requests the financial institution computer 552 to issue a digital asset to the digital asset account of the consumer 550. The request may indicate that ledger 554 is to be updated to indicate that the digital asset is to be transferred from the digital asset account of the resource provider associated with resource provider computer 551 to the digital asset account of consumer 550. Upon request, financial institution computer 552 may initiate a process to update ledger 554 to include the information received by manager node 557 in step 512.

At step 514, financial institution computer 552 may send an instruction to update ledger 554. Ledger 554 may be in the form of a blockchain that can be updated to include information received with manager node 557 described above to indicate a new entry for the digital asset transfer. Additionally, the new entry may also include a data header that includes information that makes the new entry unalterable without detection. For example, the data header may include a hash of the previous entry in the ledger 554 and a root value for all past transactions. Since each entry in ledger 554 may be generated in a manner similar to: by including a header that stores information referencing its previous entry and previous transactions, it is not possible to modify any entry without affecting all subsequent entries. This ensures that any tampering with the information relating to the transaction, such as an attempt to redistribute the digital asset to an inappropriate entity, cannot be done unnoticed. Fig. 10 shows a number of exemplary entries in the form of a blockchain as described above.

At step 515, the digital asset service provider computer 555 pushes updated information to the digital wallet running on the computing device 549 based on the completed transaction. The updated information may include an updated total value assigned to the digital asset account of consumer 550. Consumer 550 can view the total value through the interface of the digital wallet. In this case, the updated total value may show an increase of $ 2 in the previous total value corresponding to the amount of change received by consumer 550. In some embodiments, the updated information may also include updated digital asset configuration data, such as digital asset attributes associated with digital assets assigned to consumer 550 for transactions. The updated digital asset configuration data may be stored at the back end via the digital wallet, but consumer 550 may not be able to access it via the digital wallet interface.

After the digital assets have been issued to consumers 550 and ledger 554 has been updated, a settlement process (not shown) may be performed. The settlement process may be a "quick settlement" in which a settlement request is sent during the transaction to ensure that funds associated with the claimed digital assets are provided to the consumer 550 in real time. An exemplary fast settlement flow is described in further detail with respect to fig. 9.

FIG. 6 shows a detailed flow diagram 600 of a transaction in which a consumer uses their digital asset account to pay for the transaction, according to an embodiment of the invention. Fig. 6 includes some of the components of fig. 5. Fig. 6 also includes a resource provider computer 651, Hardware Security Modules (HSMs) 680 and 690, a financial institution computer 652 associated with the resource provider computer 651, an issuer node 653, and a ledger 654. The functionality provided by issuer node 653 and manager nodes 557 and 558 may be provided by digital asset service provider computer 555. The financial institution computer 652 may run a digital asset application hosted by the digital asset service provider computer 555. A transaction may be conducted between the consumer 550 and the resource provider computer 651 where the consumer 550 uses their digital asset account to pay for the transaction. The resource provider computer 651 can be a second resource provider computer, or more specifically, a second merchant computer.

In the exemplary case shown, the transaction depicted in FIG. 6 is performed after the transaction depicted in FIG. 5 is performed. For the description of fig. 6, the transaction conducted in fig. 5 may be referred to as a first transaction, and the transaction conducted in fig. 6 may be referred to as a second transaction or a current transaction.

At step 601, the consumer 550 initiates a transaction using the computing device 549 with the resource provider computer 651 and requests payment for the transaction using their digital asset account. For example, the consumer 550 may purchase some goods from the resource provider computer 651 for a total transaction amount of $ 2. Consumers 550 may use the digital wallet on their computing device 549 to request payment for the transaction amount of their digital asset account. The consumer 650 can use the digital wallet on their computing device 649 to indicate a transaction amount of $ 2.

Based on the entered transaction amount, the digital wallet may determine a set of digital assets corresponding to the digital asset account of consumer 650 that may be used for the payment transaction. Since consumer 550 entered the transaction amount of $ 2, the digital wallet may determine the set of digital assets that are in amount of $ 2.

Any suitable algorithm may be used to determine the set of digital assets. For example, the digital wallet may initially determine whether there are any digital assets that correspond to the same amount as the requested transaction amount. If one or more of these digital assets are present, one may be selected randomly or based on a particular order (e.g., based on the date of creation). If no such digital assets exist, the digital wallet may determine digital assets corresponding to a maximum dollar amount that is less than the transaction dollar amount, calculate a difference between the transaction dollar amount and the dollar amount corresponding to the determined digital assets, and recursively perform a search for the remainder of the set of digital assets that may be summed with the calculated difference. If any set of digital assets cannot be combined to generate the exact transaction amount, the value of the digital assets can be split, as described in more detail below.

In the exemplary scenario depicted in fig. 6, the digital wallet may determine the digital assets received by consumer 550 in the first transaction shown in fig. 5 that correspond to $ 2, and may use the digital assets to pay for the current transaction. The digital wallet may retrieve a digital asset identifier associated with the determined digital asset and account identification information of a publishing entity of the digital asset. The digital wallet may then send the digital asset identifier and the account identification information to the digital asset service provider computer 655.

At step 602, digital asset service provider computer 555 requests verification of the balance in the digital asset account of consumer 550 based on information received from the digital wallet. The digital asset service provider computer 555 may determine the manager node associated with the received account identification information. In this case, the digital asset service provider computer 555 may determine that the account identification information is associated with a resource provider computer 551 (refer to fig. 5), the resource provider computer 551 corresponding to the manager node 557. Based on information tracked by the manager node 557 relating to the first transaction performed between the consumer 550 and the resource provider computer 551, the digital asset service provider computer 555 may request the manager node 557 to verify that the digital asset associated with the received digital asset identifier is owned by the consumer 550.

Manager node 557 may verify that the digital asset is properly assigned to the digital asset account of consumer 550. Manager node 557 may confirm that the information stored in the transaction ledger indicates that the digital asset is owned by consumer 550. For example, manager node 557 may confirm the placement of the digital asset to a public address bound to the digital asset account of consumer 550. After validation, the manager node 557 may notify the digital asset service provider computer 555 that the digital asset is indeed owned by the consumer 550. This allows digital asset service provider computer 555 to verify the balance associated with the digital asset account of consumer 550 and ensure that the balance is at least equal to the transaction amount of the current transaction.

At step 603, digital asset service provider computer 555 may generate a token corresponding to the transaction amount entered by consumer 650. The token may be a unique identifier (e.g., a string of characters, a scannable image, etc.). The digital asset service provider computer 555 may store the generated token in the digital asset database 559. The token may be stored in association with information about the corresponding digital asset (e.g., digital asset identifier, amount, etc.). The token may be retained before the resource provider computer 651 redeems the token to add its value to their digital asset account.

At step 604, the digital asset service provider computer 555 sends the token to the computing device 549. Consumer 550 may view the received token using a digital wallet on computing device 549. In some embodiments, the token may be displayed as a string of characters or a scannable image, such as a QR code.

At step 605, consumer 550 uses computing device 549 to provide a token to resource provider computer 651. In some embodiments, the consumer 550 can type a token or scan a token into the resource provider computer 651 or a mobile point-of-sale device in communication with the resource provider computer 651. In other embodiments, the consumer 550 can provide the token to an agent associated with the resource provider computer 651, and the agent can enter the token into the resource provider computer 651 or a mobile point-of-sale device in communication with the resource provider computer 651.

In steps 606 and 607, the resource provider computer 651 sends the token to the digital asset service provider computer 655, which then verifies the received token. The digital asset service provider computer 555 may query the digital asset database 559 using the token. If the query returns no information, it may indicate that the token is invalid and cannot be used to pay for the current transaction. If the query returns information related to its corresponding digital asset, the token and its corresponding amount may be verified.

At step 608, the digital asset service provider computer 555 requests the financial institution computer 552 to initiate a process of recording data related to the current transaction. In particular, the digital asset service provider computer 555 may request the financial institution computer 552 to establish, sign, and submit transaction data related to the current transaction, which indicates the transfer of the digital asset from the consumer's digital asset account to the digital asset account of the resource provider computer 651.

At step 609, the financial institution computer 552 creates and signs the transaction data to be recorded. In some embodiments, the transaction data may indicate at least the entity that initiated the digital asset transfer (consumer 550) and its public address (public key), the entity that received the digital asset (resource provider computer 651) and its public address (public key), and the digital asset amount. Financial institution computer 552 may access HSM680 to obtain a private key for digitally signing transaction data. The private key may be associated with a digital asset for use in a payment transaction. When a digital asset is first generated by issuer node 553 and stored in HSM680, a private key may be generated along with a corresponding public key.

At steps 610 and 611, the financial institution computer 552 submits the signed transaction data to the manager node 557, which then triggers other manager nodes residing on the digital asset payment network 656 to contact the entity that maintains the ledger to update its ledger with the new transaction data. By communicating updates to other nodes residing on the digital asset payment network 656, this ensures that any entity maintaining the ledger can verify the authenticity of the transaction. For example, a digital signature included in the submitted transaction data may be verified by using a corresponding public key that is publicly available.

In steps 612 and 613, the manager node 557 sends instructions to the financial institution computer 552 to update its ledger, which then updates the ledger 554 with the new transaction data. Ledger 554 may be in the form of a blockchain, and new transaction data may be stored in a new entry. The new entry may also include a data header that includes information that makes the new entry unalterable without detection. For example, the data header may include a hash of previous entries in the ledger 554 and a root value calculated based on all past transaction data. Since each entry in ledger 554 may be generated in a manner similar to: by including a header that stores information referencing its previous entry and previous transactions, it is not possible to modify any entry without affecting all subsequent entries. This ensures that any tampering with the information relating to the transaction, such as an attempt to redistribute the digital asset to an inappropriate entity, cannot be done unnoticed. Fig. 10 shows a number of exemplary entries in the form of a blockchain as described above.

At steps 614 and 615, the manager node 558 sends instructions to update its ledger to the financial institution computer 652, which then updates the ledger 654 with the new transaction data. Similar to ledger 554, ledger 654 may be in the form of a blockchain, and new transaction data may be stored in a new entry. The new entry may also include a data header that includes information that makes the new entry unalterable without detection. For example, the data header may include a hash of the previous entry in the ledger 654 and a root value calculated based on all past transactions. Since each entry in the ledger 654 can be generated in a manner similar to: by including a header that stores information referencing its previous entry and previous transactions, it is not possible to modify any entry without affecting all subsequent entries. This ensures that any tampering with the information relating to the transaction, such as an attempt to redistribute the digital asset to an inappropriate entity, cannot be done unnoticed. Fig. 10 shows a number of exemplary entries in the form of a blockchain as described above.

At the end of the day, a settlement process may be performed. Specifically, the settlement process may cause the transaction amount to be moved from the ACH account of the digital asset service provider computer 555 to the ACH account of the resource provider computer 651 with which the consumer 550 is transacting.

It should be understood that in other embodiments, the transaction amount for the second transaction may be a different amount than the amount corresponding to the single digital asset. For example, if the transaction amount is $ 9, multiple sets of digital assets associated with the digital asset account of consumer 550 may be aggregated for a total amount of $ 9. In one exemplary case, the collection may include a digital asset corresponding to $ 1, another digital asset corresponding to $3, and another digital asset corresponding to $ 5. In this case, several steps described with respect to steps 602 through 615 may be performed for each digital asset, such as verifying that the digital asset belongs to the consumer 550 (step 602), and storing the corresponding digital asset identifier and other digital asset attributes in the digital asset database 559 associated with the generated token (step 603).

Further, additional information may be stored when the transaction ledger is updated during the second transaction. That is, the information may indicate that a plurality of digital assets are used for the payment transaction. For example, the information may include a list of digital asset identifiers associated with the plurality of digital assets. Thus, this information may indicate that the digital asset corresponding to the digital asset identifier and its corresponding full amount are issued to a digital asset account of the resource provider computer 651, which may be identified by a public address (public key) corresponding to the resource provider computer 651.

In yet another embodiment, the exact transaction amount for the second transaction may not be generated by a total amount corresponding to the plurality of digital assets. For example, the transaction amount may be $ 8.50, and the only digital assets available in consumer 550's digital asset account may be a digital asset corresponding to $ 1, another digital asset corresponding to $3, and another digital asset corresponding to $ 5. In this case, one of the digital assets may be split such that a portion of the amount corresponding to the digital asset is issued to the digital asset account of the resource provider computer 651 and the remaining portion of the amount corresponding to the digital asset is issued to the digital asset account of the consumer 550. For example, a digital asset corresponding to $ 1 may be split to issue $ 0.50 to the digital asset account of resource provider computer 651 and $ 0.50 to the digital asset account of consumer 550.

If this is to be indicated, additional information may be stored when the transaction ledger is updated during the second transaction. For example, the information may indicate digital asset identifiers associated with three digital assets for a payment transaction, and corresponding amounts to be issued to a digital asset account of the resource provider computer 651 or a digital asset account of the consumer 550. In this case, the information may indicate a digital asset identifier corresponding to a digital asset of $5 dollar amount, where the amount transferred is $ 5; and a digital asset identifier corresponding to a digital asset of $3 dollar amount, wherein the amount transferred is $ 3. The information may further indicate a digital asset identifier corresponding to a digital asset of $ 1 amount, where the amount transferred to the digital asset account of the resource provider computer 651 is $ 0.50 and the amount transferred (returned) to the digital asset account of the consumer 550 is $ 0.50. The digital asset account of the resource provider computer 651 may be identified by a public address (public key) corresponding to the resource provider computer 651, and the digital asset account of the consumer 550 may be identified by a public address (public key) corresponding to the consumer 550.

Paying for transactions using their digital asset account is a convenient process for consumer 550. As long as the digital asset account holds digital assets corresponding to at least the total amount of the transaction amount for the transaction, the consumer 550 can pay for the transaction by simply sending a payment request through their computing device 549 using their digital asset account. The calculations associated with determining digital assets for payment transactions are run at the back end and do not rely on further input from consumer 550.

While the above-described embodiments enable cashless transactions by consumers not affiliated with a financial institution (e.g., a card issuer), these consumers without bank accounts do not have one potential feature of being able to convert value in their digital asset accounts into cash. While these consumers may accumulate value for payment transactions in their digital asset accounts, they may wish to be able to withdraw an amount of cash from their digital asset accounts. However, this presents challenges as the funds associated with a consumer's digital asset account are held by multiple financial institutions. A solution for enabling consumers without bank accounts to withdraw cash from their digital asset accounts is described with reference to figure 7.

FIG. 7 illustrates a system in which a consumer may withdraw cash associated with their digital asset account, according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 7 includes the components of FIG. 3 and a financial institution computer 715. While financial institution computers 211 through 214 hold funds associated with a consumer's digital asset account, as described with respect to FIG. 3, the funds may be aggregated by a single entity when the consumer registers for a service provided by financial institution computer 715.

An exemplary registration process performed by consumer 220 is described. Consumer 220 may use a digital wallet application associated with consumer digital asset account 320 on computing device 360 to conduct the registration process. The digital asset service provider computer 350 may send a financial institution list to the digital wallet capable of aggregating funds from a plurality of financial institutions (e.g., financial institution computers 211 through 214) holding funds associated with the consumer digital asset account 320. The financial institutions on the list may be any suitable entities that have a cooperative relationship with the digital asset service provider computer 350 and are interested in providing services to consumers without bank accounts. The consumer 220 may select a financial institution from a list displayed by their digital wallet application. In this exemplary case, consumer 220 may select a financial institution associated with financial institution computer 715.

Based on the selection, the digital asset service provider computer 350 may allow the financial institution computer 715 to manage funds corresponding to the consumer digital asset account 320 of the consumer 220. Subsequently, financial institution computer 715 may send a request to transfer all funds associated with consumer digital asset accounts 320 of consumer 220 held by various financial institutions (e.g., financial institution computers 211-214) to financial institution computer 715. In some embodiments, the request may be sent to the digital asset service provider computer 350, which may then forward instructions to the financial institution computers 211 through 214 to transfer the appropriate amount of funds. In other embodiments, the request may be sent to each financial institution computer 211 through 214 along with an indication of approval from the digital asset service provider computer 350.

Funds associated with consumer digital asset account 320 of consumer 220 may then be aggregated by financial institution computer 715. In this exemplary case, the total of $ 20 may be aggregated by financial institution computer 715, with each of financial institution computers 211 through 214 transferring $5 to financial institution computers 211 through 214. It should be appreciated that as more money accumulates in the future in consumer digital asset account 320 of consumer 220, financial institution computer 715 may be configured to request transfers at periodic intervals.

Digital asset service provider computer 350 may create a real monetary account for consumer 220. The real monetary account may be associated with information related to the consumer digital asset account 320, such as an account identifier of the consumer digital asset account 320 and identification information of the consumer 220 (e.g., digital wallet username and password). The digital asset service provider computer 350 may send information (e.g., an account identifier) about its newly created real monetary account to the consumer 220 via its digital wallet. Subsequently, consumer 220 may be able to withdraw up to $ 20 cash from their consumer digital asset account 320 using an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) hosted by financial institution computer 715.

Although the enrollment process of consumer 220 is described in detail above, consumer 230 may perform a similar enrollment process. The consumer 230 may also select a financial institution computer 715, and the financial institution computer 715 may aggregate a total of $ 12 from the financial institution computers 211 through 214. The consumer 230 may then use the ATM hosted by the financial institution computer 715 to withdraw cash from its consumer digital asset account 320 for up to $ 12. In other embodiments, consumer 230 may select a different financial institution to aggregate their cash than the financial institution selected by consumer 220. In this case, the customer 230 may then use the ATM hosted by the financial institution of their choice to withdraw cash.

In other embodiments, the consumer may not be provided the option of selecting a financial institution to aggregate the funds associated with their digital asset account. Rather, the financial institution may be pre-selected by the digital asset service provider computer 350 based on various factors. For example, the digital asset service provider computer 350 may designate a financial institution located in a particular area for the consumer based on a particular geographic location detected for the consumer.

Fig. 8 shows a flow diagram 800 of another method of performing a transaction in which a consumer receives a change digital asset, according to an embodiment of the invention. Fig. 8 includes a consumer 850 operating a computing device 849, a resource provider computer 851 associated with the resource provider, an acquirer computer 852, a payment processing server computer 853, a financial institution computer 854, and a ledger 855. The financial institution computer 854 may run an application that enables it to dispense digital assets. The method utilizes a transaction code corresponding to a "prepaid load" at the POS terminal. Transaction codes may be supported as part of the ISO 8583 message standard. The method may implement certain steps that eliminate the involvement of consumer input in claiming digital assets.

Before performing the transaction, consumer 850 performs a digital asset wallet activation process. The consumer 850 may install a digital asset wallet application including a digital asset wallet (e.g., a virtual digital asset card) onto the computing device 849. Consumer 850 may be prompted to provide registration information for the setting, such as an identifier (e.g., email), password. In some cases, other information may be requested from the consumer 850 based on local regulations and bank requirements (e.g., knowing your customer), such as a driver's license identifier, the last 4 digits of a social security number, which may be used to verify the identity of the consumer 850, as well as support password recovery schemes, and the like.

During activation of the digital wallet, an account number (e.g., PAN number) may be generated in association with the digital wallet. Although the consumer 850 is not provided with an account number, the digital wallet may be provided with a tokenized account number and password at the time the transaction is conducted. In some embodiments, sensitive information related to the digital wallet (e.g., a tokenized account number, a Limited Use Key (LUK), and a user-derived key (UDK)) may be securely stored on the cloud, or may be encrypted and stored on a secure element of the computing device 849. Initially, the digital wallet may not have a balance and may not be used.

At step 801, a consumer 850 initiates a transaction with a resource provider. Consumer 850 may pay $ 10 cash for the transaction, which amounts to $ 2. Consumer 850 may notify agent operations resource provider computer 851 to add the dollar-8 change amount of the transaction to their digital asset wallet.

At step 802, consumer 850 sends identification information associated with their digital wallet to resource provider computer 851 using computing device 849. In some embodiments, the consumer 850 may tap their computing device 849 using NFC at a resource provider POS terminal device in communication with the resource provider computer 851 to initiate the transfer of information. This may allow identification information related to the digital asset wallet on the computing device 849 to be communicated to the resource provider computer 851, which may then forward the information to other entities in a subsequent step.

In step 803, the agent enters a request for a prepaid load (or cash load) based on a request from the resource provider computer 851 of the customer 850. Resource provider computer 851 can generate a message requesting a prepaid load transaction and send the message to acquirer computer 852. A message may be sent indicating that the load is $ 8, and the identification information is received in step 802.

At step 804, acquirer computer 852 generates a request message based on the message received from resource provider computer 851. In some embodiments, acquirer computer 852 may generate a "0200" message indicating a request for $ 8 funds to load into consumer 850's digital asset wallet according to the ISO 8583 messaging standard. The acquirer computer 852 may send a request message to the payment processing server computer 853.

The payment processing server computer 853 sends a request message to the financial institution computer 854 at step 805. This may instruct financial institution computer 854 to load $ 8 funds into the consumer's 850 digital asset account from the acquirer computer 852 associated with the resource provider computer 851.

At step 806, the financial institution computer 854 generates digital assets associated with the change amount and allocates the digital assets to the digital asset account of the consumer 850. The financial institution computer 854 may run a digital asset application through which it may generate and distribute digital assets. In this case, a digital asset may be generated having a corresponding dollar amount of 8 dollars.

Financial institution computer 854 may issue the generated digital assets to consumer 850 by updating ledger 885 to indicate that the digital assets were issued to consumer 850's digital asset account during the transaction. In this case, the transaction data included in the new entry of the ledger 885 may include the public address of the recipient of the digital asset (consumer 850), the public address of the originator of the digital asset request (e.g., resource provider computer 851), the ID of the acquirer (e.g., acquirer computer 852) that initiated the request for the digital asset, the amount corresponding to the change amount (e.g., $ 8), the resource provider location, and the transaction timestamp. The blockchain management and ledger update flow may be similar to that described with respect to fig. 5.

In step 807, the financial institution computer 854 generates a response message and transmits the response message to the payment processing server computer 853. In some embodiments, the response message may be a "0210" message according to the ISO 8583 message standard, which includes a response to the received fund request. The response message may indicate that the requested funds were loaded successfully.

The payment processing server computer 853 sends a response message to the acquirer computer 852 at steps 808 and 809, and the acquirer computer 852 forwards the response message to the resource provider computer 851. Resource provider computer 851 may process the response message to check whether the funds were successfully loaded into the digital asset account of consumer 850.

At step 810, the resource provider POS terminal device may print a receipt for customer 850 indicating the change amount for the transaction. The consumer 850 may be able to view an updated balance on their digital asset wallet using their computing device 849, where the updated balance reflects the credit amount of $ 8 received as change for the transaction.

Fig. 9 shows a flow diagram 900 of a quick settlement process according to an embodiment of the invention. Fig. 9 includes an acquirer computer 952 associated with a resource provider, a payment processing server computer 953, a digital asset service provider computer 955, and a financial institution computer 954. Financial institution computer 954 may be the entity that generates and issues the digital assets. A quick settlement process may be used when a consumer claims and transfers a digital asset to the consumer's digital asset account for a transaction with a resource provider. This enables real currency corresponding to the transferred digital assets to be made available to the consumer in real time.

At step 901, the digital asset is transferred to a consumer digital asset account. The transfer may include several steps, as described at least with respect to fig. 5 or 8, including updating the transaction ledger to indicate that the digital asset is issued to the consumer's digital asset account. After updating the record to indicate the transfer of ownership of the digital asset, a quick settlement process may be initiated to enable funds associated with the digital asset to be used by the consumer in real-time.

At step 902, the digital asset service provider computer 955 generates a quick settlement request for the payment processing server computer 953. The payment processing server computer 953 may provide settlement services that report clearing transactions for each settlement participant. Generally, settlement can be processed at a later time. However, a quick settlement request from the digital asset service provider computer 955 may indicate that funds will be available in real-time.

At step 903, the payment processing server computer 953 sends a real-time settlement message to the acquirer computer 952. This indicates to the acquirer computer 952 that the settlement process for the ongoing transaction is a quick settlement process. The acquirer computer 952 may participate in a single message system where authorization, clearing, and settlement data are performed in a single operation. Thus, when acquirer computer 952 receives an indication that the transaction is authorized, the transaction is deemed closed.

At step 904, the payment processing server computer 953 sends a fast funds transfer request from the financial institution computer 954 to the financial institution computer that issued the digital asset. The payment processing server computer 953 may generate a settlement service file including settlement information corresponding to the transaction. The settlement service file of the fast funds transfer request may include rights data that enables the financial institution computer to immediately provide the value associated with the digital asset to the consumer. Thus, the amount of money credited to the consumer's digital asset account as transaction change may be used by the consumer in real time, even though real currency may still be transferred as part of the settlement process performed on the batch at the end of the day.

A computer system may be used to implement any of the entities or components described above. The subsystems of the computer system may be interconnected via a system bus. Additional subsystems may include a printer, keyboard, fixed disk (or other memory including computer-readable media), monitor coupled to a display adapter, and other devices. Peripherals and input/output (I/O) devices, which are coupled to an I/O controller (which may be a processor or any suitable controller), can be connected to the computer system by any number of means known in the art, such as a serial port. For example, a serial port or external interface can be used to connect the computer device to a wide area network (such as the internet), a mouse input device, or a scanner. The interconnection via a system bus allows the central processor to communicate with each subsystem and to control the execution of instructions from the system memory or the fixed disk and the exchange of information between subsystems. The system memory and/or fixed disk may embody a computer readable medium. In some embodiments, the monitor may be a touch-sensitive display screen.

Specific details regarding some of the above aspects are provided above. The specific details of the particular aspects may be combined in any suitable manner without departing from the spirit and scope of the embodiments of the present technology. For example, in some embodiments of the present technology, back-end processing, data analysis, data collection, and other transactions may all be combined. However, other embodiments of the present technology may involve specific embodiments relating to each individual aspect, or specific combinations of these individual aspects.

It should be appreciated that the present technology as described above may be implemented in the form of control logic using computer software (stored in tangible physical media) in a modular or integrated manner. Although the present invention has been described using a particular combination of hardware and software in the form of control logic and programming code and instructions, it should be recognized that other combinations of hardware and software are also within the scope of the present invention. Based on the disclosure and teachings provided herein, a person of ordinary skill in the art will know and appreciate other ways and/or methods to implement the present techniques using hardware and a combination of hardware and software.

Any of the software components or functions described herein may be implemented as software code executed by a processor using, for example, conventional or object-oriented techniques, and using any suitable computer language such as, for example, Java, C + + or Perl. The software code may be stored as a series of instructions or commands on a computer readable medium, such as a Random Access Memory (RAM), a Read Only Memory (ROM), a magnetic medium, such as a hard disk or a floppy disk, or an optical medium, such as a CD-ROM. Any such computer-readable medium may reside on or within a single computing device, and may exist on or within different computing devices within a system or network.

The above description is illustrative and not restrictive. Many variations of the techniques will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading this disclosure. The technical scope should, therefore, be determined not with reference to the above description, but instead should be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with their full scope or equivalents.

In some embodiments, any of the entities described herein may be implemented by a computer performing any or all of the disclosed functions and steps.

One or more features of any embodiment may be combined with one or more features of any other embodiment without departing from the scope of the technology.

The recitation of "a", "an" or "the" is intended to mean "one or more" unless explicitly indicated to the contrary.

All patents, patent applications, publications, and descriptions mentioned above are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all purposes. They are not admitted to be prior art.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a service provider computer, a request for a digital asset corresponding to an amount owed to a consumer for a transaction between the consumer and a resource provider associated with the resource provider computer;

generating, by the service provider computer, the digital asset corresponding to the amount of money;

determining, by the service provider computer, a digital asset identifier associated with the digital asset, wherein the digital asset identifier is ultimately provided to the consumer's computing device;

receiving, by the service provider computer, the digital asset identifier from the computing device of the consumer; and

sending, by the service provider computer to a financial institution computer associated with the resource provider, a request to update a non-alterable electronic transaction ledger managed by the financial institution computer, wherein the financial institution computer updates the non-alterable electronic transaction ledger to indicate a transfer of the digital asset from a digital asset account of the resource provider to a digital asset account of the consumer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction is a first transaction, the resource provider is a first resource provider, the resource provider computer is a first resource provider computer, the financial institution computer is a first financial institution computer, the non-modifiable electronic transaction ledger is a first non-modifiable electronic transaction ledger, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, by the service provider computer from the computing device of the consumer, a request to pay for a second transaction using the digital asset, wherein the second transaction is conducted between the consumer and a second resource provider;

generating, by the service provider computer, a token associated with the digital asset;

sending, by the service provider computer, the token to the computing device;

receiving, by the service provider computer, the token provided by the consumer using their computing device; and

sending, by the service provider computer, a request to a second financial institution computer associated with the second resource provider to update a second non-modifiable electronic transaction ledger managed by the second financial institution computer, wherein the second financial institution computer updates the second non-modifiable electronic transaction ledger to indicate a transfer of the digital asset from the digital asset account of the consumer to a digital asset account of the second resource provider.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital asset identifier is a character string entered by the consumer or a scannable image scanned using the computing device.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

sending, by the service provider computer to the first financial institution computer, a request to update the first non-modifiable electronic transaction ledger managed by the first financial institution computer, wherein the first financial institution computer updates the non-modifiable electronic transaction ledger to indicate a transfer of the digital asset from the digital asset account of the consumer to the digital asset account of the second resource provider.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-alterable electronic transaction ledger is updated to include a new entry that includes identification information of the resource provider and its digital asset account, identification information of the consumer and its digital asset account, and an amount corresponding to the digital asset, wherein the new entry includes a digital signature of the resource provider computer.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the digital signature can be verified using a public key associated with the resource provider computer.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the first non-modifiable electronic transaction ledger and the second non-modifiable electronic transaction ledger are in the form of blockchains.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device of the consumer comprises a digital wallet application associated with the digital asset account of the consumer.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing a quick settlement process for the transaction in real time.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the amount associated with the digital asset is available to the consumer in real-time.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the consumer pays for the transaction using cash.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the service provider computer from the computing device of the consumer, a selection of a third financial institution computer to manage a total amount associated with a digital asset corresponding to the digital asset account of the consumer; and

allowing, by the service provider computer, the selected third financial institution computer to aggregate the total amount associated with the digital asset account of the consumer.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the consumer withdraws cash from an automated teller machine associated with the selected third financial institution computer, and wherein the value of the cash is deducted from the digital asset account of the consumer.

14. A method, comprising:

providing a request to a resource provider computer associated with a resource provider to receive a change for a transaction in the form of a digital asset, wherein the resource provider computer sends a request to a service provider computer to generate the digital asset corresponding to a change amount;

receiving, by a computing device, a digital asset identifier associated with the digital asset generated by the service provider computer; and

sending, by the computing device, the digital asset identifier to the service provider computer, wherein the service provider computer sends a request to a financial institution computer associated with the resource provider to update a non-modifiable electronic transaction ledger managed by the financial institution computer, wherein the financial institution computer updates the non-modifiable electronic transaction ledger to indicate a transfer of the digital asset from a digital asset account of the resource provider to a digital asset account of a consumer.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the transaction is a first transaction, the resource provider is a first resource provider, the resource provider computer is a first resource provider computer, the non-modifiable electronic transaction ledger is a first non-modifiable electronic transaction ledger, and the financial institution computer is a first financial institution computer, the method further comprising:

sending, by the computing device to the service provider computer, a request to pay for a second transaction with a second resource provider using the digital asset account of the consumer;

receiving, by the computing device, a token generated by the service provider computer corresponding to the digital asset; and

providing, by the computing device, the token to the service provider computer, wherein the service provider computer sends a request to a second financial institution computer associated with the second resource provider to update a second non-modifiable electronic transaction ledger managed by the second financial institution computer, wherein the second financial institution computer updates the second non-modifiable electronic transaction ledger to indicate a transfer of the digital asset from the digital asset account of the consumer to a digital asset account of the second resource provider.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the digital asset identifier is a character string entered by the consumer or a scannable image scanned using the computing device.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the token is a string of characters typed by the consumer or a scannable image scanned using the computing device.

18. A service provider computer comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable medium coupled to the processor, the computer-readable medium comprising code executable by the processor to implement the method of claim 1.

19. A computing device, comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable medium coupled to the processor, the computer-readable medium comprising code executable by the processor to implement the method of claim 14.

20. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a service provider computer, a prepaid load request corresponding to an amount owed to a consumer for a transaction conducted between the consumer and a resource provider associated with a resource provider computer, wherein the prepaid load request is generated by the resource provider computer;

generating, by the service provider computer, a digital asset corresponding to the amount of money;

sending, by the service provider computer to a financial institution computer associated with the resource provider, a request to update a non-modifiable electronic transaction ledger managed by the financial institution computer, wherein the financial institution computer updates the non-modifiable electronic transaction ledger to indicate a transfer of the digital asset to a digital asset account of the consumer; and

transmitting, by the service provider computer, a prepaid load response indicating that the amount has been transferred.