Patent attributes
A computer implemented method of a receiving secure computing component to provide access to a cryptographic key for a key requester, the key being associated with an owning secure computing component by a digitally signed record in a blockchain wherein the blockchain is accessible via a network and includes a plurality of records validated by miner computing components, wherein the key requester has associated a quantity of cryptocurrency by a digitally signed record in the blockchain, the method including: receiving a request from the key requester to access the key; generating a first new record for storage in the blockchain to transfer a predetermined quantity of cryptocurrency associated with the requester to be associated with the receiving component, the first new record being validated by the miner components; responsive to the validation of the first new record, communicating a request to the owning component to transfer the key to the receiving component; responsive to securely receiving the key at the receiving component and a validation of a second new record in the blockchain, the second new record associating the key with the receiving component, providing the requester with secure access to the key.
