A computer-implemented method comprising: encrypting a plaintext message to a cryptographic public key in accordance with an identity-based encryption scheme using at least a congress public key to generate an encrypted message, wherein the congress public key is associated with members of a congress, respective members of the congress having access to private key shares usable in a threshold decryption scheme in which at least a threshold of private key shares are sufficient to derive a decryption key through the combination of partial contributions to the decryption key on behalf of the congress; generating, using at least a cryptographic private key corresponding to the cryptographic public key, a digital signature over a first set of instructions to perform cryptographic operations upon an occurrence of an event; and broadcasting one or more transactions to a proof-of-work blockchain network, the one or more transactions comprising the encrypted message, the cryptographic public key, at least the first set of instructions, and a second set of instructions to the members of the congress to cooperate to: in response to reaching a consensus on the event occurring and contingent upon the digital signature being authentic, deploy a sidechain to perform the first set of instructions, wherein performing the first set of instructions includes at least deriving the decryption key from the cryptographic public key and a plurality of private key shares that satisfies the threshold, the decryption key being sufficient cryptographic material to obtain the plaintext message from the encrypted message, wherein blocks added to the sidechain are used to construct the decryption key and wherein the sidechain is a proof-of-stake blockchain that is configured to run continuously and is not configured to terminate upon derivation of the decryption key. encrypting a plaintext message to a cryptographic public key in accordance with an identity-based encryption scheme using at least a congress public key to generate an encrypted message, wherein the congress public key is associated with members of a congress, respective members of the congress having access to private key shares usable in a threshold decryption scheme in which at least a threshold of private key shares are sufficient to derive a decryption key through the combination of partial contributions to the decryption key on behalf of the congress; generating, using at least a cryptographic private key corresponding to the cryptographic public key, a digital signature over a first set of instructions to perform cryptographic operations upon an occurrence of an event; and broadcasting one or more transactions to a proof-of-work blockchain network, the one or more transactions comprising the encrypted message, the cryptographic public key, at least the first set of instructions, and a second set of instructions to the members of the congress to cooperate to: in response to reaching a consensus on the event occurring and contingent upon the digital signature being authentic, deploy a sidechain to perform the first set of instructions, wherein performing the first set of instructions includes at least deriving the decryption key from the cryptographic public key and a plurality of private key shares that satisfies the threshold, the decryption key being sufficient cryptographic material to obtain the plaintext message from the encrypted message, wherein blocks added to the sidechain are used to construct the decryption key and wherein the sidechain is a proof-of-stake blockchain that is configured to run continuously and is not configured to terminate upon derivation of the decryption key. <EOS>