A peer-to-peer network, enabling different parties to jointly store and run computations on data while keeping the data completely private. Enigma's computational model is based on a highly optimized version of secure multi-party computation, guaranteed by a verifiable secret-sharing scheme. For storage, we use a modified distributed hashtable for holding secret-shared data. An external blockchain is utilized as the controller of the network, manages access control, identities and serves as a tamper-proof log of events. Security deposits and fees incentivize operation, correctness and fairness of the system. Similar to Bitcoin, Enigma removes the need for a trusted third party, enabling autonomous control of personal data. For the first time, users are able to share their data with cryptographic guarantees regarding their privacy. Since early human history, centralization has been a major competitive advantage. Societies with centralized governance were able to develop more advanced technology, accumulate more resources and increase their population faster [1] . As societies evolved, the negative effects of centralization of power were revealed: corruption, inequality, preservation of the status quo and abuse of power. As it turns out, some separation of powers [2] is necessary. In modern times, we strive to find a balance between the models, maximizing output and efficiency with centralized control, guarded by checks and balances of decentralized governance. The original narrative of the web is one of radical decentralization and freedom [3]. During the last decade, the web's incredible growth was coupled with increased centralization. Few large companies now own important junctures of the web, and consequently a lot of the data created on the web. The lack of transparency and control over these organizations reveals the negative aspects of centralization once again: manipulation [4], surveillance [5] , and frequent data breaches [6] . Bitcoin [9] and other blockchains [10] (e.g., Ethereum) promise a new future. Internet applications can now be built with a decentralized architecture, where no single party has absolute power and control. The public nature of the blockchain guarantees transparency over how applications work and leaves an irrefutable record of activities, providing strong incentives for honest behavior. Bitcoin the currency was the first such application, initiating a new paradigm to the web. The intense verification and public nature of the blockchain limits potential use cases, however. Modern applications use huge amounts of data, and run extensive analysis on that data. This restriction means that only fiduciary code can run on the blockchain [7] . The problem is, much of the most sensitive parts of modern applications require heavy processing on private data. In their current design, blockchains cannot handle privacy at all. Furthermore, they are not well-suited for heavy computations. Their public nature means private data would flow through every full node on the blockchain, fully exposed. *
Enigma REF proposes the use of Secure Multi-Party Computation as a building block for the decentralized execution of SCs on private data, while relying on an external blockchainbased DL for identity management, access control and a tamper-proof event log.
Enigma: Decentralized Computation Platform with Guaranteed Privacy
ArXiv
ArXiv
Computer Science