Blockchain Virtual Machine Privacy Using Secure MPC Execution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing smart contract-based blockchain networks lack confidentiality, exposing sensitive data to the public, which hinders usability and adoption for real-world applications dealing with confidential information.
Innovation Solution
Implement a privacy-preserving blockchain virtual machine (BVM) using a garbling scheme-based secure multi-party computation (MPC) protocol to encrypt and execute smart contract methods on confidential data without revealing it to network participants, incorporating authenticated memory and storage to manage and manipulate this data securely.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If all data is made publicly accessible to encourage decentralization, then network participation is improved, but data confidentiality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments data into confidential and non-confidential portions, allowing different access levels. Confidential data is processed through secure multi-party computation protocols that split data representation among multiple parties, ensuring no single participant can access the raw confidential information while still enabling network-wide validation and processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces cryptographic intermediaries including garbled circuits, secret sharing schemes, and trusted execution environments that mediate between public data access and private data protection. These intermediaries enable decentralized computation on confidential data without exposing the underlying information to network participants.
2Loss of information
If confidential data is encrypted and processed through secure multi-party computation, then data confidentiality is improved, but computational complexity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary actions by pre-compiling and caching garbled circuits, pre-distributing secret shares, and preparing cryptographic parameters before actual data processing. This preprocessing reduces the computational burden during live operations, making secure multi-party computation more efficient and scalable.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses cryptographic copying mechanisms where data is replicated across multiple nodes in encrypted or secret-shared form. Instead of moving physical data, the system creates and distributes cryptographic representations that can be processed independently by different parties, reducing centralized computational complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A privacy-preserving blockchain virtual machine (BVM) is provided. In certain embodiments, this privacy-preserving BVM implements secure data types that are designed to hold and secure confidential data that is at rest, in transit, and in use; components/mechanisms for applying access controls over the secure data types; and rules and operations for implementing the access controls.