This is part 3 of a three-part series where we review the three key technology innovations of Partisia Blockchain and compare them with other blockchain technologies. You can read our intro and the performance comparison between various other chains here, or read more about the privacy layer comparison here.
Part 3 reviews the various web3 infrastructure aiming to address the issue around interoperability between different chains, the techniques used as well as pros and cons of various technologies.
Partisia Blockchain is deeply committed to interoperability, aiming to foster trust and collaboration across diverse blockchain networks. Its unique architecture addresses the challenges of cross-chain interactions through a multi-faceted approach, including its innovative “Bring Your Own Coin” (BYOC) concept and advanced bridging solutions.
BYOC allows users to pay gas fees in various liquid coins like Ethereum, BNB, MATIC, USDC, and USDT, rather than requiring a native token. This flexibility enhances convenience and accessibility, eliminating the need for users to acquire a specific token for network interaction. Moreover, BYOC enables developers to open their decentralized applications (dApps) to a wider audience, as users can transact with their preferred cryptocurrency. The stable fee structure, pegged to USD, ensures predictability for projects and users alike, regardless of underlying asset price fluctuations.
Partisia Blockchain’s token bridge is another core innovation. It employs a combined approach of double bookkeeping, staking as collateral, and large-scale MPC-based selection of oracle nodes to form a secure and efficient bridge. This design ensures a 1:1 correspondence between tokens across chains, enhancing security and trust in cross-chain transactions. The token bridge also incorporates a mechanism of frequently expiring epochs and MPC tokens as collateral staking, limiting the accumulation of financial risk.
For securing digital assets, Partisia Blockchain offers MOCCA, a decentralized and fully programmable custody solution. This enables institutions, DAOs, exchanges, and wallet providers to collaborate trustlessly to secure the assets of their users. MOCCA’s smart contracts provide flexibility in defining access controls, voting powers, NFT permissions, and transaction rules, catering to diverse custody requirements.
Partisia Blockchain’s versatility also allows it to function as a second layer for other blockchains. By deploying a zero-knowledge smart contract on Partisia alongside a public contract on the Layer 1 chain, dApps can leverage Partisia’s privacy-preserving capabilities without migrating their entire infrastructure. This approach enables seamless integration of privacy features into existing applications, promoting wider adoption of privacy-preserving technologies.
LayerZero is a messaging protocol designed to facilitate seamless communication and data exchange between blockchains, fostering an “omnichain” vision where all chains are interoperable. This is achieved through a Mesh Network architecture that overcomes the limitations of existing cross-chain solutions.
The innovation lies in facilitating communication between blockchains without the need for costly on-chain nodes or insecure middle chains. This is achieved through a combination of Ultra-Light Nodes (ULNs), blockchain endpoints, decentralized third-party oracles, and relayers. Oracles, such as Chainlink and Band Protocol, fetch transaction data from the block header, while independent relayers verify the transaction proof. This dual verification process ensures the security and validity of the message.
Functioning as a messaging layer, LayerZero enables communication between different blockchains and their smart contracts. The Omnichain Fungible Token (OFT) contract standard enables seamless cross-chain token transfers without asset wrapping or intermediate chains. However, this functionality is tied to the LayerZero ecosystem, which limits the potential reach and interoperability of tokens.
Each application built on LayerZero can configure a security stack consisting of several required and optional decentralized verifier networks (DVNs) to verify its messages. These DVNs can leverage various validation methods, including zk-technology, middlechains, and consortium signers. Additionally, Rate Limiter allows controlling the number of cross-chain messages within a specific time frame, preventing denial-of-service (DoS) attacks and ensuring regulatory compliance. However, this is at a cost of performance.
This flexible approach to security empowers applications built on LayerZero to tailor their verification mechanisms to their specific needs and risk profiles. By not prescribing a single method, LayerZero allows for a diverse range of security configurations across the ecosystem.
Cosmos is designed to be the “Internet of Blockchains,” addressing the limitations of isolated blockchain networks. It achieves interoperability and scalability through a combination of innovative technologies and a modular architecture.
Instead of a single monolithic blockchain, Cosmos allows for the creation of multiple independent blockchains, each with its own specific use case and consensus mechanism. Developers can leverage pre-built modules for common blockchain functionalities, reducing development time and complexity.
The Cosmos Hub serves as the nexus for the entire Cosmos ecosystem. It acts as the intermediary connecting various blockchains within the network. Instead of each blockchain directly linking to every other chain, they all plug into the Cosmos Hub. This hub keeps track of interactions and facilitates communication among different zones (blockchains) in a secure and efficient manner.
Cosmos ensures security through a decentralized validator model. Each chain has its own set of validators responsible for verifying transactions and securing the network. This decentralized approach eliminates single points of failure and enhances the overall security of the ecosystem.
Replicated Security is a feature that allows the Cosmos Hub to provide its strong security to other blockchains, known as “consumer chains” through the IBC protocol. This enables consumer chains to benefit from the Cosmos Hub’s security without needing to maintain their own validator sets.
Interchain Accounts (ICA) represent a significant advancement in cross-chain interoperability, making the Cosmos ecosystem more interconnected and user-friendly. With ICA, applications can directly access and utilize functionalities of applications on other chains and users are able to perform actions like token transfers, swaps, staking, and governance participation from a single account. The benefits of ICA extend to various use cases, including cross-chain liquidity provision, lending, borrowing, and NFT transfers. It enhances governance by allowing voting on proposals across multiple chains without switching accounts.
In addition to IBC, Cosmos supports bridge protocols like Gravity Bridge and Wormhole Gateway. These bridges connect the Cosmos ecosystem with other blockchain networks like Ethereum and Solana, further expanding interoperability and enabling asset transfers and cross-chain communication between diverse ecosystems.
The comparative analysis of various blockchain technologies reveals a spectrum of approaches to privacy, scalability, and interoperability.
Partisia Blockchain’s focus on privacy is not only a technological advancement, but also a philosophical shift towards a more user-centric and privacy-conscious approach to blockchain technology. By seamlessly integrating cutting-edge cryptographic techniques, such as multi-party computation (MPC) and zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs), with a high-performance blockchain architecture, it presents a unique paradigm that transcends the limitations of traditional blockchain models. This fusion of privacy and performance empowers the development of decentralized applications and smart contracts capable of securely processing sensitive data while maintaining scalability and interoperability across diverse networks.
As the demand for privacy-centric applications continues to grow, Partisia Blockchain’s innovative solutions will be instrumental in driving the next wave of decentralized innovation. Its ability to address the inherent challenges of blockchain technology while maintaining efficiency and interoperability positions it as a compelling platform for building the next generation of decentralized applications.
As we kick off the third quarter, July 2024 has been a busy and exciting month for Partisia Blockchain. In this update, we are thrilled to announce the launch of Project RESCUE, new partnerships, and the listing of the $MPC token on Bitpanda. We will also provide a sneak peek into upcoming events like BlockStart in Glasgow. Read on for all the details and stay tuned to our social channels for more updates.
The Partisia Blockchain Foundation proudly announced the launch of Project RESCUE, the world’s first blockchain-based social impact funding initiative that enables end-to-end traceability of donations. This project is both a testament to our commitment to doing good and a demonstration of how blockchain can affect positive change in the world. This marks just the beginning of our implementation of projects launching on Vorne.ai and other initiatives similar to Project RESCUE. Check out our summary of the event here.
July was filled with LOIs and new grant agreements. Starting with Truflation and their push into the RWA space, they agreed to work with Partisia Blockchain to further their existing RWA pricing service, using Partisia Blockchain’s MPC to help privatize certain elements of the assets they are digitizing.
Degen House also signed an agreement to build two potential solutions on Partisia Blockchain: a proof of concept for a payment system similar to the ICRC design but for public use, and an NFT marketplace.
Digital Assets Technologies AG (DAT.AG) received a grant to build the world’s first privacy-preserving, secure environment for transaction and asset verification. It is not just about locking down data; it is about ensuring that data can be shared and verified in a manner that aligns with modern privacy expectations and compliance demands. Essentially, it is a platform for easy audit compliance in the Web3 world.
On 16 July 2024, we were thrilled to announce that the $MPC token was listed on Bitpanda! This listing opens the door for more users to explore the innovative MPC technology, which provides cutting-edge data encryption and unparalleled security on Partisia Blockchain. Dive in and experience the future of secure digital transactions with $MPC.
Kurt Nielsen, Co-Founder of Partisia Blockchain, shares his insights on how Web3 and MPC technology can revolutionize the data economy by empowering users with control over their data. Discover how MPC is paving the way for secure and decentralized collaboration. Read more in Disruptive Tech News: Is Web3 Still Relevant? The Jury’s Still Out, But the Clock Might Be Ticking for This New Paradigm
Join us at BlockStart in Glasgow, Scotland, on 1-2 August 2024. Our Chief of Growth, Shirly Valge, will be sharing valuable insights on the projects we are working on and emerging trends in blockchain. She will be part of engaging panel discussions on “How do global Web3 projects manage local regulations?” and “From physical to fractional: How Tokenization is democratizing access to real-world Assets”. Do not miss the chance to connect with Shirly, you can book your meeting here.
We are excited to share that the final computation of phase 1 of the AirDrop has begun and we are anticipating possible distribution in mid to end of August. Phase 2 will begin soon after tying with the launch of our DEX from zkCross. This marks a significant milestone as we continue to engage with our community and expand the adoption of the $MPC token. Stay tuned for more details on how you can participate and what to expect as we move forward.
As we gear up for Token 2049 in Singapore on 16-21 September 2024, we are thrilled to connect with our community at one of the largest crypto events of the year. Be sure to visit our venue and join us for engaging discussions and insights into the latest from Partisia Blockchain. Stay tuned to our social channels for more updates and details. We look forward to seeing you there!
Bruce Ahn, Chief Success Officer, and Mathias Glintborg, Head of Product, will join X Spaces on 2 August 2024 to discuss adoption, the product roadmap, and other topics. Do not miss this opportunity to get an update on the latest developments and ask your burning questions! Set your reminder here.
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This is part 2 of a three-part series where we review the three key technology innovations of Partisia Blockchain and compare them with other blockchain technologies. You can read more about Partisia Blockchain as well as the performance comparison between various other chains here.
Partisia Blockchain’s core technology, multiparty computation (MPC), allows multiple parties to jointly compute a function on their private inputs without revealing those inputs to each other. This enables secure collaboration and data sharing while preserving confidentiality.
The pursuit of privacy leads to the creation of a groundbreaking zero-knowledge layer. In Partisia Blockchain’s implementation, the input data is secret-shared among multiple nodes, and the computation is performed on these shares, ensuring that no single node can access the raw data.
This ZK layer combines various cryptographic techniques to ensure data confidentiality, integrity and privacy throughout the entire lifecycle of a transaction.
This multi-faceted approach to privacy ensures that user data remains confidential, secure and tamper-proof throughout its lifecycle.
Partisia Blockchain’s MPC smart contracts are designed for comprehensive coordination of both public and private computations. A key differentiator is the introduction of private smart contracts, which streamline the integration of zero-knowledge computation and MPC-as-a-Service solutions.
By integrating Partisia Blockchain’s suite of privacy-centric tools, developers and projects can seamlessly implement best-in-class privacy measures and harness the power of most notably MPC for different use cases.
Mina Protocol is a Layer 1 blockchain that enhances privacy through its utilization of zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs). These ZK proofs allow for the verification of transactions and the state of the blockchain without revealing sensitive details publicly. However, it is important to note that while transaction details are obscured on the public ledger, node operators still have access to the actual transaction data.
Notably, Mina’s ledger remains a mere 22KB in size, regardless of the number of transactions, ensuring lightweight accessibility and efficient verification.
At the core of Mina’s consensus mechanism is Ouroboros Samisika, a (PoS) protocol derived from Cardano’s Ouroboros. This protocol enables Mina to resolve long-range forks without relying on transaction history or risking centralization. Ouroboros Samisika utilizes verifiable random functions (VRFs) to select block producers, safeguarding the network against Denial-of-Service (DoS) attacks while ensuring scalability.
Leveraging recursive ZKPs allows the creation of an open database of verified statements, fostering composability within the ecosystem. Applications can interact and build upon each other’s verified data without compromising privacy or incurring excessive fees. The “proof of everything” concept allows for the creation of a decentralized network where data and actions are verified and readily usable by other applications, enabling scalable blockchain applications that leverage collaborative computation.
Mina’s forthcoming upgrade aims to further enhance its ZK capabilities, enabling ZK smart contracts (zkApps), Layer 2 solutions, and bridges. This upgrade moves smart contract execution off-chain while maintaining on-chain verification, addressing challenges like data constraints and gas costs.
As for network throughput, many may be confused by the 1 tps, but the developers want to keep the blockchain super lightweight and perform main computations offchain relying on zero-knowledge technology.
Horizen (formerly known as ZenCash) is a privacy-focused Layer 1 blockchain platform that leverages zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) and cross-chain protocol Zendoo empowering developers to create customizable sidechains, each with independent consensus mechanisms, tokenomics and functionalities. This architecture allows dApps to operate on their dedicated sidechains, eliminating bandwidth competition and ensuring optimal performance.
Although Horizen’s mainchain relies on the PoW consensus, its zk-SNARK implementation enhances scalability and throughput. By compressing the data needed for transaction validation, zk-SNARKs enable the mainchain to verify the validity of numerous sidechain transactions within a single block.
In essence, zk-SNARKs act as a certificate of validity for sidechain transactions. The sidechain validates its transactions as usual, then constructs a zk-SNARK proof that summarizes the state of the sidechain. The mainchain nodes verify this proof, confirming the correctness of the sidechain’s transactions without needing to validate each one individually.
The upcoming EON 2.0 upgrade represents a significant step forward for Horizen. This upgrade will migrate the Horizen and EON (EVM-compatible sidechain) to a new, fully compatible EVM chain built on the Substrate framework with tight integration to the zkVerify protocol. This will enable faster and more cost-efficient verification of zk-proofs, further enhancing Horizen’s privacy and scalability capabilities.
Conclusion: Partisia Blockchain stands out alone as the only blockchain enabling a customizable privacy layer to enable computation of private information for providing proofs using MPC or ZKP. While other blockchains use ZK proofs, it is more used for performance and proving of a block rather than computation of actual private data.