As a part of my role at Partisia Blockchain Foundation, I meet a large number of interesting people at various conferences and events. Some are in Web3 in nature and others are more institution based. And I find there is a difference between these two types of people that highlight what I think is one of the biggest challenges in Web3 currently.
In Web3 conferences, I’m usually meeting the same people I met year after year.
My recent trip to Malaysia and Germany showed this phenomenon clearly. During the Malaysia Blockchain Week, I met with Web3 people who were all in the industry for many years working on similar projects as they were last year. On the other hand, outside of the blockchain conference, I also met with leaders in the health tech industry whom we had deep conversations about how to solve real world problems using Partisia Blockchain’s MPC technology. At the IAS event in Germany, with over 25k in attendance, we were the only blockchain company presenting a Web3 solution.
Kurt Nielsen, our president, put it best in this interview where he speaks about the importance of “growing the pie” in Web3. Meaning that in order for Web3 to succeed, we must find new users, new real world use cases, and new ways to solve real problems using this wonderful technology called the blockchain. Yet, everyone I meet in Web3 conferences is always telling me, “I’ve been in this space for the last x number of years.” It is extremely rare to meet someone who says “I’m new to the blockchain space and interested in learning how this can solve our real world problem”.
Fighting for a share of the same pie
The current Web3 conferences, for the most part, have people who are fighting for the “share of the same pie” it has been fighting for multiple years, so to speak. It’s the entity that has the same players, building the same type of applications for the same group of people year after year. And while you have a few real world industries looking to experiment with blockchain, most, if not all of the Web3 focused events I go to are full of people building the same thing, but packaged just slightly differently. Why is this the case?
And so we see two different themes emerging. Those who are the early adopters, the visionaries and pioneers building Web3 and integrating blockchain technology into real world use cases to solve real problems, and those who are looking for the quick token launch and get rich plan disguised with the pretense of revolutionizing an industry. One has a long and promising future. The other… Well, you can only go so far when everyone is fighting for the same pie..
“Privacy, interoperability, and scalability are fundamental principles that have been pillars of past successful technology innovations and they will be for the Web3 industry as well.”
Partisia Blockchain’s focus has always been about collaboration and solving real world problems. We have founders who understand the challenges of the real world. In the real world, privacy is a fundamental human right, and your private information should not be disclosable to everyone. In the real world, people collaborate and work together to grow the market you are in rather than close off your ecosystem to only those who can pay with your own currency. In the real world, infrastructures are scalable, available to support the world’s population. (Think the internet for example) These fundamental principles play out in real world scenarios and while blockchain provides an incredible value proposition, one of decentralization and trustlessness, it is not a complete solution. Privacy, interoperability, and scalability are fundamental principles that have been pillars of past successful technology innovations and they will be for the Web3 industry as well..
This has been our focus, and the reason why our blockchain architecture is built different. And, as a result, we have quite a number of real world partners working to build things that impact the real world. And we continue to garner interest from people who are looking to solve real problems.
We are committed to growing the pie by bringing the technology to non Web3 industries. Use cases like the humanitarian token system, where we are able to distribute financial aid to those impacted in conflict regions. A donation platform where using blockchain technology, aid can be distributed not only quickly, but also transparently giving the donors full visibility to whom and how their donations made an impact. Tackling counterfeit medication in Africa through a combination of transparent and private supply chain infrastructure. These are samples of real world problems Partisia Blockchain is tackling to solve.
In the Web3 space, we are also focused on adding these fundamental principles that are currently missing to help grow the pie within. Providing DeFi solutions that solve for interoperability, scalability and privacy. Partnering with academia to create a framework for DID that governments can support. Building solutions that enable a real trustless, secure, and interoperable self custody solution that can be built to suit the users individual requirement.
The Web3 industry will undoubtedly continue to survive. Thrive even. But it will also evolve from the current hype cycle to something more mature. As this maturity continues, the need to meet these basic fundamental principles will become more apparent. We also need to work together to grow the pie, rather than fighting for a share in the existing pie. And those who understand and share in this vision will help drive the next generation of Web3 solutions. We hope, through this maturity, we will grow the pie, and perhaps see a new friendly face join the next Web3 conference.
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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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