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Nillion: Uber Engineer’s “Blind Computing” Network Integrating Privacy Technologies like FHE and MPC
Nillion, a decentralized "blind computing" network concept, was introduced by Uber engineer Conrad Whelan. According to Foresight News, Nillion combines various privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs) to secure high-value data during storage, transmission, and computation. This modern approach is akin to the ancient Greek story where the Persian King Darius secretly communicated by shaving a slave's head, tattooing a message, and waiting for the hair to regrow.
In today’s digital landscape, the challenge is more complex; it's not only about hiding the existence of information but also processing it without exposing the content. Nillion addresses this by maintaining encrypted data throughout its lifecycle, eliminating the need for decryption during computation.
What is Nillion?
Nillion can be understood as a decentralized secure computing network designed to keep high-value data encrypted during storage, transmission, and processing. This resolves the issue of having to decrypt data for computation and then re-encrypt it afterward.
How Nillion Achieves This
Nillion acknowledges that current privacy-enhancing methods like Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE) and Secure Multi-Party Computation (MPC) each have unique strengths. Since no single PET can serve as a universal solution, Nillion aims to aggregate all PETs and create a framework that allows seamless integration of new PETs into its Orchestration Layer.
Nillion's ultimate goal is to establish a development environment where developers, without needing in-depth knowledge of PETs, can build privacy-enhanced applications using simple data types. The compiler will then select the optimal PET combination to fulfill the developers' objectives.
To achieve this, Nillion's key components include the Nada language compiler and the Nillion Network.
Nada Language Compiler
Nillion offers a Python-based MPC programming language called "Nada." Developers can write programs in Nada, compile them using the Nada compiler, and upload the compiled programs to the Nillion Network. This enables developers to manage high-value private data storage and execute blind computations while keeping the data encrypted throughout the process.
Nillion Network’s Dual-Layer Architecture
Currently in its testing phase, Nillion Network allows users to connect to the testnet via Nillion wallets such as Keplr and Leap. The network comprises two layers: the core network, Petnet, and the orchestration layer, NilChain, which separates functionalities and ensures decentralized management.
- NilChain: Coordinates blind computation and storage operations payments within the network.
- Petnet: Utilizes Nillion’s PETs to protect distributed high-value data and execute blind computations.
Funding and Development
Nillion raised $20 million in a seed round in December 2022 at a valuation of $180 million, led by Distributed Global with participation from AU21, Big Brain Holdings, Chapter One, GSR Markets, and HashKey. In 2023, Nillion completed an A-round private token financing at a valuation of $400 million, led by Hack VC with other notable investors. Additionally, Nillion conducted a community token sale on CoinList, selling 35 million NIL tokens (3.5% of total supply) at the same valuation. The Token Generation Event (TGE) is scheduled for late August 2024.
Team Composition
Nillion's development company, Nilogy, was incubated by the CoinList Seed Program. Key team members include:
- Conrad Whelan: Uber’s founding engineer and Nilogy’s founder and CTO.
- Andrew Masanto: Founding CMO of Hedera Hashgraph and Nillion’s Chief Strategy Officer.
- Slava Rubin: Founder of Indiegogo and Nillion’s Chief Business Officer.
- Lindsay Danas Cohen: Former Deputy General Counsel at Coinbase and Nillion’s General Counsel.
Nillion's innovative approach to integrating various privacy technologies aims to revolutionize secure computing by ensuring data remains encrypted throughout its lifecycle.
中文：
据古希腊历史学家希罗多德记载，波斯国王大流士想要向希腊城邦雅典传递一个秘密信息。他选择了一个奴隶，剃光了他的头发，在他的头皮上刺上了秘密信息。等头发长回来后，就把这个奴隶派往雅典，到达目的地后，再次剃光头发，就能读取信息了。
这个古老的故事，精妙之处在于成功让敏感信息在传递过程中不被察觉，并且隐藏在看似普通的表象之下。然而，现代数字世界面临的挑战远比古代复杂。我们不仅需要隐藏信息的存在，还需要在不暴露内容的情况下处理这些信息。
因此，Nillion 提出去中心化「盲计算」网络的概念，就像「波斯国王大流士」的信息隐藏在奴隶的头发下一样，Nillion 的技术允许高价值数据在全程加密的状态下进行存储、传输和处理。
盲计算通常指的是在不暴露输入数据的情况下进行计算的各种技术和方法的总称，是一个综合性概念，是多项密码学和安全计算技术融合发展的产物，包括盲签名、安全多方计算、同态加密对加密数据直接计算、可信执行环境、零知识证明等。
Nillion 是什么
简而言之，Nillion 可以理解为是一个去中心化的安全计算网络，旨在为高价值数据构建一个在存储、传输和计算过程中都加密的网络，解决当前在加密数据计算时仍需「解密 - 计算 - 再加密」的问题。
如何实现
Nillion 认为，目前加密世界使用的全同态加密（FHE）、多方计算（MPC）等各种隐私计算方法都各有其独特的优势。PET（隐私增强技术）没有灵丹妙药，所有方案都必须组织起来才能获得最佳结果。Nillion 的目标是聚合所有 PET 并创建一个框架，允许新的 PET 轻松加入其编排层（Orchestration Layer）。
Nillion 的最终目标是创建一个开发环境，在该环境中，开发人员不需要了解有关 PET 的任何信息，并且可以简单地使用独特的数据类型、整数和定点算术来构建其隐私增强应用程序。编译器会选择最佳的 PET 组合来实现开发人员的愿景。
为达到这个目的，Nillion 的重要组成部分包括：Nada 语言编译器和 Nillion Network。
Nada 语言编译器
Nillion 为开发者提供了基于 Python 的 MPC 编程语言「Nada」，开发者可以使用 Nada 编写程序并使用 Nada 编译器来编译这些程序，然后将编译好的程序上传到 Nillion Network 运行。通过 Nada，开发者可以管理高价值隐私数据的存储，并对这些数据执行盲计算，在整个处理过程中数据始终保持加密状态。
Nillion Network 的双层网络架构
Nillion Network 目前处于测试阶段，用户可通过 Keplr、Leap 创建 Nillion 钱包以连接到 Nillion 测试网。虽然其测试网相关活动「Genesis Sprint」已于 7 月 6 日结束，不过 Nillion 表示还将启动第二阶段的活动。
Nillion Network 的特点主要是采用了双层网络架构：由核心网络 Petnet 和协调层 NilChain 组成，以实现功能分离和去中心化管理。
- NilChain 是 Nillion 网络的协调层，它协调在网络上执行的盲计算和存储操作的支付。
- Petnet 利用包括 Nillion 的隐私增强技术 (PET) 来保护分布式高价值数据并执行盲计算。
融资情况
Nillion 于 2022 年 12 月以 1.8 亿美元估值完成了 2000 万美元种子轮融资，Distributed Global 领投，参投方包括 AU21、Big Brain Holdings、Chapter One、GSR Markets、HashKey 等。
Nillion 表示其于今年以 4 亿美元的估值完成了 A 轮私募代币融资，Hack VC 领投，Ansem、CL 等业内人士以及来自 Worldcoin、LayerZero 的天使投资人等参投，但具体融资金额未披露。此外，Nillion 于上个月在 CoinList 平台进行 3500 万枚 NIL（占总供应的 3.5%）代币社区公售，社区轮估值和 A 轮私募代币融资的估值一致，为 4 亿美元。此外，Nillion 的 TGE 预计在 2024 年 8 月下旬进行。
团队阵容
Nillion 的团队阵容不容小觑，其开发公司 Nilogy 是由 CoinList 种子计划孵化的，Nilogy 的创始人兼 CTO 是 Uber 的创始工程师 Conrad Whelan，首席战略官是 Hedera Hashgraph 的创始 CMO Andrew Masanto，首席商务官是美国众筹网站 Indiegogo 的创始人 Slava Rubin，总法律顾问前 Coinbase 的产品副总法律顾问 Lindsay Danas Cohen。
参考资料：
https://www.linkedin.com/company/nillionnetwork/people/
- 作者:IBuidl
- 链接:https://blog.ibuidl.org/%E8%8B%B1%E8%AF%AD/4fe47e55-63f4-4319-aebc-12100a29a8e9
- 声明:本文采用 CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 许可协议，转载请注明出处。