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Adding Goal 5 to Nescience

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@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ published: true
slug: Nescience-A-zkVM-leveraging-hiding-properties
categories: research
toc_min_heading_level: 1
toc_max_heading_level: 5
---
@@ -15,6 +16,7 @@ Nescience, a privacy-first blockchain zkVM.
<!--truncate-->
# Introduction
Nescience is a privacy-first blockchain project that aims to enable private transactions and provide a general-purpose execution environment for classical applications. The goals include creating a state separation architecture for public/private computation, designing a versatile virtual machine based on mainstream instruction sets, creating proofs for private state updates, implementing a kernel-based architecture for correct execution of private functions, and implementing core DeFi protocols such as AMMs and staking from a privacy perspective.
It intends to create a user experience that is similar to public blockchains, but with additional privacy features that users can leverage at will. To achieve this goal, Nescience will implement a versatile virtual machine that can be used to implement existing blockchain applications, while also enabling the development of privacy-centric protocols such as private staking and private DEXs.
@@ -24,7 +26,9 @@ To ensure minimal trust assumptions and prevent information leakage, Nescience p
It also aims to implement a seamless interaction between public and private state, enabling composability between contracts and private and public functions. Finally, Nescience intends to implement permissive licensing, which means that the source code will be open-source, and developers will be able to use and modify the code without any restriction.
# Goal 1: Create a state separation architecture
# Goal 1: Create a State Separation Architecture
The initial goal revolves around crafting a distinctive architecture that segregates public and private computations, employing an account-based framework for the public state and a UTXO-based structure for the private state.
@@ -141,7 +145,17 @@ Here's a breakdown and a potential strategy for harmonizing these models:
By addressing these challenges head-on with a detailed and systematic approach, it's possible to unlock the full potential of a dual-architecture system, combining the strengths of both UTXO and account-based models without their standalone limitations.
# Goal 2: Virtual machine creation
| Aspect | Details | |
|------------------------ |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |--- |
| **Harmony** | - **Advanced VM Development:** Design tailored for private smart contracts. - **Leverage Established Architectures:** Use WASM or RISC-V to harness their versatile and encompassing nature suitable for zero-knowledge applications. - **Support for UTXO & Account-Based Models:** Enhance adaptability across various blockchain structures. | |
| **Challenges** | - **Adaptation Concerns:** WASM and RISC-V weren't designed with zero-knowledge proofs as a primary focus, posing integration challenges. - **Complexities with Newer Systems:** Systems like (Super)Nova, STARKs, and Sangria are relatively nascent, adding another layer of intricacy to the integration. - **Optimization Concerns:** Ensuring that these systems are optimized for zero-knowledge proofs. | |
| **Proposed Solutions** | - **Integration of Nova:** Consider Nova's proof system for its potential alignment with project goals. - **Comprehensive Testing:** Rigorously test and benchmark against alternatives like Halo2, Plonky, and Starky to validate choices. - **Poseidon Recursion Technique:** To conduct exhaustive performance tests, providing insights into each system's efficiency and scalability. | |
# Goal 2: Virtual Machine Creation
The second goal entails the creation of an advanced virtual machine by leveraging established mainstream instruction sets like WASM or RISC-V. Alternatively, the objective involves pioneering a new, specialized instruction set meticulously optimized for Zero-Knowledge applications.
@@ -182,6 +196,15 @@ The ambition to build a powerful virtual machine tailored to zero-knowledge (ZK)
* Challenges: Their nascent nature implies a dearth of exhaustive testing, peer reviews, and potentially limited community support. The unknowns associated with these systems could introduce unforeseen vulnerabilities or complexities. While they could offer optimizations that address challenges presented by WASM and RISC-V, their young status demands rigorous vetting and testing.
<center>
| | Mainstream (WASM, RISC-V) | ZK-optimized (New Instruction Set) |
|:------------------:|:-------------------------:|:----------------------------------:|
| Existing Tooling | YES | NO |
| Blockchain-focused | NO | YES |
| Performant | DEPENDS | YES |
</center>
### <ins> Optimization Concerns for WASM and RISC-V: </ins>
@@ -216,7 +239,7 @@ A noteworthy point in our project's journey is our inclination towards the Nova
This analytical undertaking is pivotal. The insights derived will guide our project's trajectory, ensuring our optimization efforts yield the most robust outcomes. This reflects our unwavering commitment to data-driven strategies and epitomizes our aspiration to capitalize on avant-garde technologies to realize our project's vision.
# Goal 3: Proofs creation and verification
# Goal 3: Proofs Creation and Verification
The process of generating proofs for private state updates is vested in the hands of the user, aligning with our commitment to minimizing trust as- sumptions and enhancing privacy. Concurrently, the responsibility of verifying these proofs and executing public functions within the virtual machine can be effectively delegated to an external prover, a role that is incentivized to operate with utmost honesty and integrity. This intricate balance seeks to safeguard against information leakage, preserving the confidentiality of private transac- tions. Integral to this mechanism is the establishment of a robust incentivization framework.
@@ -297,9 +320,19 @@ As a result, we are poised to cultivate an ecosystem where users’ privacy is p
* Foster community involvement, allowing them to participate in decision-making, potentially through a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO).
Each of these options can be combined or customized to suit the specific requirements of your project, striking a balance between user incentives, cost dynamics, and verification integrity. A thoughtful combination of these mech- anisms ensures that the system remains robust, resilient, and conducive to the objectives of user-initiated proof creation, incentivized verification, and cost- effective validation.
<center>
| Aspect | Details | |
|------------------------------- |------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |--- |
| **Design Principle** | - **User Responsibility:** Generating proofs for private state updates. - **External Prover:** Delegated the task of verifying proofs and executing public VM functions. | |
| **Trust & Privacy** | - **Minimized Trust Assumptions:** Place proof generation in users' hands. - **Enhanced Privacy:** Ensure confidentiality of private transactions and prevent information leakage. | |
| **Incentivization Framework** | - **Rewards:** Compensate honest behavior. - **Penalties:** Deter and penalize dishonest behavior. | |
| **Economic Considerations** | - **Verification vs. Execution:** Make verification more cost-effective than execution to prevent spurious proofs flooding. - **Cost Balance:** Strengthen resilience against fraudulent activities and maintain efficiency. | |
| **Outcome** | An ecosystem where: - Users' privacy is paramount. - Incentives are appropriately aligned. - The system is robust against adversarial actions. | |
</center>
[^1]: Incentive Mechanisms:
* Token Rewards: Design a token-based reward system where honest provers are compensated with tokens for their verification services. This incentivizes participation and encourages integrity.
@@ -310,10 +343,9 @@ As a result, we are poised to cultivate an ecosystem where users’ privacy is p
Each of these options can be combined or customized to suit the specific requirements of your project, striking a balance between user incentives, cost dynamics, and verification integrity. A thoughtful combination of these mech- anisms ensures that the system remains robust, resilient, and conducive to the objectives of user-initiated proof creation, incentivized verification, and cost- effective validation.
# Goal 4: Kernel-based architecture implementation
# Goal 4: Kernel-based Architecture Implementation
This goal centers on the establishment of a kernel-based architecture, akin to the model observed in ZEXE, to facilitate the attestation of accurate private function executions. This innovative approach employs recursion to construct a call stack, which is then validated through iterative recursive computations. At its core, this technique harnesses a recursive Succinct Non-Interactive Argument of Knowledge (SNARK) mechanism, where each function call’s proof accumulates within the call stack.
@@ -383,3 +415,31 @@ Goal 4 underscores the project's ambition to integrate the merits of a kernel-ba
# Goal 5: Seamless Interaction Design
Goal 5 revolves around the meticulous design of a seamless interaction between public and private states within the blockchain ecosystem. This objective envisions achieving not only composability between contracts but also the harmonious integration of private and public functions.
A notable challenge in this endeavor lies in the intricate interplay between public and private states, wherein the potential linkage of a private transaction to a public one raises concerns about unintended information leakage.
The essence of this goal entails crafting an architecture that facilitates the dynamic interaction of different states while ensuring that the privacy and confidentiality of private transactions remain unbreached. This involves the formulation of mechanisms that enable secure composability between contracts, guaranteeing the integrity of interactions across different layers of functionality.
A key focus of this goal is to surmount the challenge of information leakage by implementing robust safeguards. The solution involves devising strategies to mitigate the risk of revealing private transaction details when connected to corresponding public actions. By creating a nuanced framework that com- partmentalizes private and public interactions, the architecture aims to uphold privacy while facilitating seamless interoperability.
Goal 5 encapsulates a multifaceted undertaking, calling for the creation of an intricate yet transparent framework that empowers users to confidently engage in both public and private functions without compromising the confidentiality of private transactions. The successful realization of this vision hinges on a delicate blend of architectural ingenuity, cryptographic sophistication, and user-centric design.
To achieve seamless interaction between public and private states, composability, and privacy preservation, a combination of solutions and approaches can be employed. In the table below, a comprehensive list of solutions that address these objectives:
<center>
| **Solution Category** | **Description** | |
|:-----------------------------------------: |:--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------: |--- |
| **Layer 2 Solutions** | Employ zk-Rollups, Optimistic Rollups, and state channels to handle private interactions off-chain and settle them on-chain periodically. Boost scalability and cut transaction costs. | |
| **Intermediary Smart Contracts** | Craft smart contracts as intermediaries for secure public-private interactions. Use these to manage data exchange confidentially. | |
| **Decentralized Identity & Pseudonymity** | Implement decentralized identity systems for pseudonymous interactions. Validate identity using cryptographic proofs. | |
| **Confidential Sidechains & Cross-Chain** | Set up confidential sidechains and employ cross-chain protocols to ensure private and composability across blockchains. | |
| **Temporal Data Structures** | Create chronological data structures for secure interactions. Utilize cryptographic methods for data integrity and privacy. | |
| **Homomorphic Encryption & MPC** | Apply homomorphic encryption and MPC for computations on encrypted data and interactions between state layers. | |
| **Commit-Reveal Schemes** | Introduce commit-reveal mechanisms for private transactions, revealing data only post necessary public actions. | |
| **Auditability & Verifiability** | Use on-chain tools for auditing and verifying interactions. Utilize cryptographic commitments for third-party validation. | |
| **Data Fragmentation & Sharding** | Fragment data across shards for private interactions and curtailed data exposure. Bridge shards securely with cryptography. | |
| **Ring Signatures & CoinJoin** | Incorporate ring signatures and CoinJoin protocols to mask transaction details and mix transactions collaboratively. | |
</center>