Enigma, a project aiming to provide blockchain solutions that allow for sensitive data storage on public ledgers, today announced a collaboration with major vendor Intel, intending to leverage the manufacturer’s competence in privacy-focused hardware.
Privacy Built-in
On its Medium page, the MIT-based start-up explained how it hopes Intel’s Software Guard Extensions (SGX) will afford it an extra layer of security and privacy for dApp developers building on the Enigma mainchain. SGX is a processing paradigm that ensures that no record or breach of sensitive information occurs while using a machine with SGX installed. Essentially, it guarantees, scientifically, that code run on someone else’s computer was not surveilled or tampered with by them, which is a big leap forward in the decentralized computing paradigm.
Similar Goals
The development is something of an obvious choice for both projects, considering they are solving similar issues (around privacy in a decentralized context) in different ways. It provides Enigma with some momentum ahead of its testnet launch in a few weeks (date TBA) ahead of the mainnet release later this year.
As Enigma VP Rick Echevarria explained:
“Intel is committed to enabling business transformation by shortening the time-to-value from blockchain implementations and working with the industry to address privacy, security and scalability challenges. Enigma’s protocol approach is helping solve the challenges on public blockchain networks and improving data privacy and smart contract security.”
Enigma Potential
The technical objective that Enigma is seeking to achieve is challenging. The use cases of a scalable and privacy-oriented public blockchain are undeniable. Whether or not Enigma can address these challenges is another matter, but the potential rewards are likely lucrative, as evidenced by the other projects that inhabit the privacy-for-crypto space.
