Privacy-Preserving Blockchain Technologies

Sensors (Basel). 2023 Aug 14;23(16):7172. doi: 10.3390/s23167172.

Abstract

The main characteristics of blockchains, such as security and traceability, have enabled their use in many distinct scenarios, such as the rise of new cryptocurrencies and decentralized applications (dApps). However, part of the information exchanged in the typical blockchain is public, which can lead to privacy issues. To avoid or mitigate these issues, some blockchains are applying mechanisms to deal with data privacy. Trusted execution environments, the basis of confidential computing, and secure multi-party computation are two technologies that can be applied in that sense. In this paper, we analyze seven blockchain technologies that apply mechanisms to improve data privacy. We define seven technical questions related to common requirements for decentralized applications and, to answer each question, we review the available documentation and gather information from chat channels. We briefly present each blockchain technology and the answers to each technical question. Finally, we present a table summarizing the information and showing which technologies are more prominent.

Keywords: confidential computing; privacy preservation; security; technical analysis; trusted execution environments.

Publication types

  • Review

Grants and funding

We would like to thank VIRTUS Research, Development & Innovation Center, Federal University of Campina Grande (Paraíba/Brazil), for supporting this research. Part of this work has been done under Project no. TKP2021-NVA-29 implemented with the support provided by the Ministry of Culture and Innovation of Hungary from the National Research, Development and Innovation Fund, financed under the TKP2021-NVA funding scheme. Part of this work has been done in collaboration with Darkblock.