vetKeys: How a Blockchain Can Keep Many Secrets

Andrea Cerulli; Aisling Connolly; Gregory Neven; Franz-Stefan Preiss; Victor Shoup

Paper 2023/616

vetKeys: How a Blockchain Can Keep Many Secrets

Andrea Cerulli, DFINITY

Aisling Connolly, DFINITY

Gregory Neven

Franz-Stefan Preiss, DFINITY

Victor Shoup, DFINITY

Abstract

We propose a new cryptographic primitive called "verifiably encrypted threshold key derivation" (vetKD) that extends identity-based encryption with a decentralized way of deriving decryption keys. We show how vetKD can be leveraged on modern blockchains to build scalable decentralized applications (or "dapps") for a variety of purposes, including preventing front-running attacks on decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms, end-to-end encryption for decentralized messaging and social networks (SocialFi), cross-chain bridges, as well as advanced cryptographic primitives such as witness encryption and one-time programs that previously could only be built from secure hardware or using a trusted third party. And all of that by secret-sharing just a single secret key...

Metadata

Available format(s): PDF
Category: Cryptographic protocols
Publication info: Preprint.
Keywords: Threshold cryptography verifiably encrypted signatures BLS end-to-end encryption blockchain Web3
Contact author(s): andrea cerulli @ dfinity org
aisling connolly @ dfinity org
gregory @ neven org
franzstefan preiss @ dfinity org
victor shoup @ dfinity org
History: 2023-05-01: approved; 2023-04-30: received; See all versions
Short URL: https://ia.cr/2023/616
License: CC BY

BibTeX

@misc{cryptoeprint:2023/616,
      author = {Andrea Cerulli and Aisling Connolly and Gregory Neven and Franz-Stefan Preiss and Victor Shoup},
      title = {vetKeys: How a Blockchain Can Keep Many Secrets},
      howpublished = {Cryptology ePrint Archive, Paper 2023/616},
      year = {2023},
      note = {\url{https://eprint.iacr.org/2023/616}},
      url = {https://eprint.iacr.org/2023/616}
}