Successful decentralization does not need blockchains — Nillion CEO
Decentralization via blockchain technology has given rise to several applications, including cryptocurrency, non-fungible tokens, decentralized autonomous organizations, decentralized finance, and much more. However, the future of decentralization may very well extend beyond blockchain technology.
Nillion, an internet infrastructure platform based on cryptography, has developed a technology called Nil Message Compute (NMC), which changes how data is stored, processed and decentralized. This new technology can have important implications for how companies and users drive decentralization as an ethos.
When asked how decentralization without blockchains was possible, Nillion CEO Alex Page explained how NMC-based technology takes arbitrary data, transforms and fragments it, and then distributes the resulting particles across a network of nodes.
“The nodes can store the particles or run calculations on the fragments of data without sending messages between themselves, and return the results to the desired endpoint for reconstruction (without relying on trusted hardware),” Page explained to Cointelegraph. the entire process, nodes are blind to what they are processing but are able to run calculations at speeds that are in many cases significantly faster than their predecessor’s technology, [multi-party computation, or MPC].”
He further explained the difference between the platform’s NPC technology and its MPC predecessor:
“Traditional MPC systems typically require messaging between nodes, which dramatically slows computation speeds. NMC has removed this throttle, enabling scalable fast computation. The result is a decentralized, non-blockchain network of nodes that can run secure, private computations extremely efficiently as opens up new, non-blockchain use cases.”
Speaking about the future of decentralization, Page shared that decentralization will be a fundamental part of the digital world of the future because humanity has reached a point where data — especially the control of data — has become a significant part of our lives:
“The future of decentralization will continue to expand through the adoption of technologies that bring new utility and functionality to blockchain – for example through proof of zero knowledge/brevity, threshold commitments and now NMC – to expand the capabilities beyond simply recording transactions on a public ledger.”
The CEO also emphasized that “decentralization is a spectrum with multiple axes,” adding, “Decentralization will include blockchain as a fundamental element, but other technologies will expand its potential in new ways that blockchain was never designed to do.”
Regarding the advantages and benefits of decentralization without the use of blockchain technology, Miguel de Vega, the chief researcher at Nillion, talked about how the NMC technology does not need to be synchronized with the production of blocks, or depend on the completion of a calculation for inclusion in a block, for consensus to take place, as is the case with traditional blockchain.
“Instead, it can run exactly when needed, providing a better user experience. Also, there’s no limit to the size of a calculation because they don’t have to fit into a block.”
Related: What is the relationship between blockchain and Web3?
While it is difficult to predict how decentralized technologies will evolve given the myriad competing platforms, regulatory constraints and adoption bottlenecks affecting their use, decentralization as an ethos is gaining traction across mainstream discourse. Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter has once again highlighted the limitations of centralized platforms and sparked a debate about decentralized social media alternatives.
Currently, users have embraced decentralization as a way to increase transparency, reduce reliance on central authorities, and increase control over personal data and assets. These technologies, or at least the promise of decentralization, have been a major driver behind the growth of cryptocurrencies.
