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1 | 1 | --- |
2 | 2 | title: Proof of Contribution |
3 | 3 | description: |
4 | | - PoCo protocol for trust, consensus, and secure payment in decentralized iExec |
5 | | - computing. |
| 4 | + PoCo protocol for governance, trust, and secure payment in decentralized iExec |
| 5 | + computing platform. |
6 | 6 | --- |
7 | 7 |
|
8 | 8 | # Proof-of-Contribution (PoCo) |
9 | 9 |
|
10 | 10 | ## What is PoCo? |
11 | 11 |
|
12 | | -PoCo (Proof-of-Contribution) is the trust and governance layer of the iExec protocol. |
13 | | -It ensures that off-chain computations running inside Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs) are executed correctly, confidentially, and under clear economic rules. |
| 12 | +PoCo (Proof-of-Contribution) is the trust and governance layer of the iExec |
| 13 | +protocol. It ensures that off-chain computations running inside Trusted |
| 14 | +Execution Environments (TEEs) are executed correctly, confidentially, and under |
| 15 | +clear economic rules. |
14 | 16 |
|
15 | 17 | PoCo provides three core guarantees: |
16 | 18 |
|
17 | | -* **Confidentiality**: data and secrets are only processed inside secure enclaves. |
18 | | -* **Governance and access control**: users decide who can access their data. |
19 | | -* **Trusted payments and penalties**: contributors get paid automatically, and misbehavior is economically discouraged. |
| 19 | +- **Confidentiality**: data and secrets are only processed inside secure |
| 20 | + enclaves. |
| 21 | +- **Governance and access control**: users decide who can access their data. |
| 22 | +- **Trusted payments and penalties**: contributors get paid automatically, and |
| 23 | + misbehavior is economically discouraged. |
20 | 24 |
|
21 | 25 | ## Why PoCo matters? |
22 | 26 |
|
23 | | -iExec is built around confidential computing, where computations run inside Trusted Execution Environments. |
24 | | -Users don’t need to trust the machine running the task, TEE’s cryptographic attestation prove that execution |
25 | | -happens in a private way. |
| 27 | +iExec is built around confidential computing, where computations run inside |
| 28 | +Trusted Execution Environments. Users don’t need to trust the machine running |
| 29 | +the task, TEE’s cryptographic attestation prove that execution happens in a |
| 30 | +private way. |
26 | 31 |
|
27 | 32 | PoCo uses this model to guarantee: |
28 | 33 |
|
29 | | -* execution happens **inside a genuine enclave** |
30 | | -* secrets are handled **securely and privately** |
31 | | -* results come from **verified enclaves** |
32 | | -* payments and penalties are applied **automatically** on-chain. |
| 34 | +- execution happens **inside a genuine enclave** |
| 35 | +- secrets are handled **securely and privately** |
| 36 | +- results come from **verified enclaves** |
| 37 | +- payments and penalties are applied **automatically** on-chain. |
33 | 38 |
|
34 | | -In short: PoCo allows building production-grade confidential compute workflows, backed by hardware security, without needing to design trust, access, or monetization layers. |
| 39 | +In short: PoCo allows building production-grade confidential compute workflows, |
| 40 | +backed by hardware security, without needing to design trust, access, or |
| 41 | +monetization layers. |
35 | 42 |
|
36 | 43 | ## How the TEE-centric workflow works? |
37 | 44 |
|
38 | 45 | This reflects the default workflow used today on iExec networks. |
39 | 46 |
|
40 | 47 | 1. The user triggers match orders on-chain operation |
41 | 48 |
|
42 | | -A requester matches the app, dataset, and workerpool orders. This creates a **Deal** on-chain and locks the |
43 | | -requester’s funds. |
| 49 | +A requester matches the app, dataset, and workerpool orders. This creates a |
| 50 | +**Deal** on-chain and locks the requester’s funds. |
44 | 51 |
|
45 | 52 | PoCo now governs: |
46 | | -* who has access |
47 | | -* what is paid |
48 | | -* under which conditions the task is considered valid |
| 53 | + |
| 54 | +- who has access |
| 55 | +- what is paid |
| 56 | +- under which conditions the task is considered valid |
49 | 57 |
|
50 | 58 | 2. The scheduler assigns the task to a TEE-enabled worker |
51 | 59 |
|
52 | 60 | The workerpool selects an available worker with the required TEE capabilities. |
53 | | -No replication is needed, trust comes from hardware attestation, not from multiple workers. |
| 61 | +No replication is needed, trust comes from hardware attestation, not from |
| 62 | +multiple workers. |
| 63 | + |
| 64 | +3. The worker executes the app inside a secure enclave The worker runs a |
| 65 | + confidential application inside its enclave: |
54 | 66 |
|
55 | | -3. The worker executes the app inside a secure enclave |
56 | | -The worker runs a confidential application inside its enclave: |
57 | | -* the code is measured |
58 | | -* the environment is verified |
59 | | -* the enclave proves its authenticity through remote attestation |
60 | | -* PoCo verifies this attestation through the SMS |
| 67 | +- the code is measured |
| 68 | +- the environment is verified |
| 69 | +- the enclave proves its authenticity through remote attestation |
| 70 | +- PoCo verifies this attestation through the SMS |
61 | 71 |
|
62 | 72 | This guarantees: |
63 | | -* no one can inspect the data |
64 | | -* the worker cannot tamper with the execution |
65 | | -* results come from a genuine, verified enclave |
| 73 | + |
| 74 | +- no one can inspect the data |
| 75 | +- the worker cannot tamper with the execution |
| 76 | +- results come from a genuine, verified enclave |
66 | 77 |
|
67 | 78 | 4. Secrets are transferred securely (SMS → Enclave) |
68 | 79 |
|
69 | 80 | If the task uses secrets (dataset decryption key, ...): |
70 | | -* the Secret Management Service (SMS) enclave verifies the worker’s enclave |
71 | | -* secrets are provisioned for the specific enclave only |
72 | | -* secrets are only accessible and processed inside the TEE enclave. |
| 81 | + |
| 82 | +- the Secret Management Service (SMS) enclave verifies the worker’s enclave |
| 83 | +- secrets are provisioned for the specific enclave only |
| 84 | +- secrets are only accessible and processed inside the TEE enclave. |
73 | 85 |
|
74 | 86 | This is fundamental for confidential and monetizable datasets. |
75 | 87 |
|
76 | 88 | 5. The enclave computes and produces the result |
77 | 89 |
|
78 | 90 | At the end of execution, the enclave: |
79 | 91 |
|
80 | | -* makes the result available for the requester (on IPFS for example) |
81 | | -* signs a challenge to prove that the execution happened inside an enclave |
82 | | -* sends the proof to the PoCo via the worker |
| 92 | +- makes the result available for the requester (on IPFS for example) |
| 93 | +- signs a challenge to prove that the execution happened inside an enclave |
| 94 | +- sends the proof to the PoCo via the worker |
83 | 95 |
|
84 | 96 | 6. PoCo validates and finalizes the task on-chain |
85 | 97 |
|
86 | 98 | PoCo checks: |
87 | | -* worker permission to push a result for the task (through an off-chain scheduler authorization) |
88 | | -* enclave authenticity by validating the the enclave challenge signature |
89 | | - |
90 | | -If everything is valid the ask is finalized and funds are released according to the on-chain rules: |
91 | | -* the requester's locked money is finally seized |
92 | | -* the worker gets paid |
93 | | -* app & dataset owners get their revenue shares |
94 | | -* any misbehavior results in stake-based penalties for the scheduler |
| 99 | + |
| 100 | +- worker permission to push a result for the task (through an off-chain |
| 101 | + scheduler authorization) |
| 102 | +- enclave authenticity by validating the the enclave challenge signature |
| 103 | + |
| 104 | +If everything is valid the ask is finalized and funds are released according to |
| 105 | +the on-chain rules: |
| 106 | + |
| 107 | +- the requester's locked money is finally seized |
| 108 | +- the worker gets paid |
| 109 | +- app & dataset owners get their revenue shares |
| 110 | +- any misbehavior results in stake-based penalties for the scheduler |
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