What is Phala Network?

Phala Network is a service that aims to provide privacy-preserving cloud computing. It seeks to offer computing power on par with existing cloud services while ensuring the privacy of managed programs. The network operates on a TEE-Blockchain Hybrid Architecture, which allows developers to deploy confidential smart contracts that run inside the TEE Enclaves in the CPU. Phala Network is built on Substrate and aims to function as a parachain of the Polkadot ecosystem. The network's native utility token, PHA, is used for various functions within the network, such as acquiring trusted computing resources, compensating for data exchange, staking for security assurances, and participating in community governance.

How does Phala Network work?

Phala Network functions by addressing the trust issue in the computation cloud. It is a trustless computation platform that seeks to enable extensive cloud processing without compromising data confidentiality. The network is built around TEE-based privacy technology already embedded into modern processors, creating a versatile and confidential distributed computing cloud. By separating the consensus mechanism from computation, Phala Network aims to ensure that processing power is highly scalable. As a member parachain of the Polkadot cross-chain ecosystem, Phala Network aims to provide computing power to other blockchain applications while protecting the data layer.

What are the potential use cases for Phala Network?

Phala Network has a broad range of potential use cases. It can enable privacy-protected DeFi trading positions and transaction history, co-computing DID confidential data, and the development of light-node cross-chain bridges, among other possibilities. On-chain services currently being developed on Phala Network include Web3 Analytics, which uses high-performance smart contracts from Phala to enable highly concurrent mass data analytics with privacy. This aims to pave the way for an alternative to Google Analytics that inherently respects individual confidentiality.

What is the history of Phala Network?

Phala Network was established by a team of experienced developers and engineers, including Hang Yin, the founder and lead developer of Bitcoin Gold, and Marvin Tong, a senior product manager with experience in some of China's largest internet companies. The network was designed to address the privacy problem in blockchain technology, which limits the usage of blockchain in processing sensitive business and user data. Phala Network's solution is to utilize special hardware, i.e., Trusted Execution Environment (TEE), to provide a higher level of security, including isolated execution, code integration, and state confidentiality.