Partisia is a Layer 1 community claiming to unravel the Blockchain Trilemma with ZK privateness, sharding for scalability, and an MPC collateralized bridge.
Not like different blockchains, the community affords native layer-1 and layer-2 options; there isn’t a want for an exterior third-party venture to enhance safety and scalability.
The Blockchain Trilemma
The trilemma is a phenomenon coined by Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin. The problem arises from blockchain’s incapacity to supply scalability, decentralization, and safety. Buterin claims that present cryptocurrencies ship, at most, two of those three necessities to a passable normal for mass adoption.

We spoke to Vinson Leow, Chief Ecosystem Officer of Partisia, to debate the trilemma and the way it impacts the potential adoption of blockchain know-how. Leow explains Partisia’s strategy to the trilemma and the way it handles every department,
- Scalability: Prolonged dynamic scalability with sharding
- Privateness: First built-in language for writing orchestrated ZK computations
- Interoperability: BYOC prolonged towards a generic framework
Fixing the trilemma
It’s vital to elucidate that Partisia considers the trilemma to be scalability, privateness, and interoperability. As compared, Buterin outlined it as safety, scalability, and decentralization. Decentralization and scalability usually come from interoperability, whereas privateness and safety could be seen as interchangeable in some situations.
Nonetheless, it’s important to notice {that a} chain that solves the problem of privateness should still endure from issues with safety by way of community security. Due to this fact. On the identical time, Partisia’s definition could also be barely faraway from Buterin; it’s laborious to argue that it’s far sufficient eliminated to be an invalid response to the trilemma debate.
Leow expanded on Partisia’s strategy, saying:
“current layer 1s inherently fail within the privateness space, so we’ve by no means seen any be adopted en masse as a everlasting resolution.”
The Partisia blockchain makes use of “decentralized multi-party zero-knowledge computations (MPC)” to fight the trilemma.
Polygon backs trilemma resolution
The brand new blockchain has not too long ago introduced a partnership with an current Ethereum layer-2 resolution, Polygon. Antoni Martin, Polygon Enterprise Lead, acknowledged that Polygon’s collaboration with Partisia:
“opens up numerous new and thrilling prospects for all Polygon builders, offering them with extra instruments to fine-tune the privateness and safety of their tasks.”
The transcript of the interview follows:
Interview with Partisia
Akiba: MPC (multi-party zero-knowledge computations) runs its personal layer-1 blockchain; how does bridging to a different layer-2 community equivalent to Polygon deliver MPC’s options to Polygon?
Leow: MPC is its personal layer 1 and a couple of blockchains with mainnet launching on thirty first Could. It’s the world’s first L1+2, so on our L2, any L1 equivalent to Matic can transact on the L2 personal good contract, and the result’s registered again on the L1 (on this case, Matic).
Matic might be used as fuel for the computation, and the Matic asset can be used on the MPC chain, however that’s not its core objective.
Akiba: Can customers work together with the MATIC chain from MPC with out bridging?
Leow: The MPC tokens would have to be wrapped in MATIC, so no.
Akiba: Are you able to give an ELI5 clarification of “multi-party zero-knowledge computations.”
Leow: With the present zkrollup privateness know-how, solely two individuals can work together at a time, which implies the result is restricted. If Bob and Jane are in a room, we are able to discover out who has more cash, but when there are ten individuals within the room, how can we all know how a lot everybody has, from poorest to richest?
That is not possible with zkrollup. With zk computation, everybody can share their particulars privately, and we are able to rank the cash of all ten individuals with out disclosing who has which funds or risking their funds being misplaced.
Akiba: Can we anticipate different chains to be supported sooner or later? If that’s the case, might Ethereum, Bitcoin, or different prime 10 layer 1s be on the horizon?
Sure, Ethereum compatibility might be prepared in June. Bitcoin can be transacted, however the timeline is TBC (To be Confirmed). Cardano assist might be prepared by Nov. Most EVM appropriate chains are related, so as soon as we now have assist for ETH and MATIC, different EVMs might be supported.
Akiba: Is the privateness stage of present ZKproofs an issue that must be solved?
Sure, the present type of zk proof which falls beneath zk rollup, is broken- as a result of the computation is finished on a centralized off-chain resolution, regulators don’t approve it, and the computation information usually can’t be retrieved. This difficult to retrieve information is an issue when regulators need to look beneath the hood. Additionally, by operating side-chain/off-chain, there’s a host of different issues proven within the blockchain trilemma.
With zk proof, the outcomes are solely binary as its two events. With zk computation (MPC privateness), there are limitless purposes equivalent to closed orderbooks onchain, logistic corporations equivalent to Apple would by no means use a public blockchain, however now they’ll run it privately on
Partisia and provides entry to distributors at completely different phases. They’ll shield their provide chain information whereas utilizing blockchain to their benefit. Information silos are one other enormous use case equivalent to hospitals that hardly ever share information even with different hospitals in the identical nation because of affected person confidentiality.
Nonetheless, they might add their information to non-public good contracts with our know-how. The AI might are available in and analyze information to determine developments with out disclosing the supply of the data or personal keys.
Akiba: Why are you so enthusiastic about MPC, and have you ever struggled to elucidate the venture’s USP (distinctive promoting level) given its complicated foundation?
It’s very thrilling as a result of Partisia Blockchain is the world’s first Layer 1 + 2 and the world’s first blockchain protocol supporting private and non-private transactions 100% on-chain and decentralized. This implies for the primary time in historical past, a public blockchain could be adopted by public protocols (L1, L2, and dapps), enterprises, and governments.
The USP is actually a difficult factor to elucidate, given its complexity. Nonetheless, our current CMO rent, who spent 9 years at Paypal and led the GTM technique for crypto, is engaged on creating an easy-to-understand narrative.
The way forward for interoperability
It’s certainly an enchanting idea to see a brand new blockchain emerge with the aptitude to supply interoperability with well-established chains. Additional, having an in-built layer-2 to scale back fuel charges and velocity up transactions is a novel strategy. It seems that Partisia has checked out all facets of web3 which have obtained traction, built-in them into its resolution, after which made it backward appropriate with the present infrastructure.
The query now arises whether or not Partisia can obtain the extent of utilization required to change into a real participant within the web3 house. Partnerships with organizations equivalent to Polygon are actually a big first step. This venture could possibly be one to observe in 2022 for traders taking a look at technological fundamentals.