With the prosperity of Web3 applications, the overall decentralization and data privacy of DApp applications have become a focus. At the same time, the integration of AI with various scenarios has also posed coordination problems for many decentralized applications in terms of network data computation, processing, and result verification. In the face of the increasing demand in the market for various transaction and data communication scenarios, Marlin Protocol can fill the corresponding gaps and become a potential focus.
What is Marlin Protocol?
The main goal of Marlin Protocol is to achieve scalability in decentralized computing through scalable co-processors. This includes using zero-knowledge proofs (ZKP) and Trusted Execution Environments (TEE) to ensure the security and privacy of DApp data processing in a distributed network, guaranteeing the decentralization performance of core computations. Currently, most blockchains struggle to meet the challenges of large-scale data processing, which is where Marlin's main advantage lies.
Marlin can run off-chain without trusted servers, achieving transparency in on-chain application execution. It also has scalability and fault tolerance mechanisms, providing developers with the necessary computing resources such as CPU and GPU (INTEL SGX and mainstream AI computing GPU H100), with lower hardware costs for node operators compared to other blockchain computing devices. Marlin reduces costs through marketization and token rewards, supports mainstream programming languages such as Python, C++, or Go, and makes it easy for developers to deploy and maintain their decentralized applications while achieving trusted verification results through ZK proofs and TEE proofs.
Marlin has already implemented multiple common scenarios, such as decentralized AI model expansion, decentralized exchanges, oracles, decentralized domain gateways, DApp web frontends, and GameFi.
Marlin Oyster and Trusted Execution Environments (TEE)
Trusted Execution Environments (TEE) is a privacy protection technology based on cryptography. It ensures data security and improves processing efficiency by using secure hardware environments such as SGX CPUs for isolated computations.
TEE has an independent and complete processing space, which can be seen as a "black box." Its security mainly comes from the low attack capabilities of isolated hardware devices. It also reduces additional computational and communication overhead during the communication process. While ensuring data security, it significantly improves data processing efficiency.
Marlin Oyster is an off-chain computing platform that provides developers and users with TEE-supported software and hardware environments for various computing tasks, including deploying backends or extending smart contracts.
Oyster enhances data security through TEE and consumes fewer resources compared to regular servers. It supports complex computations and significantly improves data processing speed. The cost of TEE is relatively low compared to other proof methods such as MPC and FHE, giving it a clear advantage.
Marlin provides Oyster with a public node market. Node operators can configure TEE by using compatible hardware devices such as servers with SGX or AWS and Azure servers. They can lease resources by running the corresponding programs, providing Oyster Serverless serverless runtime environment for DApp developers, and transforming centralized hosting services (APIs, gateways, etc.) into decentralized ones.
For example, in a decentralized frontend environment, developers can use enclave images and deploy them on IPFS using Oyster. They can bind the domain to the secure zone on Oyster using CAA records and set DNS records. This ensures the security of authorization and records and allows SSL certificates to be obtained for connections, enabling the decentralization of the frontend of DApp applications.
Kalypso Zero-Knowledge Proofs
Kalypso is Marlin's integrated solution for zero-knowledge proofs. It allows for the listing of ZK proofs on the market, leveraging market competition to reduce costs. Kalypso is modular and can be integrated into ZK programs to meet the processing needs of DApps for ZKP. Kalypso provides a fast and smooth user experience and has high utilization of hardware resources. The protocol is resistant to censorship.
Additionally, Kalypso can be parallelized by segmenting large computation proofs, improving computational flexibility. Kalypso has its own proof network, which is not controlled by a single entity. Anyone can join and submit bids for generating proofs.
Kalypso consists of proof requesters, Kalypso matching engines, and solvers.
Proof Requesters: Used for interaction with users and DApps.
Kalypso Matching Engine: Matches proof requests with compatible solvers.
Solvers: Provide data processing services using ZK computing resources. Solvers run in the Oyster environment and enhance data privacy and integrity.
Marlin's Impact and Advantages for DApps
The development of blockchain has to some extent promoted the growth of Web3 applications in various scenarios. DApp applications will become more complex in the future. Through the blockchain impossible triangle, we can understand that efficiency and data processing speed are difficult to coexist while ensuring security. However, using TEE and other methods can promote and solve these issues at the hardware level, further improving efficiency.
Compared to decentralized cloud computing market projects like Akash, Marlin provides efficient blockchain data processing and verification solutions for DApps through the integration of Kalypso and Oyster. It reduces costs, provides serverless environments, accelerates on-chain performance improvement, and provides a decentralized computing resource market, making the application environment decentralized, such as decentralized web frontends and decentralized domain implementations. Compared to decentralized computing environments like Chainlink Functions, Marlin also supports HTTPS endpoints, further promoting decentralization.
Project Financing and Tokens
Marlin raised $3 million in seed funding in 2019, with participation from Binance Labs, Arrington XRP, Electric Capital, and NGC. In 2020, it received funding from Cabin VC and DWF Labs in 2023, with undisclosed amounts.
Marlin has established partnerships with multiple Web3 application teams, including KONTOS, Lighthouse, Nulink, 3DNS, SpaceID, Bonfida, Prom, etc., to promote the decentralization of data applications and computing. As a Ruby sponsor, Marlin also sponsored this year's Ethereum Community Conference.
The total supply of Marlin's token, $POND, is 10 billion, with 8 billion already in circulation. The circulating market cap is $170 million, ranking 263rd, and it has been listed on well-known exchanges such as Binance and Coinbase. Users can earn $POND rewards by running Marlin nodes and staking, and holders can participate in network voting.
The project team members mostly come from Ivy League schools and have excellent technical backgrounds. The founder and CEO, Siddhartha Dutta, is a Zilliqa research analyst and core developer with experience at Microsoft and founding HumBee. Co-founder Prateesh Goyal holds a Ph.D. in computer science from MIT and has collaborated with the Ethereum Foundation.
Conclusion
Marlin Protocol injects new vitality into the prosperity and development of Web3 applications. Through its scalable co-processor and zero-knowledge proof technology, Marlin Protocol not only enhances the security and privacy of DApp data processing but also provides developers with efficient computing resources and serverless runtime environments. With the support of Marlin Oyster and Kalypso, developers can easily build and deploy decentralized applications and enjoy efficient, secure data processing, and verification services.
Marlin Protocol's contribution is not only reflected in technological innovation but also in driving and developing the entire industry. As a leader in decentralized computing, Marlin Protocol is committed to breaking the limitations of traditional computing and data processing, paving the way for the development of Web3 applications. By providing efficient and secure computing resources and verification services, Marlin Protocol creates a more open, transparent, and trustworthy network environment for developers and users. In the future, we look forward to seeing Marlin Protocol play a role in more fields, bringing more opportunities and challenges to the entire industry.
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