Telos Launches Trusted Setup Ceremony for Privacy Layer
In a significant development, Telos has officially commenced the Trusted Setup Ceremony for its Privacy Layer, marking a pivotal moment for the network and the broader landscape of privacy-centric blockchain technology. This ceremony is a crucial cryptographic procedure that must be completed prior to enabling private, multi-asset accounts and shielded transactions on the Telos network. The structure of the ceremony is designed to ensure that no individual, organization, or developer—including Telos itself—can undermine the privacy assurances that the system offers. Once the ceremony concludes, the resulting parameters will form the foundation for the zero-knowledge (ZK) circuits that facilitate private transfers, delegated deposits, and privacy-oriented interactions throughout the Telos ecosystem.
Building on Industry-Leading Security
Telos is leveraging a robust foundation rather than starting anew. The Privacy Layer is built upon the security framework of the Ethereum Perpetual Powers of Tau ceremony, which is recognized as one of the most scrutinized and collaboratively executed multi-party computation (MPC) ceremonies to date, involving 86 distinct contributors. This established setup has already gained the trust of prominent ZK privacy frameworks, including Railgun. Under the principles of MPC, the integrity of the final output requires only one honest participant, providing the Telos Privacy Layer with an exceptionally solid base. Additionally, the Telos ceremony will enhance this security with new contributions from reputable members of the Telos community, including engineers, researchers, and independent advocates for privacy.
Understanding the Ceremony Process
The Trusted Setup Ceremony is conducted through a meticulously organized, sequential process. Each participant engages in a computation and adds their unique entropy, with their output serving as the input for the subsequent participant. This chain of contributions progressively strengthens the overall security of the final parameters, effectively preventing reconstruction or exploitation by any single entity, both now and in the future.
Structure of the Two-Phase Ceremony
The ceremony is structured in two distinct phases:
Phase 1: Powers of Tau
In this phase, Telos enhances the security of the prior Ethereum Powers of Tau ceremony by incorporating additional contributors from its ecosystem.
Phase 2: Circuit Parameter Generation
During this phase, participants introduce entropy into each of the ZK circuits that will support private accounts, shielded transfers, and delegated deposits within the Telos Privacy Layer. Completion of both phases is essential before the final verification keys can be generated and the privacy system activated on the mainnet.
Participation Requirements for Contributors
Members of the Telos Foundation and Protofire have already begun contributing to the ceremony. Telos is also extending invitations to dependable and technically proficient participants, including active block producers, long-standing community members, researchers, and privacy advocates. Interested contributors should have access to:
- A Linux machine equipped with at least 8 CPU cores
- A minimum of 8 GB of RAM
- 150 GB of available storage for ceremony-related data
- A clean, isolated environment devoid of unnecessary background applications
- The capability to adhere to fundamental operational security practices
Researchers, engineers, privacy advocates, or security-oriented community individuals wishing to participate may reach out through Telegram or via email.
Future Developments Following the Ceremony
Upon the successful conclusion of the Trusted Setup Ceremony, Telos intends to roll out several features, including:
- Private multi-asset accounts that provide users with quantum-resistant security
- Shielded value transfers
- High-performance private computation integrated at the Layer 1 level
- A superior privacy wallet experience
These functionalities aim to position Telos as a leading and progressive network in the blockchain industry, geared towards mass adoption, accessibility for developers, and long-term security. The ceremony is currently in progress, and Telos expresses gratitude to all contributors who are helping to secure the future of private cryptocurrency on the network.
About Telos
Telos is an EVM-compatible Layer 1 blockchain designed for enhanced privacy, performance, scalability, and practical usability. Offering sub-second finality, resistance to miner extractable value (MEV), and a deflationary token model, Telos supports a wide range of applications across decentralized finance (DeFi), gaming, and enterprise sectors.
