What Is Arpa Network? All You Need to Know About ARPA

IntermediateSep 14, 2023
ARPA is a blockchain-based layer 2 solution for privacy-preserving computation, enabling data sharing and analysis without compromising data privacy.
What Is Arpa Network? All You Need to Know About ARPA

Privacy has become a top consideration in the dynamic world of blockchain technology. As foundational networks lay the groundwork for a more secure digital era, there’s a pressing need to address specific challenges, especially ensuring user privacy. Layer-2 solutions come to the forefront in addressing these intricacies, enhancing the core blockchain proposition.

One such platform that has significantly contributed to this privacy-centric advancement is ARPA. With its innovative Secure Multi-Party Computation (SMPC), ARPA ensures secure data-sharing between multiple parties, solidifying its position in the realm of blockchain privacy.

What is Arpa (ARPA)?

ARPA, initially known as ARPA Chain, embarked on its journey in the Spring of 2018, emphasizing privacy-preserving computation on public blockchains. By late 2019, after the formation and funding of its initial team in mid-2018, the ARPA Mainnet was launched, targeting financial sector use cases. The foundation successfully raised $8,000,000 in its fundraising efforts, reflecting strong investor confidence in the project’s potential and vision within the blockchain landscape.

In 2020, ARPA evolved to introduce targeted advertising capabilities and enhanced personal data protection measures, while simultaneously forging collaborations with major enterprises. These collaborations began yielding revenue, leading to quarterly token burns in 2021.

By Q1 2022, ARPA shifted its attention to the Randcast Pilot Program, aiming to produce random verifiable numbers essential for metaverse features.

Over the years, ARPA Mainnet completed over 224,000 computation tasks, showcasing their expertise in MPC and cryptography. The project was co-founded by Derek Zhang, Felix Xu, Jiang Chen, and Yemu Xu, with Felix and Yemu Xu later initiating other ventures like the Bella Protocol and ZX Squared Capital.

How Does Arpa Work? Privacy-preserving Computation and Data-sharing

Privacy-preserving computation is a cornerstone of Arpa’s architecture, seeking to strike a balance between data utility and data privacy in the blockchain ecosystem. This method enables Arpa to handle encrypted information without exposing the underlying data, guaranteeing users can obtain insights and carry out transactions without risking their confidential details.

Utilizing this computational approach, Arpa creates a secure environment where entities and individuals can confidently transact without risking their confidential information. This is particularly beneficial in contexts like finance, where transactions can be processed without revealing transaction details, or in healthcare, where patient data can be shared for research without compromising individual privacy.

Moreover, Arpa’s commitment to privacy-preserving computation continues beyond data protection. It also facilitates a new avenue for data monetization – allowing the renting of sensitive information, thereby unlocking previously inaccessible value. However, like all pioneering technologies, challenges remain, including optimizing cryptographic processes and ensuring computational efficiency. Despite these hurdles, Arpa’s focus on privacy-preserving computation positions it at the forefront of the movement toward a more private and secure decentralized ecosystem.

Source: Arpa whitepaper

Traditional blockchain systems reach consensus on-chain, leveraging a synchronized network of nodes. While this method guarantees unparalleled security, it sometimes compromises transaction speed and network adaptability. Addressing these limitations, ARPA’s Layer-2 strategy incorporates the pioneering concept of Secure Multi-Party Computation (SMPC). SMPC champions secure data-sharing amidst diverse entities, ensuring transactions are both cryptographically sound and confidential.

ARPA’s use of SMPC stands distinct from other encryption methodologies. It surpasses counterparts like homomorphic encryption and Zero-Knowledge Proofs in scalability, versatility, and efficiency. A cornerstone of ARPA’s design is its commitment to uncompromised, verifiable computation. Centralizing intricate computations off-chain not only enhances scalability but also ensures adaptability across multiple blockchain frameworks. Another distinguishing feature is its scalability, designed to prevent on-chain networks from hitting their gas constraints, thereby accelerating transactions. All these combined attributes of SMPC underline ARPA’s potential to offer a seamless, cost-effective, and high-speed platform for its users.

Arpa’s Consensus Mechanism

ARPA’s unique consensus mechanism is carved from a sophisticated dual-tiered structure, ensuring robustness and integrity throughout the network. The Protocol Layer sets the stage for decentralized activity, where nodes can seamlessly integrate and provide computational capabilities, garnering ARPA token incentives as a reward. Complementing this is the Computation Layer, which serves as the backbone for collective multi-party computations. It offers rigorous cryptographic validation for all operations, making sure each action on the platform is genuine and safeguarded.

To fine-tune consensus and maintain network efficiency, ARPA incorporates three pivotal systems:

  • Proof of Correctness: Taking inspiration from the familiar Proof of Work, this system streamlines the consensus mechanism. Rather than every node participating, specific nodes are designated for computation, optimizing efficiency, transaction throughput, and security of code execution.
  • Proof of Computation: This system keeps a diligent track of the nodes’ computational efforts. Nodes are monitored for their active participation, and they receive rewards proportional to their contributions, fostering a fair and balanced ecosystem.
  • Proof of Secureness: Acting as the watchdog for off-chain computations, this ensures they’re carried out within Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs). By validating these computations, it ensures that they are correct and executed promptly, further enhancing the trust and efficiency of the ARPA network.

Together, these components work synergistically, crafting a consensus mechanism that stands robust against challenges, while promoting transparency, fairness, and security within the ARPA ecosystem.

Source: Arpa whitepaper

Arpa Use Cases

ARPA offers a unique combination of security and computational capabilities, making it well-suited for various applications. Here are some prominent use cases for the ARPA network:

  • Data Marketplace: ARPA facilitates the renting and exchanging of sensitive data, allowing users to unlock value from previously inaccessible information without compromising data privacy.
  • Financial Services: Using ARPA’s privacy-preserving capabilities, institutions can validate user input without having direct access to personal data for secure multi-party financial computations like credit anti-fraud analysis.
  • Precise Advertising: Advertisers can utilize ARPA to target potential customers without infringing on their privacy rights, ensuring relevant ad placements while maintaining user confidentiality.
  • Personal Data Monetization: ARPA enables individuals to monetize their personal data in a secure environment, letting them gain benefits while keeping their information encrypted.
  • Metaverse Integration: The Randcast Pilot Program in ARPA produces random verifiable numbers (RVN), crucial for replicating real-world randomness in metaverse scenarios, such as NFT generative processes and in-game events.

These applications underscore ARPA’s potential to enhance privacy and security across multiple sectors.

What is the ARPA Coin?

ARPA coin is the native cryptocurrency for ARPA’s privacy-preserving blockchain and computational platform. Its maximum supply is capped at 2 billion units, of which 1.243 (62.15%) are already in circulation (August 2023).

ARPA token fuels a range of decentralized activities. As the primary medium of exchange, it streamlines interactions between data providers, model suppliers, and consumers. Through this medium, services—whether they include the delivery of data or the sale of models—are guaranteed to receive proper compensation. It is also the currency exchanged to cover the costs of secure multiparty computations, determined by the number of triples used and other factors. Ensuring good behavior, computation power providers stake ARPA tokens, which can be forfeited if they engage in malfeasance or abort jobs. Unique to ARPA, the Additive Backing System invites a spectrum of network participants, from individual enthusiasts to professional investors, to back public data or models, fostering a wider adoption.

On the infrastructure side, computation nodes, characterized by powerful computing capabilities, commit ARPA tokens as a performance guarantee. ARPA’s model empowers data providers to capitalize on their dormant data assets without ceding ownership, while consumers enjoy cost-effective data access, effectively sidelining data middlemen.

ARPA’s initial distribution demonstrates a well-structured allocation strategy to support its vision. With 30% dedicated to Mining Rewards, the project incentivizes participation. Team and Foundation receive 20% and 15% respectively, ensuring commitment and development. The Reserve and Ecosystem each receive 13% and 5%, while Private Sales and Public Events complete the allocation for a balanced foundation.

Arpa Ecosystem

Arpa continues to make waves with its extensive ecosystem. Through strategic advancements, diverse partnerships, and cutting-edge technological deployments, ARPA showcases its commitment to shaping the future of decentralized systems. Here are some of the most important projects so far:

  • Blockcloud partnership: ARPA partnered strategically with Blockcloud, a blockchain-based TCP/IP. Their collaboration seeks to bolster the security and stability of the global internet. Blockcloud’s specialized blockchain-based advanced TCP/IP architecture could complement ARPA’s privacy-focused ethos.
  • Mirror World partnership: ARPA’s Randcast, a secure on-chain verifiable random number generator, has partnered with Mirror World. The collaboration focuses on integrating Randcast into Mirror World’s ecosystem with the shared goal of advancing Web3 gaming development.
  • AGLD DAO collaboration: ARPA has partnered with AGLD DAO, bringing ARPA’s Randcast technology to the Loot Chain. This partnership aims to use secure and verifiable randomness to further the development of Autonomous Worlds.
  • InfStones partnership: InfStones, a leading blockchain infrastructure and staking service provider, has partnered with ARPA for node operation. This collaboration bolsters the ARPA network’s security, robustness, and decentralization.

In light of these projects, it is evident that ARPA is not only diversifying its ecosystem but also fostering collaborations that push the boundaries of blockchain innovation. The future looks promising for ARPA and its community.

Is Arpa a Good Investment?

Privacy is a cornerstone in today’s digital age, with increasing concerns over data breaches and unauthorized data access. ARPA’s emphasis on privacy-preserving computations showcases its commitment to addressing these concerns. Furthermore, Multi-Party Computation (MPC) stands at the forefront of cryptographic research, offering solutions that enable parties to jointly compute a function over their inputs while keeping those inputs private.

Additionally, the rise of decentralized systems underscores the need for secure and collaborative computations, a niche that ARPA seems poised to fill. As technology trends gravitate towards more secure, transparent, and collaborative platforms, ARPA’s focus areas suggest it is strategically positioned in the sector. Investors should always conduct their own research and consider their risk tolerance before making decisions.

How to Own ARPA?

To own ARPA, you can use the services of a centralized crypto exchange. Start by creating a Gate.io account and get it verified and funded. Then, you are ready to go through the steps to buy ARPA.

News on Arpa

As announced on ARPA’s Medium blog on August 2, 2023, ARPA Network has forged a strategic partnership with Particle Network to strengthen node operation. This alliance aims to amplify the robustness, security, and decentralization of ARPA’s ecosystem.

Particle Network, renowned for its plug-and-play solutions for Web3 app development, will bring added expertise, particularly in areas like Authentication, Wallet-as-a-Service, and NFT solutions. ARPA’s multi-node system design emphasizes security and computational efficiency. To ensure network integrity, node operators like Particle Network stake significant tokens, with mechanisms to reward proper behavior and penalize malicious ones. Felix Xu, CEO of ARPA, highlighted the partnership’s potential to boost both ARPA MainNet’s abilities and the ARPA Randcast ecosystem. This collaboration underscores ARPA’s commitment to decentralization, aiming to fortify its resilience against potential threats.

Take Action

Check out ARPA price today, and start trading your favorite currency pairs.

Author: Mauro
Translator: Piper
Reviewer(s): Matheus、KOWEI、Ashley He
* The information is not intended to be and does not constitute financial advice or any other recommendation of any sort offered or endorsed by Gate.io.
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