What is Blindference?
The Problem
Running AI inference on sensitive data creates a fundamental tension:- Centralized APIs (OpenAI, Anthropic) see your data in plaintext — you must trust their security and data policies
- On-chain FHE is too slow for production model latency — proving entire computations on-chain is impractical
- Pure off-chain execution has no verifiability — you can’t prove the model ran correctly or wasn’t tampered with
- Keep inputs private
- Let nodes compute off-chain
- Make the result economically accountable with quorum, attestations, commitments, and coverage
The Solution
Blindference coordinates encrypted requests across a distributed quorum of nodes:- User encrypts locally: Prompts are AES-256 encrypted in the browser before upload
- Keys are access-controlled: AES key halves are CoFHE-encrypted and stored on-chain — only assigned nodes can decrypt
- Quorum executes: 1 leader + 2 verifiers independently run the same inference
- Results are cross-validated: Verifiers check the leader’s output; 2/3 consensus required
- Settlement is automatic: Accepted results are committed on-chain; disputed results trigger insurance payouts
Why This Matters
Blindference is trying to make private AI execution feel complete, not partial. That means:- The coordinator (ICL) never sees plaintext
- The assigned nodes only receive encrypted inputs with cryptographically enforced access control
- The user remains the only one who can reveal the final answer
- The execution is still verifiable and economically meaningful