Confidential Computing

Definition ∞ Confidential computing is a technology that protects data while it is being processed in use. It utilizes hardware-based trusted execution environments (TEEs) to encrypt data even when it is in memory, preventing unauthorized access by system administrators or cloud providers. This ensures that sensitive computations remain private and secure during their execution.
Context ∞ The integration of confidential computing into blockchain infrastructure is a growing area of interest, particularly for privacy-preserving applications and secure multi-party computation. Discussions often revolve around its potential to safeguard sensitive transaction data on public ledgers or enable secure off-chain computations for decentralized applications. The development of TEE-compatible smart contract platforms represents a significant advancement in this field.