In early March, the decentralized, secure computing network Nillion announced that its mainnet would go live this month. At the same time, Nillion opened the registration page for claiming the $NIL token airdrop last month, covering various user groups, including community members, developers, and event participants. With the upcoming TGE, Nillion is entering a new phase of development.

Founded in 2021, Nillion has been deeply focused on data privacy and security. Through its innovative “blind computation” concept and a comprehensive set of application development tools, it enables developers to easily and efficiently build privacy-enhancing applications, supporting a wide range of use cases, including AI, DeFi, Social, gaming, and healthcare.

This article will review Nillion’s development journey, outline its core technology, and provide an in-depth look at its current ecosystem to give users a comprehensive understanding of this promising project in the privacy computing space.

Nillion Project Overview

Nillion is a decentralized data storage and computing network that enables high-value data (such as passwords, financial data, biometric information, and healthcare data) to be stored, transmitted, and processed in a fully encrypted state. This eliminates the need for the traditional “encryption-decryption-computation-re-encryption” process, ensuring data privacy and security throughout its entire lifecycle. Performing computations without exposing data content is known as “blind computation.”

Source: @nillionnetwork

The development company behind Nillion is Nilogy, which was incubated by the CoinList Seed program. Nilogy’s founder and CTO is Conrad Whelan, a founding engineer at Uber. Nillion itself also boasts a strong team:

• Alex Page: CEO, former Goldman Sachs investment banker, and General Partner at Hedera SPV.
• Miguel de Vega: Co-founder and Chief Scientist, holder of over 30 patents spanning fields such as fiber-optic networks and machine learning algorithms.
• Andrew Masanto: Co-founder, deeply involved in multiple crypto projects, including NFT.com, Reserve, and Hedera Hashgraph.

Nillion has completed two funding rounds, raising $45 million from investors such as Distributed Global, Hack VC, GSR, HashKey Capital, Maelstrom Capital, and Animoca Brands.

The team has not yet released a detailed tokenomics model, but available information indicates that the total supply of $NIL is 1 billion. Nillion has airdropped 7.5% of the total supply to community members and early contributors. In last June’s CoinList public sale, the team allocated 3.5% of the total supply, or 35 million $NIL, for public sale.

Nillion Core Architecture

To achieve functional separation and efficient management, Nillion adopts a dual-layer network architecture: Petnet and nilChain.

• Petnet serves as the orchestration layer, consisting of a node network where each node can independently select one or more blind modules for data storage and computation. Each blind module has one or more privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs) tailored for different application scenarios. These include Secure Multi-Party Computation (MPC), Homomorphic Encryption (HE), and Trusted Execution Environments (TEE), allowing developers to choose the most suitable technology for their specific needs.

Currently, Nillion has developed three blind modules: nilDB, a database solution; nilVM, a solution focused on data signing; and nilAI, an AI product that enables secure execution of large language models (LLMs) within TEE environments.

Source: docs.nillion.com

• nilChain is the coordination layer and manages shared resources across the Nillion network. It does not directly participate in blind computation but is responsible for cluster coordination while supporting payments, validator staking, rewards, and governance. Built on the Cosmos SDK stack, nilChain supports IBC for interoperability.

With this modular framework, Nillion aims to unlock the full potential of high-value data more securely and flexibly. To ensure network health and stability, Nillion launched its validator program in August last year, allowing validators to earn rewards by contributing to the network. According to the official website, as of March 10, there are over 500,000 validators, processing approximately 196 million ciphertexts and securing around 1,066 GB of data.

Nillion Ecosystem Overview

To foster the growth of the Nillion ecosystem, the team launched the Nucleus Builder Program, providing comprehensive support for developers in building applications, including technical assistance, marketing, financial planning, and go-to-market strategies. At the same time, Nillion is actively expanding externally. In addition to integrating with Near, Aptos, and Arbitrum blockchains, it has established deep collaborations with dozens of projects across multiple sectors, including infrastructure, AI, social, and DeFi.

Infrastructure

• Blerify: Provides verification infrastructure to simplify digital identity and asset management for individuals and businesses. Blerify adopts W3C Verifiable Credentials and ISO 18013 standards, allowing users to easily integrate digital credentials via SDKs and APIs for seamless interaction with applications.
• zkPass: A privacy data oracle protocol that enables on-chain verification of private data. Built on zkTLS, zkPass combines 3P-TLS and hybrid ZK technology to provide tools and applications for secure and verifiable data sharing. Its TransGate feature allows users to selectively prove various types of data, such as legal identity, financial records, and healthcare information.
• Aspecta: An AI-driven asset network that was part of Binance Labs’ 7th MVB accelerator program. Aspecta introduces a new asset issuance model by launching BuildKey, which is priced and traded based on a Bonding Curve. BuildKey can also be converted into project assets such as tokens, NFTs, and whitelists.

AI

• Ritual: A distributed AI computing platform that aggregates a network of distributed nodes, allowing creators to host, share, and access any model on the network. Its core products include Infernet, a lightweight framework for bridging on-chain and off-chain computation, and Ritual Chain, a modular AI execution layer currently in the testing phase. This integration enhances developers’ ability to maintain the privacy of user input data and AI models.
• Mizu: A comprehensive AI data layer selected for the NEAR Horizon AI incubation program. Mizu enables anyone to build an edge AI network using everyday devices like smartphones and laptops, earning MIZU points by contributing computing power and data processing. Developers can pay tokens to access ecosystem products and services while quickly building AI applications.
• Nesa: A lightweight Layer 1 blockchain for on-chain trusted AI, included in Binance Labs’ 7th MVB accelerator program. Nesa has built the first on-chain AI repository, storing models for LLMs, vision, and other key modalities, supporting private customization. It enhances security and privacy through technologies like Zero-Knowledge Machine Learning (ZKML) and Split Learning (SL).
• Capx: Aims to build the world’s largest AI consumer layer, allowing users to create, manage, and trade AI agents. Capx has three core products: Capx Chain, Capx Application Platform, and Capx Cloud. Capx Chain, built on Arbitrum Nitro Stack, has processed over 29 million transactions, while Capx Cloud integrates with the Symbiotic protocol to support tokenized AI agent deployment and scaling.
• Crush AI: An intelligent AI agent protocol leveraging LLM and AI to build applications such as on-chain gaming and trading. The team includes members from NASA, Nvidia, and Klarna. Currently, Crush AI operates as a token trading platform similar to Dexscreener.
• Virtuals Protocol: Enables anyone to create, manage, and trade AI agents with custom knowledge and behavior, functioning as an AI agent trading platform similar to Pump.fun. It currently supports Solana and Base networks. The team has developed the lightweight G.A.M.E framework, enabling developers to quickly launch new projects. Notable projects in the Virtuals ecosystem include aixbt, Luna, G.A.M.E, and VaderAI.
• Skillful AI: Specializes in providing personalized AI agents trained with domain-specific knowledge by focusing on context and user-specific memory. Skillful AI is currently in public beta testing.
• Rainfall: A privacy-focused personal intelligence platform that allows users to earn financial rewards by sharing data. It is currently operating its Alpha mainnet, a custom L2 blockchain. The team has also launched the Rainmaker Pool rewards program, where early participants can earn points for ecosystem contributions, which can later be converted into native tokens.
• Nuklai: A Layer 1 blockchain and collaborative data marketplace designed to provide diverse structured datasets and decentralized computing power for LLMs.
• Dwinity: A Web3 operating system focused on private data and decentralized AI, helping users securely control, manage, and maximize the value of their personal data.
• Verida AI: A cryptographic database storage and computation layer designed for the autonomous data economy, enabling individuals and organizations to securely store and utilize personal and private data for various applications, including personalized AI.

DEX

• Kayra: A decentralized dark pool exchange based on order book MPC, designed to provide privacy protection for users’ trade execution.

Healthcare

• Space of Mind: Provides peer support for traumatic stress, helping users build resilience and social connections.
• Monadic DNA: Utilizes blind computation technologies such as Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE) and Multi-Party Computation (MPC) to ensure users’ DNA data remains encrypted throughout storage, transmission, and interaction, maximizing its value.
• AgeRate: Offers an application and blood tests to help users monitor and slow down aging.

DAO

• DecentDAO: Decent is a fully EVM-compatible open-source framework that provides tools and integrations to help teams transition from multi-signature wallets or Snapshot clients to fully modular on-chain governance.

DeSci

• DeSciWorld: A decentralized scientific research platform providing tools to empower scientists, enabling them to conduct research on their own terms and effectively capture the value of their work. DeSciWorld has built an ecosystem with an information aggregation platform, a suite of technology products powered by Proof of Knowledge (PoK) protocols, an NFT marketplace, and an economy centered around $KNOW.

Communication

• MailChain: A Web3 communication layer that enables users to communicate crypto-native across multiple chains. The platform consists of two core components: an open-source multi-chain protocol for sending encrypted messages between blockchain wallets and an email-like inbox application that allows users to view and send messages while tracking on-chain activity.

DeFi

• ChooseK: Builds secure cryptographic workflows using Multi-Party Computation (MPC) and Homomorphic Encryption (HE) to provide provable privacy for financial services transactions.
• Hopscotch: A trade-matching platform that offers buyers and sellers a trusted, transparent, and efficient trading environment to maximize their benefits.
• Bitcash: Focuses on the bitUSD stablecoin business, allowing users to purchase goods and services with bitUSD. Additionally, the team has launched BitLauncher, a platform designed to help AI startups secure funding and promote AI development democratization.
• Salt: Specializes in programmable ownership of crypto investment portfolios. The team is building a marketplace that enables users seeking personalized investment management to compare and select AI agents that best meet their needs while executing complex investment strategies.

Game

• BattleshipX: A turn-based battleship game supporting multiplayer mode, utilizing Nillion’s blind computation and EthSign proofs to store game state and logic.

Social

• Flux: An intelligent networking social toolkit developed by the Coasys team and powered by Holochain. Within the Flux social framework, users can create private, composable, and decentralized social structures, supporting group messaging with zero latency or gas fees and various cryptographic features such as token payments and Web service integrations.
• Aloha: An AI-driven dating application that facilitates matchmaking through personalized AI, guiding users through the dating experience while ensuring secure and reliable user data protection.

Conclusion

As the TGE approaches, the Nillion team is accelerating the comprehensive development of its ecosystem. In addition to providing developers with detailed documentation and tool support, the team actively attracts high-quality projects through initiatives such as sponsoring hackathons and developer competitions. These efforts enhance Nillion’s technical influence and lay a solid foundation for the ecosystem’s explosive growth.

However, it is important to note that most projects within the Nillion ecosystem are still in the early stages of development and require time before reaching full deployment. During this period, the ecosystem’s growth will face multiple challenges, including technical, market, financial, and resource-related hurdles. Key issues include the complexity of integrating multiple privacy technologies, market competition from similar projects, and regulatory challenges surrounding privacy data applications. Addressing these challenges will require the Nillion team to continuously optimize its technical architecture, refine developer tools, and strengthen ecosystem support while working closely with project teams to drive ecosystem maturity and expansion.