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What is iExec?

iExec is a decentralized confidential computing toolkit that helps developers build privacy-preserving apps.

SpeedRun The Protocol

iExec Deal Lifecycle

Step 1: Prepare Resources

  • Data Provider protects sensitive data with encryption and sets access rules.
  • App Provider deploys an iApp to process data securely.

Step 2: Create a Deal

Requester submits a computation request. The PoCo smart contract automatically matches and brings together all required resources: the iApp, protected data, and available workerpool.

Guides: Run iApp with ProtectedData, Run iApp without ProtectedData

Step 3: Execute in TEE

Workers from the selected workerpool download the iApp and execute it inside secure enclaves (TEEs). Your data is processed confidentially - workers can run computations but never access raw data outside the TEE.

Step 4: Deliver Results & Pay

Results are encrypted and delivered back to the requester. RLC tokens are automatically distributed to all participants (app provider, data provider, workerpool) based on their contribution.

What each piece does

Protected Data

Your data, encrypted. You set the rules: "Only these apps can use it, only for these purposes."

iApp

Your code, packaged to run on workers. Can be AI models, data processing scripts, any computation.

Workers (Secure Enclaves)

Computers that process your data inside privacy-safe TEE environments. They can access your data to work with it, but the TEE ensures it stays confidential and tamper-proof.

Deals

The execution instruction that unifies the entire flow: "Run this iApp on this Protected Data using a TEE Worker, then return the encrypted result to me." The protocol takes care of worker allocation and secure coordination.

Real example walkthrough

AI Model Training (Private)

  1. Protect: Medical researchers upload patient data → becomes Protected Data
  2. Deploy: AI company packages their model → becomes iApp
  3. Execute: Someone submits Task → "Train model on this data"
  4. Result: Model gets trained, researcher gets insights, raw data never leaves enclave

Web3 Email

  1. Protect: Users upload email contacts → Protected Data
  2. Execute: App submits Task → "Send email via Web3Mail iApp"
  3. Result: Email sent, addresses stay private, sender/receiver authenticated

Start building

Now that you get the protocol, pick your devtools: