Nillion is a decentralized network designed for privacy-preserving computation and data management. It functions as a "blind computer," enabling computations directly on encrypted data using a combination of cryptographic technologies, with an architecture that separates network coordination from secure computation. ^[1]

Overview

Nillion is a decentralized computing network designed to store and process encrypted data without exposing it to node operators or application backends. The network's core function is to act as a "blind computer," a system that can perform computations on sensitive information while it remains encrypted. This is achieved through the use of various Privacy-Enhancing Technologies (PETs), including secure multi-party computation (MPC), homomorphic encryption (HE), and trusted execution environments (TEEs). By leveraging these cryptographic primitives, Nillion aims to shift the security model from one based on trusting organizational policies to one based on mathematical guarantees of data privacy. ^{[2] [3]}

The network is composed of specialized nodes that run distinct privacy-focused components called "Blind Modules." These modules provide specific functionalities: nilCC nodes are responsible for general-purpose private computation within secure hardware environments; nilDB nodes manage the encrypted and distributed storage of data, ensuring no single node holds complete information; and nilAI nodes execute private artificial intelligence (AI) inference, allowing users to interact with large language models (LLMs) without decrypting their input data. This modular structure allows for secure data processing and storage across a distributed network. ^[4]

To facilitate adoption by developers, Nillion provides a suite of tools, including APIs and SDKs, that abstract the underlying cryptographic complexity. These tools are designed to allow developers to integrate privacy-preserving features into their applications without needing to be experts in cryptography or modify their existing codebases significantly. The technology is intended for use cases where collaboration on sensitive data is necessary but confidentiality is paramount, such as in healthcare research, financial services, AI development, and public policy analysis. ^[2]

History

The conceptual foundation for Nillion's architecture predates its formal development, with its philosophy originating from academic research conducted by some of its team members nearly a decade before 2025. This vision was first detailed in a National Science Foundation (NSF) research proposal and a subsequent 2017 academic paper that outlined a decentralized ecosystem for secure storage and computation over encrypted data. ^[5]

On March 20, 2025, Nillion announced the launch of its native token, $NIL, which coincided with several key network milestones. This event marked the mainnet genesis of the nilChain, the network's coordination layer. Concurrently, the "Blind Modules Alpha Mainnet" was activated, bringing the initial Petnet clusters online with specialized nodes to perform computations. The launch also included the first community airdrop, an initial distribution of tokens intended to begin the decentralization of the network's utility and governance. Following the launch, the project established the Nucleus Builder’s Program to encourage the development of applications within its ecosystem. ^[6]

Technology

Nillion's technology is built on three core design principles: interoperability, modularity, and portability. Interoperability is achieved through the use of common development languages and standard REST APIs. Modularity ensures that components have minimal interdependencies, allowing developers to use specific features without adopting the entire ecosystem. Portability is supported through containerization, making functionalities compatible with various server-side and client-side architectures. ^[5]

Architecture

The Nillion network architecture is divided into two distinct layers: a coordination layer (nilChain) and a computation layer (Petnet). This separation of concerns is designed to optimize the network for both security and performance in handling privacy-preserving tasks.

nilChain (Coordination Layer)

The nilChain functions as the coordination and settlement layer of the Nillion network. Its primary responsibilities include processing payments for storage and computation services, distributing rewards to network participants, managing the network's crypto-economic security through staking, and coordinating the formation of node clusters within the Petnet. It does not execute the privacy-preserving computations itself but acts as the administrative backbone that manages and settles these activities.

The nilChain is built using the Cosmos SDK and utilizes the Inter-Blockchain Communication (IBC) protocol, which enables it to interact with other blockchains in the Cosmos ecosystem and beyond. A key design choice is the intentional exclusion of a general-purpose smart contract execution environment. This limitation focuses the chain's resources on its core coordination tasks, which is intended to enhance performance and security for its specialized role. Users and developers can interact with the nilChain through Cosmos-compatible wallets such as Keplr and Leap. ^{[7] [3]}

Petnet (Orchestration & Computation Layer)

The Petnet is the orchestration and computation layer where all privacy-preserving operations take place. It is a network of nodes that integrates various PETs, such as MPC, FHE, and ZKPs, to perform secure computations on encrypted data. The Petnet is implemented through two main components: the Nada language compiler and the Nillion Virtual Machine (nilVM). These components are designed to abstract the complexity of the underlying cryptographic protocols, offering multiple levels of abstraction to make them more accessible to developers.

Computations on the Petnet are deployed across "clusters," which are independent networks of nodes managed by the nilChain. These clusters can be configured with different parameters—such as node count, hardware specifications, geographic location, and security thresholds—to meet specific application requirements. This flexibility allows developers to create clusters optimized for different goals, such as cost-efficiency, low latency, or compliance with regional data regulations. The Petnet's core functionality is delivered through its "Blind Modules." ^[7]

Blind Modules

Blind Modules are the primary computational units within the Petnet that perform secure data storage and processing. They provide APIs and SDKs that allow developers to build privacy-preserving applications without directly handling the complex cryptography involved.

• nilCC (Confidential Computing): This module serves as Nillion's general-purpose confidential compute platform. It enables any containerized application to run securely within a Trusted Execution Environment (TEE), which is a hardware-isolated area within a processor. nilCC isolates workloads and provides cryptographic attestation, a process that verifies the integrity of the execution environment and the code being run. Developers can deploy standard Docker Compose workloads via a RESTful API without modifying their application code, and the platform automatically transforms them into verifiable secure computations.
• nilDB (Secure Database): nilDB is a secure NoSQL database module designed for storing data in an encrypted or decentralized manner. It utilizes cryptographic techniques such as symmetric encryption, homomorphic encryption, or multi-party computation. For decentralized storage, data can be split into mathematical secret shares and distributed across multiple nodes. This ensures that no single node ever has access to the complete, unencrypted data, meaning a breach of one node does not compromise the information. Encryption is handled on the client side using a provided blindfold library before data is transmitted to the nilDB nodes.
• nilAI (Private AI): This module is designed for secure artificial intelligence operations. It runs large language models (LLMs) inside TEEs, enabling private AI inference. Users can submit queries or data to an AI model without exposing the unencrypted content to the model operator or the underlying infrastructure. Both the user's input and the model's output remain encrypted and private throughout the process. The module is accessed through a RESTful API that facilitates secure inference requests. ^{[4] [8]}

Ecosystem Roles

The Nillion network is designed to support a role-based ecosystem where different participants contribute specialized functions to maintain and operate the network.

Functional Node Operator Roles

• Storage Node Operator: Operates a nilDB node to provide secure storage services for plaintext data, ciphertexts, or secret shares.
• Computation Node Operator: Operates a nilAI node to provide users with access to LLMs running in TEEs for private inference.
• Permission Node Operator: Operates a nilAuth node, a component responsible for confirming payments on the nilChain and authorizing user access to storage and computation nodes.
• Blockchain Node Operator: Operates a nilChain node to maintain the blockchain's integrity, including its payment, reward, and staking functions.

Data Owner and User Roles

• Input Data Contributor: A user with permission to write data to a nilDB node.
• Output Data Recipient: A user with permission to query and retrieve data from a nilDB node.
• AI User: A user permitted to submit prompts to a nilAI node and receive the corresponding outputs.
• Permission Delegator: Any user or operator who can delegate a subset of their permissions to another party.
• Attestation Verifier: Any user or operator who can verify a nilAI node's execution attestation to confirm that the correct code was run in a secure environment. ^[5]

Tokenomics

The native utility and governance token of the Nillion network is NIL.

NIL Token

The $NIL token is integral to the network's security, governance, and operations. Its primary utilities are:

• Payments: The token is used to pay for network services, including privacy-preserving storage on nilDB and blind computations performed by nilCC and nilAI. Transactions and usage costs are settled on the nilChain.
• Security: $NIL is used for staking, where tokenholders and validators lock up their tokens to secure the network and validate computations and transactions. Participants who stake their tokens are eligible to receive rewards.
• Governance: Holders of the $NIL token can participate in the decentralized governance of the network. They can propose and vote on protocol upgrades, changes to network parameters, and the allocation of community treasury funds. ^[6]

Token Allocation

The total supply of NIL is 1,000,000,000 tokens, distributed according to the following allocation model:

• Ecosystem and R&D: 29%
• Early Backers: 21%
• Core Contributors: 20%
• Community: 20%
• Protocol Development: 10% ^[6]

Partnerships

Nillion has established partnerships or integrations with several projects in the blockchain and technology space, including NEAR Protocol, Aptos, Arbitrum, Ritual, and Coasys. ^[1]