Build the first ever confidential dapp in Solidity and win prizes.
Oasis launched the Sapphire ParaTime on its Testnet. Sapphire ParaTime is an industry-first Confidential EVM runtime. Developers can experience Web3-enabled confidentiality in a language they already know. Additionally, Oasis invites developers to join the Keep it Confidential Sapphire Hackathon, build the world’s first confidential dapp in Solidity, and win a prize.
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With traditional blockchains, there is a privacy paradox where all user data is stored anonymously but publicly. Therefore, confidential dapps are becoming a necessity in Web3 as people value data sovereignty highly in this day and age.
Oasis recently launched Sapphire Paratime on its testnet to offer solidity developers the opportunity to build privacy-enabled dapps. It allows for dapps to be created that can make data confidential while still executing smart contracts.
It is worth mentioning that a vibrant ecosystem has taken shape on the Oasis network. You can use DappRadar Oasis Ranking to find the hottest Oasis dapps of the moment.
What is Sapphire?
The Oasis Network adopts a modular architecture that separates consensus and smart contract execution into the Consensus Layer and the ParaTime Layer.
The Consensus Layer is a scalable, high-throughput, secure, proof-of-stake consensus run by a decentralized set of validator nodes. Meanwhile, the ParaTime Layer hosts many parallel runtimes (ParaTimes) to fulfill specific needs, such as confidential computing, open or closed committees, and more.
Sapphire ParaTime is a groundbreaking developer environment as it is the first and only confidential Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) compatible ParaTime. This runtime can help scale blockchain rapidly towards Web3. Furthermore, it allows EVM developers to quickly lay the foundations for privacy-required blockchain dapps, which tackle users’ growing demand for data sovereignty.
As the official confidential EVM-compatible ParaTime on the Oasis Network, Sapphire boasts the following features.
- Confidential state, end-to-end encryption, confidential randomness
- EVM compatibility
- Easy integration with EVM-based dApps, such as NFT, Metaverse, crypto gaming, and DeFi
- Scalability — high throughput of transactions
- Low-cost — 99%+ lower fees than Ethereum
- Cross-chain bridge to enable cross-chain interoperability (upcoming)
In addition, Sapphire offers Solidity developers a familiar, Ethereum-compatible building environment, but with the added benefits of Oasis’ privacy technology. This is the key to enabling a blockchain-powered Web3 world. Read on to find out why.
Why confidentiality matters
Blockchain offers increased trust, transparency, and data traceability across networks, enabling a new era of business operation. However, the current nature of blockchain also poses other problems. For example, we need to acknowledge that sensitive data, such as financial and health information, must remain confidential if we scale to Web3.
To address that, Sapphire enables dapps to utilize confidential smart contracts. It allows transactions between wallets to remain visible, transparent, and secure while keeping the data such as transaction amount private. Notably, this differs from what we see today on any public EVM.
Typically, if a user makes a transaction on a public EVM decentralized exchange, anyone can see the amount, input, and output of those transactions, etc. So is there technology that can selectively display information? The answer is yes.
Sapphire empowers EVM developers with confidential smart contracts, allowing them to hide certain aspects of smart contract execution. In this way, Sapphire equips Solidity developers with the ability to build dApps that protect user privacy and thus enhance user experience.
How does Sapphire address confidentiality?
Sapphire enacts Oasis’ privacy technology which requires nodes to use a secure computing technology called a Trusted Execution Environment (TEE). We can think of TTE as a black box for executing smart contracts.
With key management, encrypted data goes into the black box (known as the Secure Enclave) along with the smart contract. Then, in the black box, the data gets decrypted, processed by the smart contract, and after that, encrypted again before being sent out of the Secure Enclave.
This process ensures that data remains confidential and invisible to the node operator or application developer.
Sapphire is developer friendly.
Oasis has incorporated privacy protection technology into its DNA. Other ParaTimes on Oasis, like Cipher, inherit the same privacy-preserving features of Oasis. Likewise, Sapphire leverages the same technology but gives developers EVM compatibility. What does this mean?
User-facing tools that are already commonly adopted stay in use, such as Web3 gateway, wallet, block explorer, and more. Developer can also use their familiar tools such as Solidity/Vyper, Hardhat/Truffle, and Web3.js/Ethers.
As a result, Sapphire enables developers to port dapp in minutes and start using the privacy technology, as well as new built-in functions like RNG, signing, and encryption.
The launch of Sapphire will significantly drive the mass adoption of Web3. When Oasis introduced Emerald, it allowed developers to move dapps from Ethereum or other EVM-compatible chains to Oasis.
Sapphire takes the versatility of Oasis as a blockchain to new heights. It brings confidentiality to EVM while leveraging the current Oasis infrastructure, tooling, and ecosystem. Most importantly, solidity developers looking to create privacy DApps can finally make their ideas a reality.
How to create a dapp on Sapphire
The Sapphire ParaTime is currently deployed on Testnet, with Mainnet deployment planned for later in 2022. Developers can now utilize the Testnet to experience Sapphire, the confidential EVM-compatible ParaTime.
Oasis aims to equip developers with all the information they need to start with Sapphire. In this link, developers can learn the differences between Sapphire and Ethereum and how to integrate with Sapphire to write secure dApps.
The video below will also help developers become familiar with Sapphire.
Join the Keep It Confidential Hackathon to build on Sapphire
Oasis will be hosting the first Sapphire Hackathon in September, offering developers the opportunity to build the first Confidential EVM dapp and win prizes. Follow this link to register for the hackathon.
Hackathon snapshot
Dates
- September 14, 2022 — October 14, 2022 (midnight UTC)
Prizes
- 1st place prize – $5000 (equivalent in ROSE)
- 2nd place prize – $2500 (equivalent in ROSE)
- 3rd place prize – $1500 (equivalent in ROSE)
Categories
The hackathon accepts ideas that include but are not limited to the following.
- Applications with Sensitive Data
- Confidential DeFi
- Gaming
- Confidential NFTs
- DID – Decentralized identity
- Decentralized Society and Soulbound tokens
If you are looking for some project inspiration, check out the DappRadar Oasis Ranking to discover the hottest Oasis dapps of the moment. Also, you can join the Oasis Discord to get ideas from other community members. If you’re ready, then REGISTER NOW!
Submission Requirements
- Provide a summary of your project, including a description of what it is and how you want to evolve it.
- Provide a link to your code repository for judging and testing. Code must be open-sourced.
- Provide smart contract deployment links (https://testnet.explorer.sapphire.oasis.dev)
- Include a video (less than 5 minutes) that shows how your project works and why you built it. Videos must be uploaded to YouTube, Vimeo, or a similar site and made public.
Once you’re ready, click REGISTER NOW!
Judging Criteria
- Implementation Quality: Does the project demonstrate high-quality development?
- Potential Impact: How large an impact could the project have? How many users could the project potentially attract?
- Innovation: How creative and unique is the project?
- User Experience: Does the project’s design make the user experience easy?
- Originality: The project must be substantially different from any other app submitted by the same submitter/team/organization and must be the submitter’s original work. The project must be solely owned by the submitter and not violate the IP rights of any other person or entity.
- Confidentiality: How well does the dApp utilize confidentiality?
Support and relevant documents
To support the participants during the Sapphire Hackathon, Oasis has a dedicated channel #hackathons on their Discord. Feel free to ask questions there. In addition, developers can find guides and documentation for starting Sapphire development via this link.
For more info, stay tuned and, follow Oasis on Twitter, Discord, and register for the newsletter.
Find more information about Oasis and Sapphire Hackathon: