A team of researchers led by Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin is racing against time to safeguard the future of Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs). Their focus? Unmasking the potential for “dark” voting systems that could undermine the very core principles of decentralization.
The threat lies in the vulnerability of DAOs to smart contract bribery. By offering financial incentives, malicious actors could manipulate voting outcomes, essentially hijacking the democratic process within these digital organizations. This alarming possibility has prompted Buterin and his colleagues at Cornell University to delve deep into the intricacies of cryptography.
Their research centers on a concept known as Proof of Complete Knowledge (CK). Unlike traditional proof of knowledge, which merely verifies possession of secret information, CK guarantees genuine ownership and control. The team believes that by implementing CK, they can effectively thwart bribery attempts by ensuring that voters retain full autonomy over their voting power.
“A voting platform can be susceptible to bribery attacks where users sell their votes,” explains Mahimna Kelkar, a PhD student involved in the research. “Our goal is to establish individual, real-person ownership of data.”
The researchers propose two primary methods to enforce CK. The first involves using Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs) to prove key ownership while allowing voters to reclaim control at any time. The second approach utilizes Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) to restrict key usage, preventing their exploitation in TEE environments.
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While the research is still in its early stages, the team has successfully created a prototype of a “dark DAO” to demonstrate the feasibility of bribery attacks. This alarming proof of concept underscores the urgency of their work.
As DAOs continue to gain traction in the mainstream, the battle for their integrity is intensifying. The research conducted by Buterin and his team offers a glimmer of hope in safeguarding the future of these decentralized entities. By addressing the looming threat of bribery, they are working to ensure that DAOs remain true to their democratic ideals.
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