Rather than asking users to simply trust operators, Arkade implements technical safeguards that transform “trust the operator” into “verify the operator.” These mechanisms ensure that misbehavior is cryptographically detectable, honest execution is verifiable, economic incentives are aligned, and communication remains uncensorable.

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Verifiable Execution

To minimize trust assumptions in the preconfirmation state, Arkade isolates the Arkade Signer within Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs). TEEs create isolated hardware environments that can attest to the software they’re running and can provide robust guarantees against external tampering.

The Arkade Signer operates within this isolated TEE environment to independently manage the cryptographic keys used for signing transactions. This isolation makes key exfiltration or tampering practically infeasible, with the signing key generated and securely maintained internally, inaccessible even to the Arkade Operator. Signing responsibilities remain strictly segregated from broader operational tasks.

Remote, verifiable attestation based on open-source software and reproducible builds can be used to provide cryptographic evidence that the Ark Signer is running the expected code.

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End-to-End Encryption

Arkade is designed to support end-to-end encryption (E2EE) between users and the Arkade Signer, improving confidentiality and protecting against censorship attempts by the operator.

The E2EE protocol safeguards signature requests and other messages from interception or manipulation, rendering the Arkade Operator incapable of snooping on or censoring specific transactions. Even when the operator serves as the coordinating infrastructure, they cannot:

  • See what specific transactions are being processed
  • Block individual transactions based on their content
  • Analyze user behavior patterns for surveillance purposes