Decentralizing Everything: Building Humanity's First Blind Computer with Miguel de Vega

Colors of Web3 & Entrepreneurship

In this 58th episode of Colors of Web3 and Entrepreneurship, we sit down with Miguel de Vega, co-founder and Chief Scientist of Nillion, to explore the groundbreaking concept of a blind computer and its implications for Web3 privacy. With a background in engineering, mathematics, and AI, Miguel's journey led him to zero-knowledge proofs and the world of cryptography. In 2021, recognizing the urgent need for privacy-enhancing technologies in Web3, he co-founded Nillion, a company pioneering the development of a decentralized infrastructure for handling personal and private information. We delve into the intricacies of Nillion's blind computer, a decentralized network that allows computation on data without revealing the underlying information. Miguel explains how this innovative technology leverages a combination of privacy-enhancing techniques, such as multi-party computation and fully homomorphic encryption, to empower users and developers with unprecedented security and control over their data. Join us as we discuss the challenges and opportunities of building a decentralized company, the evolution of Web3 privacy, and the potential for Nillion's blind computer to revolutionize various industries, from healthcare to finance. Discover how this cutting-edge technology is paving the way for a future where privacy and decentralization are paramount. ⌛ Timestamps: 00:00:00 Episode trailer 00:00:28 Introduction and brief self-introduction of Miguel De Vega 00:01:08 Miguel’s journey: From engineering and AI to Web3 00:04:34 Zero-knowledge proofs and the evolution of cryptography 00:05:51 How Miguel discovered Web3 and joined the crypto space in 2017 00:08:13 The shift from globalization to automation and Web3’s role in AI 00:10:09 Miguel’s hobbies: Traveling, snowboarding, and skateboarding 00:12:49 Introduction to Nillion and the concept of the “blind computer” 00:17:33 Decentralizing sensitive data with Nillion’s blind computer 00:20:35 Building production-ready systems: From academia to scale 00:22:15 Quantum security and the challenges of privacy-enhancing technologies 00:25:22 How Nillion simplifies PETs (privacy-enhancing technologies) for developers 00:31:29 Nillion’s support for Web2 and Web3 developers 00:37:10 Business model: Token incentives and building public infrastructure 00:40:47 How many people are currently working at Nillion Labs 00:43:18 What are the challenges facing Nillion Labs 00:44:45 The importance of marketing in complex Web3 projects 00:45:25 Nillion’s Tuk Tuk campaign: Bridging physical and digital marketing 00:51:36 Miguel’s take on the future of privacy in Web3 01:02:15 Nillion’s roadmap: Mainnet launch and developer success stories 01:04:34 Advice for aspiring Web3 entrepreneurs 01:08:54 Where to follow Miguel and stay updated on Nillion 01:10:27 Outro and closing remarks for the episode Follow Miguel and his company: Nillion website: https://nillion.com/ Nillion Twitter/X: https://x.com/nillionnetwork For Nillion devs: https://masquerade.nillion.com Miguel's Twitter/X: https://x.com/miguel_de_vega My social media: Twitter/X: ⁠https://www.twitter.com/LamWeb3⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/lamweb3/⁠ Website: ⁠https://lamtrinh.xyz⁠ My old article about the 2-3 prevailing narratives of 2024-2025: https://substack.com/home/post/p-143541984 If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe to stay updated on our upcoming episodes with industry experts and innovators in the Web3 and Entrepreneurship spaces. Thank you for listening!