TACEO Network: How It Works
The TACEO Network is a private execution layer for digital infrastructure.
It encrypts and distributes sensitive computation across independent node operators so that no single party controls the data, the keys, or the outcome.
The cryptographic infrastructure behind the network has been deployed in production systems used in World ID, supporting identity verification for more than 18 million users.
Applications integrate privacy services through APIs. Under the hood, those services route confidential requests to MPC node committees that compute over encrypted shares and return verifiable outputs.
The Missing Layer
Digital systems increasingly depend on shared infrastructure, but sensitive execution is still often centralized.
Consensus layers and settlement rails exist. What is usually missing is an execution layer that can coordinate on private data without introducing a single trusted intermediary.
The TACEO Network introduces this missing layer through private shared state.
In practice, this means applications can ask narrowly scoped questions over sensitive data and receive verifiable answers without seeing the underlying raw inputs.
Examples include:
- checking eligibility or policy conditions without disclosing full identity records
- verifying uniqueness without exposing biometric templates
- evaluating private risk or account conditions without revealing complete user data
Only the requested result is revealed. The underlying inputs remain confidential throughout execution.
How the Network Works
While developing privacy-preserving MPC protocols for biometric uniqueness, we saw that teams were spending significant effort assembling and operating MPC networks with trusted counterparties.
The TACEO Network removes this burden by providing shared MPC infrastructure.
It executes requests through privacy services running on committees of independent MPC nodes.
Each request follows the same high-level flow:
-
Application request
An application sends a request through a TACEO service API, for example proof generation, private verification, or private state updates. -
Service instance routing
The request is routed to a specific service instance. Each instance has its own cryptographic keys, committee configuration, and operational policy. -
Distributed MPC execution
The selected committee executes the protocol over encrypted or secret-shared inputs. No single node can reconstruct the full private input by itself. -
Threshold completion
Once the required threshold of nodes completes the protocol, partial outputs are combined into a final result. -
Verifiable response
The service returns the result to the application, optionally including cryptographic artifacts that allow downstream verification.
A simplified architecture is shown below.
Application
↓
Service API
↓
Service Instance
↓
MPC Node Committee
↓
Result (+ optional proof material)
This model allows many applications to share the same privacy infrastructure while keeping execution isolated at the service-instance level.
Interacting with the Network
Applications integrate with TACEO services through APIs.
From an integration perspective, each request has three parts: input preparation, service execution, and result handling.
1) Input preparation
Applications prepare service-specific inputs before submission. Depending on the service, this can include:
- encrypted payloads
- blinded identifiers
- proof generation parameters
- confidential state transition requests
Inputs are scoped to the service instance the application is configured to use.
2) Service execution
After request validation, the service instance routes the job to its assigned MPC committee.
Nodes execute the protocol over encrypted or secret-shared data and produce partial outputs. A final output is produced only when the configured threshold is met.
Applications do not need to orchestrate node-level communication themselves; this is handled by the service and protocol stack.
3) Result handling
The application receives a service response that may include:
- a verification decision or policy outcome
- a derived private identifier
- an updated private-state commitment
- proof or verification artifacts, where applicable
Integrators should treat service outputs as narrowly scoped answers to the submitted request, and should verify returned artifacts wherever verification is available.
Privacy Services
The TACEO Network grows through purpose-built privacy services.
Each service provides a specific cryptographic capability that applications can integrate directly through TACEO APIs and SDKs.
TACEO:OPRF
Enables private credential and uniqueness verification using oblivious pseudorandom function protocols.
Status: Live in production.
TACEO:Proof
Generates verifiable zero-knowledge proofs for applications and protocols that need outsourced proving.
Status: Live in production.
TACEO:OMap
Enables verifiable private storage and retrieval for shared confidential state, supporting use cases such as private ledgers and registries.
Status: Deployed and onboarding initial applications.
TACEO:Match
Distributes identity matching across MPC node committees so no single party holds complete raw biometric data.
Status: In active integration.
Multiple applications can run separate service instances with isolated keys, policies, and committee configurations.
Node Operators
The network is operated by independent node operators running MPC infrastructure.
For each service instance, computation is assigned to a committee of nodes rather than a single operator.
This committee model is what enforces distributed trust:
- no single operator can unilaterally access full private inputs
- no single operator can produce a valid result alone
- threshold participation is required for successful execution
Node operators are currently permissioned and curated for operational reliability and security.
As the network expands, node participation is expected to broaden while preserving threshold-based security guarantees.
Security Model
The TACEO Network is built on threshold MPC protocols designed to protect data during computation.
At a high level, the security model assumes:
- fewer than the configured threshold of nodes collude in a given committee
- node operators run approved protocol implementations correctly
- service and governance controls are operated according to network policy
Under these assumptions, private inputs remain confidential and outputs are produced through protocol-level distributed execution.
In practical terms, security combines cryptographic guarantees with operational controls, including committee diversity, controlled service rollout, and active infrastructure monitoring.
Network Governance
The TACEO Network is currently operationally coordinated by TACEO.
This launch-phase governance model prioritizes safety and reliability for privacy-critical production workloads.
Current governance responsibilities include:
- approving services and circuit deployments
- managing node participation and infrastructure requirements
- coordinating protocol and software upgrades
- managing incident response and operational continuity
Application participation
Applications using the network are involved in upgrade coordination for the services they depend on.
Major changes are coordinated through an off-chain process with production integrators so service evolution is aligned with real workload requirements.
Node participation
The network is operated by a set of independent node operators.
Node operators are currently curated to ensure reliability and security. Organizations with privacy-critical workloads may also participate as operators where appropriate.
Evolution
Governance is expected to broaden as service adoption and operator participation grow.
Future iterations may introduce additional shared-control mechanisms for service approvals, registry management, and network standards.
Roadmap
The TACEO Network is evolving toward a more distributed and scalable infrastructure for confidential computation.
Key areas of development include:
Expansion of Node Operators
Increasing the number and diversity of independent infrastructure operators participating in the network.
Hardware-based attestation
Exploring the use of confidential computing technologies such as AMD SEV-SNP and Intel TDX to provide additional assurances that nodes execute approved software.
Improved developer integrations
Expanding APIs, SDKs, and tooling to simplify integration of privacy services into applications.
These developments aim to make confidential computation infrastructure more robust, accessible, and scalable for real-world applications.