NuCypher

About

NuCypher is a decentralized encryption and access control platform founded in 2015 in San Francisco by MacLane Wilkison and Michael Egorov. It serves as a privacy layer for public blockchains, enabling secure data sharing and management for decentralized applications (dApps). In June 2020, NuCypher transitioned to a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO), allowing community governance. The company offers cryptographic infrastructure focusing on two main services: Secrets Management, which securely stores sensitive data like passwords and private keys, and Dynamic Access Control, which programmatically manages data access permissions through smart contracts using proxy re-encryption. The platform utilizes threshold cryptography to facilitate encrypted data sharing without exposing plaintext to intermediaries. NuCypher's native NU token incentivizes node operators who perform encryption tasks and maintain network integrity. The project merged with Keep Network in 2021 to form the Threshold Network, while continuing to operate its core technology.