Blockstream’s new Thales-backed custody service places digital-asset signing within hardware security modules, a design CEO Adam Back says supports a simpler approach to offline storage.
Blockstream pairs Thales hardware security modules (HSMs) with its Secure Multi-Party Computation (MPC) technology. The modules’ safeguards cover every stage of transaction signing. Some other MPC designs carry out part of that work beyond dedicated hardware.
Back said offline storage becomes harder to maintain when some MPC designs require devices to coordinate. He summed up his preference: “Complexity is the enemy of security.”
He said equipment connected to the internet may remain vulnerable to unauthorized access despite firewall protections. Back also warned that artificial intelligence could help attackers identify less obvious weaknesses in complex MPC implementations.
