Galactica.com - IVM
Galactica.com introduces the concept of the Identity Virtual Machine (IVM), which is designed to position actionable identity as a core primitive powering dApps across the Web3 ecosystem. While the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) computes over public address balances, the IVM can compute over normalized, encrypted private data. This innovation addresses a fundamental tension in Web3: balancing the public nature of decentralized ledgers with the essential need for privacy when handling private and, therefore, sensitive information.
Web3 Identity: The Key to Data Sovereignty
What is a Web3 Identity? It is a set of data points generated by a real human as a byproduct of his or her online existence, stored in a form that enables its use in programmable decentralized ledgers. The ‘use’ component in this definition is what we refer to as Web3 Reputation.
Through Web3 Reputation, Web3 identity can be used and, more importantly, be useful to its owner - me, you and anyone else who has ever surfed the internet. But how? An identity becomes useful when you can disclose or at least prove something about it to others - data that defines you has little utility if it’s kept only to yourself. And here you can ask - so what? Well, personal data is used for many things - banking, advertising, investing and markets of all sorts, airdrops - all these concepts center around you, the user. It’s just that today, none of these things work natively in Web3. Hence, middlemen are required; therefore, as the adage goes, you become the product. Also, that’s why private data leaks are a thing, but that’s a whole different story.
But let’s get back to the useful identity notion. To use an identity essentially means performing a computation over the data points you own - your private data. Technically, Web3 Reputation is just that - an arbitrary elementary function computed over your private data. It’s what Google does when they serve you the ads. It’s just that IVM allows you to keep it private and at the same time, for others to be able to use it if you so desire.
We know, it runs contrary to the intuition, but don’t worry, we got you - let’s get to more relatable examples.
Does a credit score define your reputation? Well, for a credit institution, it might. Does your social influence define it? Or a project you've been promoting to your followers on X/Twitter? It could very well be either or neither of these. The idea of reputation is context-dependent, but it always is a function over your private data.
Here are a few examples of reputation functions to sharpen the intuition: (1) your country of residence, (2) your history of attendance of EthDenver events, (3) the PnL using your entire Binance trading history, (4) how ‘diamond hands’ you are when it comes to IDOs you’ve taken part in. You get the point. Anything that can be computed from the data you own.
IVM: The Technology Powering Web3 Identities
IVM is the beating heart of the identity stack, the set of technologies enabling Web3 Reputation. IVM functions as the “identity computer,” allowing a mathematically verifiable consensus of nodes that neither know one another nor have access to the underlying data.
In principle, there are many ways to create an IVM – using technologies like Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs), Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKPs), Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE), in combination with blockchain consensus protocols, or other highly advanced cryptographic techniques and exotic tech stacks. All these technologies share their ability to power a programmable decentralized ledger organized as a set of private identities rather than mere faceless public addresses that contain encrypted private data.
Galactica.com utilizes FHE and ZKP to power its IVM. Among other things, it uniquely supports the concept of a negative reputation. Suffice it to say that key Reputation use cases, like credit scores, token holding behaviors (💎🙌), and Binance PnL, all depend on this concept of negative reputation. You can read more about this fascinating notion in this research paper.
But why should you care about IVMs?
The landscape of Web3 will fundamentally shift with the introduction of the first IVM. IVM will transform everything from airdrops to DeFi to cap table management by allowing us to treat different users heterogeneously. Imagine lending pools that no longer indiscriminately require over 100% collateral rates, where some users, merely based on their Reputation score, need no collateral at all. Picture a world where you only complete one KYC check for hundreds of platforms or where individuals –not Big Tech– control and monetize their own data.
Beyond the financial capital, IVMs open the door to leveraging social capital on the blockchain. The Web2 world generated trillions in surplus value by exploiting private data, shaping the contemporary digital landscape. IVMs will channel that surplus back to people, making their data sovereign.
Telegram provides the shortest path for IVM adoption
The success of any system depends on how well it fits into the everyday experience of the average user. For modern user experience, few platforms rival Telegram, an app used by 700 million monthly active users for a wide range of activities [1]. Recognizing this, we believe there’s no platform better suited for the widespread adoption of Galactica.com IVM than Telegram and its ecosystem of Telegram MiniApps (TMAs).
Our mission is to leverage the identity stack we’ve spent years developing to create an omnichannel IVM with a Telegram interface and a Telegram-native user experience to enable sovereign yet actionable user data.
We focus on Telegram as this approach bridges identity solutions with one of the most accessible and familiar interfaces.
TMA motivation and implementation
TMAs are plagued with bots and are susceptible to Sybil attacks [1]. This adversely affects the economics of all incentive protocols - airdrops, points farming, etc.
Most TMAs rely on basic identifiers such as a Telegram user handle and a TON wallet address, supplemented by internal databases tracking TMA-specific user activity. While this setup allows users to be monetized as paying customers –for instance, through token sales or subscriptions –it falls short of accurately valuing user data and behavior. The result is a system where user flow and data are not properly priced, leading to inefficiencies in user engagement and the overall incentive structure.
Effective solutions must secure user identities and enable more transparent, scalable value attribution across these ecosystems.
Galactica.com Solution
Private Interoperable User Passport: We propose a private, interoperable user passport integrated directly into Telegram—first as a TMA. Users can securely upload their data, verify it, and selectively disclose their personal data.
Comprehensive Data Types: Data can include KYC details, proofs of social activities (e.g., X/Twitter API data), attestations, app activity (such as Binance Trading history), gaming achievements, and any verifiable human-generated data points.
Precision Targeting for Advertisers and dApps: This rich data set can be utilized by advertisers, airdrop campaigns, or any user-centric dApps or apps. With users’ consent, the data enables precise targeting, maximizing engagement, and creating value for all stakeholders.
Advanced-Data Encryption:
Galactica.com leverages fully homomorphic encryption (FHE) to provide:
a) Secure storage of highly sensitive data, such as income or medical records.
b) The ability to compute functions over this encrypted data facilitating use cases like private credit scoring.Current Implementation:Galactica.com’s stack [2] encapsulates all of thes features through a web-based implementation leveraging MetaMask Snaps [3].
TON-Native Expansion: We are developing a Telegram-native solution that uses Telegram Cloud for secure data storage, replacing Snaps and TON-connect as the Web3 interface. This integration will enhance user experience and adoption within the Telegram ecosystem.
Galactica.com: A Timeline to Date
Welcomed over 200,000 users from DevNet to TestNet within just weeks of launch.
Introduced zkKYC: A new era in compliant privacy through direct integration into SwissBorg, a regulated EU financial institution. [1]
Partnered up with and joined the board of CT.COM, the leading Node Sales powerhouse to advance the domain of private KOL reputation scoring.
Secured $8m worth of funding to date through private investments and Swissborg’s Alpha Vaults [1.1]
Partnered with Zama.ai - the leading FHE research shop, reinforcing our commitment to advance Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE) applications to IVM.[2]
Launched Galactica’s native Telegram Mini App, the gateway to IVM. [3]
Developed advanced Reputation, establishing the framework for calculating Soul Scores within the Soul Matrix of the upcoming release of our CypherBook. [4]
Launched Cypher University, a new on-chain educational initiative and rewards structure for community activation. [5]
References
[1] https://www.cryptotimes.io/2024/09/24/hamster-kombat-bans-over-2-3-million-users-for-cheating/
[3] https://snaps.metamask.io/snap/npm/galactica-net/snap/
[4] https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fgIdUW63rm0Kqy4HZz8kqtgjGKDzLZec/view
Very good