Willchain: Decentralized, Privacy-Preserving, Self-Executing, Digital Wills. Built on the Cosmos SDK, the Willchain blockchain enables a new paradigm in estate planning and asset management.
| Status Type | Status |
|---|---|
| Issues |  |
| Last Commit |  |
| License |  |
| Version | v0.0.1 (May 26, 2023) / v0.0.2 (April 1, 2024) |
| Author | Jovonni L. Pharr ([email protected]) |
This work presents a novel decentralized protocol for digital estate planning that integrates advances distributed computing, and cryptography. The original proof-of-concept was constructed using purely solidity contracts. Since then, we have enhanced the implementation into a layer-1 protocol that uses modern interchain communication to connect several heterogeneous chain types. A key contribution of this research is the implementation of several modern cryptographic primitives to support various forms of claims for information validation. These primitives introduce an unmatched level of privacy to the process of digital inheritance. We also demonstrate on a set of heterogeneous smart contracts, following the same spec, on each chain to serve as entry points, gateways, or bridge contracts that are invoked via a path from the will module on our protocol, to the contract. This ensures a fair and secure distribution of digital assets in accordance with the wishes of the decedent without the requirement of moving their funds. This research further extends its innovations with a user interaction model, featuring a check-in system and account abstraction process, which enhances flexibility and user-friendliness without compromising on security. By developing a dedicated permissionless blockchain that is secured by a network of validators, and interchain relayers, the proposed protocol signifies a transformation in the digital estate planning industry and illustrates the potential of blockchain technology in revolutionizing traditional legal and personal spheres. Implementing a cryptoeconomic network at the core of inheritance planning allows for unique incentive compatible economic mechanisms to be constructed.
- Dynamic Automation: Define will-based actions such as scheduled transfers, claims, or contract executions.
- Secure Execution: Enforces permissions and ensures compliance with user-defined access controls.
- Customizable Conditions: Automate actions based on custom conditions
- Privacy-Preserving Claims: Zero-knowledge proofs and cryptographic commitments ensure claim privacy while maintaining verifiability
- Multi-Scheme Support: Flexible cryptographic schemes (Schnorr, Pedersen, zkSNARK) for different privacy requirements
- Selective Disclosure: Users can reveal only necessary information while keeping sensitive data confidential
- Cross-Chain Communication: Supports secure asset transfers and interactions with other Cosmos SDK chains.
- Interchain Intents: Automate asset management across multiple chains using IBC.
This repository contains the source code for the Willchain Cosmos SDK blockchain. The primary module implemented is the Will Module, which handles:
- Will Creation: Allows users to define intents such as transfers, claims, and contract executions.
- Will Execution: Executes defined actions based on user-defined conditions like block height or time.
- Claims Processing: Verifies and processes claims through mechanisms like Schnorr signatures and Pedersen commitments.
.
├── Makefile
├── app/
├── cmd/
├── docs/
├── x/
│ └── will/
├── scripts/
├── testnet/
└── README.mdWillchain’s multi-scheme claim system supports:
| Scheme | Use Case | Curve / Tech |
|---|---|---|
| Schnorr Signature | Lightweight claim validation | ed25519 / secp256k1 |
| Pedersen Commitment | Hidden field validation | ristretto / alt_bn128 |
| zkSNARK | General-purpose ZK verification | gnark (Groth16) |
Claims are modular: will creators choose the proof type and logic per component.
The Willchain protocol integrates advanced cryptographic techniques to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of claims processing. The Will Module leverages three primary methods for securing claims:
- Overview: Schnorr signatures provide a robust mechanism for validating claims by ensuring that only authorized entities can sign and submit claims.
- Benefits:
- Lightweight and efficient for validation.
- Offers provable security under the discrete logarithm assumption.
- Implementation:
- Uses the
edwards25519curve for cryptographic operations. - Verifies claims by reconstructing the signature using the public key, signature components, and the hashed message.
- Uses the
- Overview: Pedersen commitments allow users to securely commit to a value while keeping it hidden, enabling zero-knowledge verification.
- Benefits:
- Perfectly hiding and computationally binding properties.
- Protects the confidentiality of sensitive data during claims.
- Implementation:
- Claims are validated by checking that the sum of commitments matches a target commitment stored in the will.
- Utilizes the
ristrettocurve for efficient point operations and serialization.
- Overview: zkSNARKs provide a way to prove the validity of a claim without revealing any underlying information.
- Benefits:
- Enables full privacy-preserving claims.
- Compact proofs with fast verification times.
- Implementation:
- Allows claimants to generate and submit proofs based on predefined zkSNARK circuits.
- Public inputs (if any) are securely provided to the chain for verification without compromising privacy.
- Claims processing is designed to support multiple cryptographic schemes for flexibility and enhanced security.
- The protocol automatically selects the appropriate mechanism based on the type of claim and its associated conditions.
- All cryptographic operations are performed on-chain to maintain trustlessness and decentralization.
Note: These privacy-preserving methods are key components of Willchain's commitment to secure and confidential DeFi recovery mechanisms.
We welcome developers, lawyers, relayer builders, and inheritance industry experts to contribute:
Released under Apache 2.0.
Willchain was the first implementation of this architecture. The later RugSafe system inherits and extends it for more aggressive on-chain recovery and value reversal — but Willchain remains the foundational protocol layer for secure digital inheritance.