Are TEEs even real?

Composable: Exploring Crypto’s Building Blocks (an Espresso Pod)

In this episode of Composable, hosts Alysia and Ellie speak with Orest from t1 about proof aggregation, TEEs (Trusted Execution Environments), L2 security, and how these concepts relate to finality. The conversation explores Vitalik Buterin's recent post proposing a "two out of three" proof system combining TEE proofs, ZK proofs, and Optimistic proofs to enhance blockchain security while improving finality times. Orest also shares how t1 is implementing TEEs to achieve faster finality times for L2s while maintaining strong security guarantees.

Key Topics Covered:

• Introduction to TEEs and how they work
• Comparison between TEE proofs and ZK proofs
• Vitalik's proposal for combining multiple proof systems
• How t1 uses TEEs for integrity rather than confidentiality
• Remote attestation process and its importance
• Security considerations and risk models for TEEs
• t1's unique approach combining TEE proofs with periodic ZK proofs
• The challenges of vendor centralization in TEE ecosystems
• Real-world tradeoffs between security, speed, and usability

Composable is a bi-weekly podcast exploring crypto's building blocks. Hosted by Alysia and Ellie, and brought to you by Espresso.

Find us on X:
Composable — @composablepod
Alysia — @alysiatech
Ellie — @ellierdavidson