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🚀 What is an iApp?
An iExec Application (iApp) is your regular application code (Python script, AI model, data processor, ...) that can securely process protected data (created by DataProtector) inside a confidential computing environment called TEE (a Trusted Execution Environment).
Why iApps Matter ?
iApps let you process sensitive data while keeping it private and secure.
Imagine you want to build:
Users have this data, but they won't give it to your regular app. With iApps, they will.
Key Concepts
True Privacy: Users never expose their raw data. Your app processes it privately inside secure enclaves.
Trusted Execution: iExec ensures that your code runs inside a Trusted Execution Environment (TEE), which guarantees that only the specified Docker image is executed in a secure and isolated environment.
Decentralized Infrastructure: No single point of failure. Your app runs across a distributed network of workers.
Zero Trust Architecture: User data is protected by hardware-based TEEs, which keep data confidential and inaccessible to the host, cloud provider, or operating system during execution.
How it Works
Your code runs in a Trusted Execution Environment (TEE), a secure area inside specific processors (Intel SGX/TDX chipset). Everything that happens there stays private and protected, even from the operating system.
An authorized user can trigger an iApp that processes someone's protected data inside this private environment. The data is used, but never exposed, not even to the person running the app.
Your iApp can send emails, update contracts, make transactions, trigger notifications - anything your code needs to do with the protected data. This isn't about trust - it's about cryptographic and hardware-enforced guarantees that privacy is preserved within the TEE execution environment.
Use Cases
Private Communication
Users send emails, notifications, or messages using their protected contact lists without exposing recipient information.
Trustworthy Oracles
Users contribute real data to oracles while keeping their private information confidential.
Personal AI Assistants
Users let AI models perform actions based on their private data - trading, scheduling, recommendations...
Automated Actions
Users let AI models perform actions based on their private data - trading, scheduling, recommendations...
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
📦 What can I build with iApps?
Anything that runs in Docker! AI models, data processing scripts, web scrapers, image processing, financial calculations, etc. If it runs in a container, it can be an iApp.
⚡How fast are iApps?
Initial task scheduling takes a few seconds (depending on the resources the worker download, congestion etc), then your code runs at normal speed depending on complexity.
🛡️ Are iApps really secure?
Yes! Code runs in Intel SGX or TDX secure enclaves. Even the worker running your iApp can't see what's happening inside the enclave.
🚀 How do I deploy my first iApp?
Try our Hello World for a quick start, or check the iApp Generator section for detailed instructions.
🔧 What programming languages are supported?
iApps can be built in any language that runs in Docker (Python, JavaScript, R, Java, Go, etc.). However, iApp Generator currently supports only Python and Node.js for simplified development.
Next Steps
TL;DR: iApps = Your code + Secure execution + User privacy + Verifiable results. Cloud computing, but nobody can spy on your stuff. 🔒