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title: Letters for Silicon Salon 4
tags: [letters]

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# Letters for Silicon Salon 4
###### tags: `letters`

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## Email Call for Contributions

The Silicon Salon is returning on May 3! We will once more be bringing together digital wallet developers, semiconductor manufacturers, and academics. Our ultimate objective: to ensure that the next generation of cryptographic semiconductors meets everyones' needs, advancing the entire cryptography industry. 

We've already got one presentation on the schedule:

* **Anti-Exfil: Preventing Key Exfiltration Through Signature Nonce Data**. (Andrew Poelstra.) Secure nonce generation is a critical part of generating EC signatures, such as ECDSA or BIP-340 “Schnorr” signatures. If a hardware wallet fails to generate these nonces uniformly at random, then key leakage will occur, in extreme cases in as few as 2 signatures. Furthermore, it is possible for a malicious implementor to exfiltrate key data this way, and such an attack would be practically impossible to detect. Andrew's talk introduces a protocol he terms “anti-exfil”, in which a hardware wallet and host computer engage in a 2-round interactive protocol to produce a signature, in which the host computer is able to provide randomness which it can verify was included in the signature nonce. Therefore, unless both the host computer and hardware wallet are simultaneously compromised, this attack vector is entirely closed.

We're looking for more; _we want you_ to talk about your unique experiences in the field, whether you're producing semiconductors with an eye toward cryptography support, working on digital-asset wallets, or researching and publishing about cryptographic capabilities. We want to highlight cutting-edge research, innovative technologies, and real-world applications that are shaping the future of silicon-based security architectures. 

We'd love for your presentation to be related to some of the same topics as our lead presentation from Andrew, including nonces, signatures, and security fixes, but we're happy to consider a wide variety of topics including:

* Cryptographic algorithms and protocols
* Semiconductor capabilities for cryptography
* Digital wallet requirements and design
* Cryptography in IoT and edge devices

Here's some of our best presentations from the recent Silicon Salons:

* FOUNDATION on PASSPORT SILICON SECURITY: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCZ_dwui-X0
* CROSSBAR on SECURE PROCESSING UNIT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4PxckECvpo
* KAVYA SREEDHAR on AN EXTENDED GCD ALGORITHM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liMA-8zmu1E

To propose a presentation, mail us at [team@blockchaincommons.com](mailto:team@blockchaincommons.com) and tell us:

1. The title of the presentation.
2. A summary of what your presentation will be about.
3. A summary of how this topic focuses on semiconductor capabilities, wallet requirements, or other related topics.
4. The name of the presenter(s). 
5. A description of who they are and how they or their company have the expertise, capability, or reach to benefit the Silicon Salon conversation.

Final presentations should be about ten-to-fifteen minutes long, supported by a slidedeck, which you will present in Zoom on the date of the salon. Be prepared for a Q&A afterward and to participate in broader discussions.

We encourage submissions from a wide range of perspectives and backgrounds, and welcome interdisciplinary approaches that bridge the gap between academia and industry. By participating in the Silicon Salon, you will have the opportunity to network with top professionals in the field, exchange ideas and insights, and make a lasting impact on the future of cryptography and digital assets.

Join us in shaping the future of cryptography and digital assets at the Silicon Salon!

Christopher Allen<br>
Blockchain Commons

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_Silicon Salon is chaired by Christopher Allen, the co-author of the TLS standard and the founder of [Rebooting the Web of Trust](https://www.weboftrust.info/), which has to-date published over 60 papers and projects on the future of decentralized identity. He is also the founder of [Blockchain Commons](https://www.blockchaincommons.com/), a not-for-profit public-benefit corporation intended to continue that collaboration._

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## Email to Would-Be Sponsors

The Silicon Salon is returning on May 3! We will once more be bringing together digital wallet developers, semiconductor manufacturers, and academics. Our ultimate objective: to ensure that the next generation of cryptographic semiconductors meets everyones' needs, advancing the entire cryptography industry. 

We've already got one presentation on the schedule:

* **Anti-Exfil: Preventing Key Exfiltration Through Signature Nonce Data**. (Andrew Poelstra.) Secure nonce generation is a critical part of generating EC signatures, such as ECDSA or BIP-340 “Schnorr” signatures. If a hardware wallet fails to generate these nonces uniformly at random, then key leakage will occur, in extreme cases in as few as 2 signatures. Furthermore, it is possible for a malicious implementor to exfiltrate key data this way, and such an attack would be practically impossible to detect. Andrew's talk introduces a protocol he terms “anti-exfil”, in which a hardware wallet and host computer engage in a 2-round interactive protocol to produce a signature, in which the host computer is able to provide randomness which it can verify was included in the signature nonce. Therefore, unless both the host computer and hardware wallet are simultaneously compromised, this attack vector is entirely closed.

_We want you_ to consider sponsoring the event. We are looking for financial commitments to ensure that these crucial meetings continue to occur.

Here's some of the great work that we've seen at past events:

* FOUNDATION on PASSPORT SILICON SECURITY: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCZ_dwui-X0
* CROSSBAR on SECURE PROCESSING UNIT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4PxckECvpo
* KAVYA SREEDHAR on AN EXTENDED GCD ALGORITHM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liMA-8zmu1E

We hope to see many more in the future, but we're only able to continue these Salons courtesy of the sustaining support of sponsors such as Foundation and CrossBar. We'd like to add you to their ranks.

When you become a sponsor of Silicon Salon, you can not only support a great collaborative event, but also help to set the agenda for both the Salons and (ultimately) the future of cryptographic semiconductor design. We'll also feature you as one of our star presenters, as we have with CrossBar at the first three Salons, as long as you have great material that continues to expand the discussion. Of course, this will be strong branding for you as well, as it'll introduce you to many of the movers and shakers in the industry (and also to potential business partners) and allow you to make a lasting impact on the future of cryptography and digital assets.

Email me directly about our sponsorship opportunities if you'd like to become a patron and contributor to the future of Silicon Salon.

Christopher Allen


_Silicon Salon is chaired by Christopher Allen, the co-author of the TLS standard and the founder of [Rebooting the Web of Trust](https://www.weboftrust.info/), which has to-date published over 60 papers and projects on the future of decentralized identity. He is also the founder of [Blockchain Commons](https://www.blockchaincommons.com/), a not-for-profit public-benefit corporation intended to continue that collaboration._

