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Version: Nitrogen

Handling Encrypted Inputs

Overview​

Fhenix’s Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE) smart contracts handle encrypted data input differently from standard Solidity smart contracts.

First, Fhenix has different data types: boolean, integer and user input. Second, inEuint and inEbool are used for handling input data, whereas euint and ebool are used for already processed data within the contract. Third, conversion is required from inEuint to euint to ensure that only correctly formatted encrypted user input is processed. This is done using a helper function: FHE.asEuintxx. Finally, follow best practices. Try to minimize storing large quantities of encrypted data on-chain & optimize computation to lower gas costs; process data as needed. Also, use structured types, and avoid using raw bytes to handle encrypted data input.

Encrypted Data Types​

Different types of encrypted data can be defined:

  • inEbool: Encrypted boolean.
  • inEuint8: Encrypted unsigned 8-bit integer.
  • inEuint16: Encrypted unsigned 16-bit integer.
  • inEuint32: Encrypted unsigned 32-bit integer.
  • inEuint64: Encrypted unsigned 64-bit integer.
  • inEuint128: Encrypted unsigned 128-bit integer.
  • inEuint256: Encrypted unsigned 256-bit integer.
  • inEaddress: Encrypted address.

Receiving Encrypted Inputs​

Two methods can be used to receive encrypted inputs: inEuintXX structs or raw bytes.

The following code snippets show how to use the two methods for an encrypted transfer to a specific Contract on the blockchain:

inEuintXX Structs​

   function transferEncryptedToAccount(address to, inEuint32 calldata encryptedBalance) public {
     _updateAccountBalance(to, FHE.asEuint32(encryptedBalance));
   }

Raw Bytes​

    function transferEncryptedData(address to, bytes calldata encryptedData) public {
        _storeEncryptedData(to, FHE.asEuint32(encryptedData));
    }

As you can see, the advantage of using inEuint over raw bytes is that it ensures type safety and readability. It also provides a structured approach that integrates well with the FHE.sol and fhenix.js library's functions.

Advantages of inEuint, inEbool and inEaddress Over Raw Bytes​

Fhenix strongly recommends using inEuintxx (and/or inEbool, inEaddress) structs instead of raw bytes to ensure type safety and readability. These structs provide a structured approach that integrates well with FHE.sol library functions. We believe that the advantages of inEuintxx, inEbool and inEaddress structs are more compatible with handling encrypted data and ensuring application safety, even though raw bytes may result in very slightly lower gas costs.

Examples​

Voting in a Poll​

  function castEncryptedVote(address poll, inEbool calldata encryptedVote) public {
    _submitVote(poll, FHE.asEbool(encryptedVote));
  }

Setting Encrypted User Preferences​

   function updateUserSetting(address user, inEuint8 calldata encryptedSetting) public {
       _applyUserSetting(user, FHE.asEuint8(encryptedSetting));
   }

inExxx vs. exxx Types​

  • inExxx types, such as all of inEuint types, inEbool and inEaddress types are used for handling incoming encrypted data.
  • exxx types such as all of euint types, ebool and eaddress are used for data already processed and in use within the contract.

Conversion Requirement​

Conversion from inEuint (or inEbool, inEaddress) to euint (ebool, eaddress) is required to ensure that only correctly formatted encrypted data is processed.

This is done using the FHE.asEuintXX, FHE.asEbool or FHE.asEaddress functions, where XX is the bit size of the encrypted data. The example above uses the FHE.asEuint8 helper function.

Gas Cost Implications​

Attempting to store inEuint, inEbool or inEaddress types directly in storage can lead to prohibitively high gas costs due to the large size of encrypted data. It's generally recommended to avoid storing these directly and instead process them as needed.

Best Practices – Use Structured Types​

Ensure data integrity and security of smart contract operation when handling encrypted input. Use the structured inEuint, inEbool or inEaddress types for clearer and safer code, and be mindful of gas costs when designing your contract's data handling strategies. Thorough testing and consideration of security implications are essential in maintaining the robustness and reliability of your FHE-based smart contracts.