Pre-Proposal Discussion: Privacy at Scale via JAM-Based Enhancements for Polkadot

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PhD Proposal
Investigating Privacy-Preserving Scalability in the Polkadot JAM Runtime
Supervisor: Dr. Aydin Abadi, Newcastle University, UK
Applicant: Chanderprakash Sharma

1. Introduction & Motivation

Blockchains offer decentralization and immutability, but struggle to simultaneously achieve high throughput, low latency, and strong privacy guarantees. Polkadot’s Join-Accumulate Machine (JAM) runtime introduces an innovative execution model for parachains and relayers. However, native privacy in Polkadot remains limited. This research will explore how JAM’s architecture can be extended to support privacy-preserving Layer-1 protocols at scale, integrating cryptographic techniques such as encrypted channels and zero-knowledge state transitions.

2. Research Objectives

  • Analyze JAM’s design to identify privacy and scaling opportunities.

  • Design a privacy framework for JAM that leverages inspiration from existing privacy solutions (ZK-rollups, mixers).

  • Prototype and deploy the framework on Polkadot’s testnet, measuring throughput, proof-generation latency, and storage overhead.

  • Formally verify the privacy guarantees under a composable security model, and evaluate resilience against adaptive adversaries.

3. Significance & Impact

  • Ecosystem: Enables transaction privacy across relayers, parachain messaging, and native token transfers.

  • Academic: Advances hybrid on-chain/off-chain scaling with privacy, yielding publications in top-tier venues (IEEE S&P, USENIX Security).

  • Open Source: Reference implementations and toolkits under permissive licenses to foster wider adoption.

4. Methodology & Timeline

Phase Activities Deliverables Duration
Phase 1: Analysis & Design • Detailed study of JAM’s runtime layers• Security & privacy requirement gathering• In-depth literature review on PETs • System design document• Threat model & literature-review report Months 1–8
Phase 2: Protocol Development • Define privacy framework tailored to JAM• Draft formal protocol specification • Protocol specification• Initial theoretical framework Months 8–20
Phase 3: Prototype & Deployment • Implement prototype (with Polkadot team collaboration if possible)• Recruit teammate if needed• Deploy testnet demo • Deployed JAM prototype• Benchmark scripts Months 20–32
Phase 4: Formal Verification • Model protocols in a composable security framework• Use FDR or Tamarin for non-leakage proofs • Formal security proofs• Conference paper draft Months 32–38
Phase 5: Evaluation & Dissemination • Comprehensive performance & privacy evaluation• Write thesis and journal articles • Final PhD thesis• Two journal submissions Months 38–48

5. Required Resources & Budget

Item Unit Cost (GBP) Quantity/Years Subtotal (GBP)
Tuition Fees (International) £21,000 / year 4 years £84,000
Stipend (UKRI-equivalent) £19,237 / year 4 years £76,948
Computing & Software Licenses £500 / year 4 years £2,000
Cloud & Testnet Hosting £1,000 / year 3 years £3,000
Travel & Conferences — — £4,000
Miscellaneous Research Costs £500 / year 4 years £2,000
Total £171,948

Notes:

  • Tuition reflects Newcastle University’s 2025–26 international rate.

  • Stipend follows UKRI guidelines.

  • Hosting and software cover ZK prover infrastructure and storage.

6. Funding & Support Request

I am seeking £172 k of funding to fully cover tuition, living stipend, and research costs over a four-year PhD at Newcastle University. In exchange, I will:

  • Provide quarterly technical reports and public code releases.

  • Host demo workshops with the Polkadot community and ecosystem partners.

  • Co-brand all publications and presentations with funding acknowledgment.

7. Conclusion

This PhD will bridge theoretical privacy protocol design with real-world scaling on Polkadot’s JAM architecture. The insights and open-source outputs will empower Polkadot to deploy high-throughput, privacy-first Layer-1 applications.

Thank you for considering this proposal. I welcome any feedback and would be happy to refine this plan to align with specific funding guidelines.

Chanderprakash Sharma
PhD Candidate (pending), Newcastle University
Email: chanderprakashs760@gmail.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/chanderprakash-sharma-4ba136272

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