What is iExec RLC (RLC)?

Deep Dive

1. Purpose & Value Proposition

iExec replaces traditional cloud providers like AWS by creating a decentralized marketplace where users monetize idle computing resources (CPUs, GPUs) and developers access these for tasks like AI training or data analysis. Unlike centralized services, iExec uses blockchain to verify computations via Proof-of-Contribution (CoinMarketCap), ensuring providers are paid fairly in RLC.

Its focus on privacy is achieved through TEEs – isolated hardware environments that process sensitive data (e.g., medical records, proprietary AI models) without exposing it to third parties.

2. Technology & Ecosystem

Built on Ethereum as an ERC-20 token, RLC facilitates:
- Resource trading: Workers earn RLC for contributing computing power
- Data monetization: Owners lease datasets securely via iExec’s SDK
- App deployment: Developers build privacy-preserving dApps (decentralized apps)

The 2025 Tokenomics update introduced vouchers for simplified RLC usage in app development and a revenue-sharing model where fees from dApp usage flow back to builders and users (Cryptodaily).

3. Tokenomics & Incentives

With a fixed supply of 86M RLC, the network encourages active participation:
- Staking: Higher RLC holdings boost rewards in programs like Privacy Pass, which pays users for viewing ads anonymously
- Builder incentives: Developers earn more RLC as their dApps protect more data and gain users
- 1M RLC Ecosystem Fund: Grants for projects in AI and confidential computing

Conclusion

iExec RLC reimagines cloud computing as a user-owned network where RLC tokens power private, verifiable resource sharing. By aligning incentives across developers, hardware providers, and data owners, it aims to decentralize critical infrastructure. How might its TEE-based privacy solutions reshape industries like healthcare or AI model training?