Skip to main content
The Computation Unit (or CU) is a Network-wide constant that represents a fixed amount of computational work. The CU is the smallest unit of computation in the Arcium Network, and all types of arithmetic operations on the Arcium Network (that Computations are made up of) are measured in CUs. In particular, Computation base pricing uses CUs to set a baseline for Arx node compensation.

​
Types of computation tasks

In the Arcium Network, computations fall into two broad categories: 1) System Computations, and 2) Customer Computations. These task types serve different purposes on the Network, the first relating to the network’s internal operations, and the latter handling external customer requests.

​
System computations

System Computations are critical processes automatically generated by the network to maintain its health and operation. They include:
  • Distributed Key Generation (DKG) Computations: Each Arx node within a Cluster receives a fragment of the overall cryptographic key, known as a key share. These key shares collectively form the key for the MPC eXecution Environment (MXE) in that Cluster, enabling secure joint computation tasks without revealing individual inputs.
  • Key-recovery and migration computations: Support MXE key recovery during Cluster migration (see Cluster migration). These computations let an MXE resume on a destination Cluster without re-keying from scratch.

​
Customer computations

Customer Computations are tasks submitted by Computation Customers to execute private and confidential operations. These tasks are highly configurable to meet the diverse needs of developers and businesses.