Dfns Steps Into MPCA Presidency

The MPC Alliance, a leading consortium dedicated to advancing Multiparty Computation (MPC) technology, has announced that Clarisse Hagège, CEO of Dfns, will take over as President following the departure of Frank Weiner from Sepior (Blockdaemon). This transition comes at a critical time as the Alliance seeks to revitalize its mission and enhance its contributions to the cryptographic community.

A new chapter for the MPC Alliance

Founded in 2019 by companies such as Cybernetica, Sepior, and ZenGo, the MPC Alliance was established to advance MPC technology and develop industry standards for its evaluation and adoption. Its mission spans a range of emerging cryptographic techniques, including zero-knowledge proofs, threshold signatures, and beyond. Over the years, the Alliance has cultivated a strong reputation and united leading experts from academia and industry, fostering a global ecosystem of MPC-driven innovation.

Despite this progress, many of the Alliance’s original ambitions remain unrealized. For MPC to gain widespread recognition among security professionals and earn formal endorsement from standardization bodies like NIST and ISO, critical gaps must still be addressed. To bridge these, the Alliance is embarking on a bold new phase—one defined by greater funding, a restructured governance model, and a renewed commitment to collective progress. Spearheading this transformation, Clarisse Hagège, alongside board members Andrei Lapets (Nillion) and Jay Prakash (Silence Labs), has put forth an ambitious 2025 reboot to realign the Alliance’s strategy and accelerate its impact.

Dfns’ vision for the MPC Alliance

In her new role, Clarisse Hagège envisions transforming the MPC Alliance into a vibrant hub for innovation and collaboration. “The MPC Alliance holds immense potential, but unlocking it requires clear direction and active member engagement,” said Hagège. “Our goal is to cultivate an ecosystem where MPC technology advances through collective effort, shared expertise, and continuous innovation.”

The 2025 reboot proposal sets out several key objectives:

• Governance Renewal – Initiate board elections to add two new members and conduct a comprehensive financial review to establish a clear and sustainable budget for 2025.
• Redefined Membership Structure – Introduce Contributing Members, who actively engage in MPC-related initiatives such as research, code development, and events, alongside Observing Members, who have access to information but no governance rights. This distinction is designed to encourage active participation, ensuring that voting rights are earned through contribution.
• Operational Strengthening – Appoint an Executive Director to manage daily operations, coordinate member communications, produce technical content, and represent the Alliance at industry events.

Under Clarisse Hagège’s presidency, the MPC Alliance will focus on:

• Technical Contributions: We will create a GitHub repository for MPC libraries, curate a comprehensive archive of academic papers and industry use cases, and initiate a standards framework in collaboration with organizations such as NIST, ENISA, and ISO. Our objective is to bring coherence to the fragmented landscape of MPC technologies, consolidating them into a single, authoritative resource—a reference point for companies and developers seeking to build on rigorously audited standards.
• Member Engagement: We are revitalizing the Alliance’s internal ecosystem by restructuring the Slack workspace, instituting monthly technical and board meetings, and implementing an editorial calendar to ensure regular content and updates.
• Industry Outreach: The MPC Alliance will undergo a brand refresh, including a new logo and website, to enhance its visibility. We will host flagship global events featuring keynotes, panels, and workshops while actively collaborating with members to drive industry engagement.
• Certification Label: To establish credibility and create a sustainable revenue model, we will introduce an MPC certification program with trained auditors and recognized accreditation. This initiative aims to provide companies and regulators worldwide with a trusted label—one backed by cryptography and security experts—that signals compliance with vetted industry standards.

Under Dfns’ presidency, the MPC Alliance is entering a new era, one centered on tangible impact, collaboration, and the advancement of MPC. With this strategic roadmap, the Alliance is poised to become the definitive platform for MPC innovation and standardization on a global scale.

For more information or to get involved, contact clarisse@dfns.co.