"Preview Talk" (by Team PiVer) @ MPTS 2026, in reply to the NIST Threshold Call
Abstract: In this presentation, we introduce PiVer, a unified and modular framework for constructing verifiable secret sharing (VSS) schemes with computational security in synchronous communication settings. Verifiable secret sharing enables a dealer to distribute shares of a secret such that correctness can be publicly or privately verified, even in the presence of malicious behavior. PiVer builds on the earlier Π framework (from PKC 2025) and systematically integrates several of its recent extensions into a single design methodology. These include pre-constructed and round-optimal variants, batching and packing techniques for improved efficiency, and support for general access structures beyond simple thresholds. The framework is highly flexible, relying only on standard cryptographic commitments and a random oracle, and can be instantiated with post-quantum–secure components. We will discuss how PiVer simplifies the design space of VSS, enables efficient and practical implementations, and supports real-world threshold cryptographic applications, like distributed key generation. The talk also highlights ongoing open-source implementations and performance results, demonstrating the practicality of PiVer for standardization.
Joint work: Shahla Atapoor, Karim Baghery, Daniele Cozzo, Robin Jadoul, Hossein Moghaddas, Georgio Nicolas, Robi Pedersen, Mahdi Rahimi, Jannik Spiessens, Barry Van Leeuwen.
[Slides] Suggested readings:
