Space and Time launches private-data verification for enterprise AI

By Tom Whitfield

Space and Time launched Space and Time Enterprise on Monday after raising $20 million in 2022, according to the company. MakeInfinite Labs CEO Nate Holiday said the platform can prove supported GPU-accelerated queries over millions of rows in under one second, though performance depends on the query, hardware and dataset.

The Microsoft-backed blockchain data project built the platform around Proof of SQL, its patented method for verifying database computations. Businesses can use it to prove calculations on private data without exposing source records to AI applications, auditors or other stakeholders.

“Businesses want AI agents to execute workflows using that information, but those agents don't need unrestricted access to the records behind every calculation,” MakeInfinite Labs CEO Nate Holiday told Decrypt. Holiday, CEO of MakeInfinite Labs, the original developer of Space and Time, said unrestricted access creates another exposure path and could put a business's overall value at risk.

The launch roster spans finance, manufacturing, enterprise software and AI data infrastructure. Space and Time named four partners:

• Maple Finance, an onchain asset manager.
• Indomobil, an Indonesian vehicle maker and distributor.
• Trenez, an Oracle software consultancy.
• The Data Foundation, an AI data network.

What does Space and Time Enterprise verify?

Space and Time Enterprise proves that a calculation ran correctly against a given set of records. It cannot establish that those records were accurate before processing.

“An incorrect entry still needs to be caught through the business's data controls,” Holiday said. “But verification gives those controls a much stronger foundation: evidence of which data was used and whether it was processed correctly.”

Holiday said Space and Time is working with customers in construction, engineering and manufacturing that want to rebuild their systems around AI. Agents, reporting tools and compliance teams could draw from the same business records and check the calculations they rely on.

How can customers deploy Proof of SQL?

Proof of SQL already works with Google Cloud's BigQuery. According to the company, businesses can run it on their own servers without operating a blockchain, buying specialized hardware or relying on an outside proving service. This keeps the verification layer inside the customer's environment and removes a required public-chain dependency.

The sub-second result is not universal. Holiday said actual performance depends on the query, hardware and dataset, so enterprises must benchmark Proof of SQL against their own infrastructure and workloads.

What is behind the SXT strategy?

The company's 2022 strategic funding round was led by M12, Microsoft's venture fund. Last year, Grayscale launched a trust giving investors exposure to SXT, the token that powers Space and Time's blockchain.

Earlier this year, Space and Time launched Dreamspace, an AI-powered tool built with Microsoft's Azure AI services. Dreamspace lets users create and deploy onchain apps without writing code, extending the company's tooling beyond data verification.

Space and Time also runs SXT Chain, a decentralized network supplying verifiable data to decentralized finance, tokenized assets and stablecoins. Asked whether enterprise customers would create demand for SXT, Holiday said businesses can deploy the product in their own environment. The network becomes relevant when applications need to connect to onchain markets, with those workloads paid through Space and Time.

SXT is not required for private deployments, but it becomes the commercial link when applications connect to onchain markets. That distinction separates adoption of the proof technology from demand for the token.

Where else does the cryptography run?

Space and Time's cryptography also appears in other technical projects. Microsoft's Nova project includes Blitzar, the company's cryptographic acceleration library, while work on its Dory commitment scheme contributed to a16z crypto's Jolt proof system, Holiday said. These integrations extend the company's technical reach beyond its own chain without requiring enterprise customers to adopt SXT.

The commercial test is whether enterprises keep verification on private infrastructure or connect those workflows to onchain markets. SXT Chain's role will hinge on that integration boundary, rather than on Proof of SQL adoption alone.