Most often the case is that these other networks are applying BLS multisignature aggregation. Simply put, every validator generates a BLS signature and then performs operations with this signature. The network protocol aggregates all signature operations into one. What you gain from this process is compressed data, since instead of multiple ECDSA keys, you have a single aggregated signature, and nothing more. This use is suitable for Ledger hardware.
SKALE’s process is drastically different. SKALE uses BLS threshold signatures – a different and much more complicated process than BLS signature aggregation. To make a threshold signature work – such that only t of n operators are needed to perform an operation – one needs a trusted process to construct a BLS public key based on secret shares from each of the operators. This is called DKG or distributed key generation and requires much more complicated processing than what Ledger-based solutions can provide. Whereas Ledger-based networks are simply storing a BLS signature for the purposes of multi-signature aggregation, Intel SGX is being used for DKG and related threshold operations.
Another critical distinction is that BLS signature aggregation is performed per validator, whereas BLS threshold signature operations are done per skale chain and on a frequent basis. If a validator node is supporting 128 SKALE chains, then the node core has to generate 128 BLS threshold public keys and 128 BLS threshold private keys via distributed key generation.
If a validator is using a single Intel SGX server to support 16 nodes and each node is running 128 elastic sidechains, then it needs to generate and maintain 2048 public and private BLS threshold keys. When a node is swapped into a new SKALE chain, the DKG process is re-initiated with all nodes within the sidechain group, resulting in new public and private key generation for that specific SKALE chain. Given this increased frequency of digital key generation and complexity of BLS threshold cryptography, the use of Intel SGX is an optimal solution for addressing the performance and data security requirements of the network. (Note that the SKALE team is a fan of Ledger-based currency and token storage solutions, notwithstanding lack of BLS threshold signature support.)