13 lines
717 B
Markdown
13 lines
717 B
Markdown
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# The bridge
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The bridge is a lightweight, distributed cross-chain notary.
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Read the [the protocol spec](../docs/protocol.md) first.
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- **Leaderless**. There is no synchrony/consensus or proposers - the bridge merely observes finalized transactions on
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one chain, signs them using its piece of the joint key, and pushes its signature to an off-chain peer-to-peer network.
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Once 2/3+ of the guardian set agree, the threshold signature is valid and this jointly signed proof
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(which we call a Verifiable Action Approval or VAA) can be posted to the other chain to release or mint funds that
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were locked/burned on the first.
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- **Stateless**. Nodes do not keep persistent state about transactions they observed.
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