Consensus
Two separate layers, deliberately kept apart:
| Layer | Question it answers | Property |
|---|---|---|
| Production | who makes the next block | liveness |
| Finality | when is a block irreversible | safety |
Validator selection
Validators are masternodes backed by collateral in burned BTC — Sybil resistance is an up-front, real-world cost. One operator can run several masternodes but counts once: the unit of consensus is the operator key, not the machine.
Block production
A deterministic pseudo-random draw designates each block's producer — every node computes the same result from the previous block hash, with no communication and no mining. One block every 60 seconds. If the designated producer is absent, a fallback schedule lets the next in line produce: the chain never stalls on a missing node.
Finality
Finality comes from a per-operator committee, redrawn at every block by verifiable random function (ECVRF). Each selected operator publishes a VRF proof with its signature; everyone verifies the draw. The committee input is public, but the output depends on each operator's secret key — so nobody, including the block producer, can predict or grind the committee.
The threshold is ⌈2/3 · min(E, N)⌉ where N is the operator count and E a fixed committee cap — the same rule scales from a handful of operators to hundreds without retuning. One round of signatures, ~1 minute to irreversibility. Once final, a block cannot be reorganized — finality overrides the longest chain.
State transition
Finality sits on top of full block validation, never instead of it. Every node fully validates every transaction; a quorum — even a hypothetically malicious one — cannot mint value, break the monetary invariants, or confirm an invalid transaction. What the signers control is ordering, never the money.
Script engine
Bitcoin Script, extended with the covenant opcodes Bitcoin has debated for a decade — templates, introspection, oracle signatures, Bitcoin-fact verification. → Script & opcodes
Issuance
There is none. block_reward = 0, no treasury, no premine. The coinbase pays exactly the block's fees — the fee-only security regime Bitcoin reaches around 2140, running today. All value originates from verified BTC burns.
Design choices
- ECDSA on secp256k1 only. No BLS, no aggregated signatures — explicit signatures are simpler to audit at these committee sizes.
- No slashing. Deliberate: a slashing bug can destroy honest operators' funds. Deterrence is the burned-BTC collateral (paid up front) plus proof-of-service bans (loss of future fees).