SPIN Consensus Protocol

Zenith Network employs a novel consensus mechanism called SPIN (Short-term Parallel Incremental Network agreement) designed to achieve both high performance and robust security. SPIN is a hybrid model that leverages the established security of Polkadot while providing a fast-finality mechanism optimized for the responsiveness required by dApps.

• Leveraging Polkadot's Security:

  • Bootstrapping a new Proof-of-Stake (PoS) blockchain from scratch presents a significant security challenge. The network is vulnerable to attacks until it achieves sufficient economic security through token value and stake distribution.

  • To mitigate this risk, ZTH adopts a pragmatic approach by "buying" security from Polkadot. This involves periodically submitting ZTH block headers to the Polkadot Relay Chain, effectively anchoring ZTH's security in Polkadot's well-established validator set and economic security.

  • This hybrid model allows ZTH to benefit from Polkadot's robust security guarantees, particularly during the initial stages of network growth, without being entirely dependent on it.

  • Importantly, Polkadot validators verify the full contents of ZTH blocks, not just block hashes, providing a stronger security guarantee than typical Layer-2 solutions.

• Fast Finality for dApp Responsiveness:

  • While Polkadot provides strong security, its finality time (estimated 12-18 seconds) is too slow for the interactive experience that ZTH aims to deliver.

  • To address this, SPIN incorporates a fast-finality gadget run by ZTH's own validator set. This allows for much faster transaction confirmation, targeting 0.2-0.3 seconds.

  • This fast finality is achieved through a separate consensus process that operates in parallel with the Polkadot-based security anchoring.

  • The ZTH validators, while potentially having a lower economic stake than Polkadot validators, are optimized for speed and efficiency, enabling rapid block finalization.

• Security Guarantees: Choosing the Right Level of Finality:

  • ZTH's hybrid consensus model provides developers with a choice regarding the level of finality they require for their dApps.

  • For most dApp interactions, the fast finality provided by SPIN is sufficient, offering a responsive and seamless user experience.

  • For high-value transactions, such as transferring large sums of tokens or settling critical agreements, developers can opt to wait for the slower but even more secure finality provided by Polkadot.

  • This flexibility allows developers to tailor the security guarantees to the specific needs of their application, ensuring both performance and security.