New Concept: Hyper-Modularity - How Does It Differ from Classic Modular Blockchain?

ChainFeeds

2024-01-20 10:00

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The Cosmos ecosystem L1 project KIRA has proposed a new concept - Supermodularity. KIRA is divided into the user layer, execution layer, and validation layer. Communication between these three layers is facilitated by the Content Access Layer.

Original Title: "New Concept of 'Super Modularization': What is the Difference from Classic Modularization Blockchain?"

Original Author: Zhixiong Pan, Zhixiong Pan, ChainFeeds

On December 12, 2023, Celestia announced the integration of its data availability layer with Polygon Labs' Chain Development Kit (CDK), once again sparking community discussion on modular blockchains. Celestia defines "modular blockchains" as outsourcing at least one component of blockchain execution, consensus, and data availability to an external independent chain. In addition to the classic concept of modular blockchains, KIRA, an L1 project in the Cosmos ecosystem, has also proposed a new concept - super modularization.

新概念：超模块化（Hypermodularity）

Translation:

New Concept: Hypermodularity

Super modularization not only achieves modularity at the software level, but also emphasizes the separation between modules at the network level. The software layer focuses on the functionality and logic within the system, while the network layer focuses on the communication and connection between system nodes. Many modular chains share a limited number of operators, and the homogeneity between operators can lead to high coupling, making the system vulnerable to attacks and increasing maintenance difficulty. Super modularization design allows each component to run in independent modules, and modules of different contracts can adopt different security mechanisms and protocols.

KIRA is an L1 built on Tendermint and Cosmos-SDK, using a "hyper-modular" architecture. Its investors include TRGC, NGC Ventures, Math Wallet, and others. Its advisor is Alessio Treglia, the engineering director of Tendermint. KIRA provides developers and users with more efficient and flexible options through an architecture and consensus mechanism that differs from current modular blockchains.

MBPoS Consensus Mechanism

KIRA has launched the Multi-Bonded Proof of Stake (MBPoS) consensus mechanism. Traditional staking mechanisms typically only allow for a single local token. MBPoS allows for staking multiple assets, including NFTs. MBPoS promotes larger capital inflows by allowing for staking of multiple assets, providing a more flexible, secure, and incentivized consensus mechanism. When one asset is at risk or experiencing market volatility, other staked assets can still maintain network stability.

Users participate in network security by pledging assets and receive income from two sources: block rewards and a portion of transaction fee rewards. The income is capped to ensure network stability and prevent certain participants from controlling the entire network by issuing tokens indiscriminately. In addition, KIRA issues Staking Derivatives, also known as LSD, for the pledged tokens, which provide liquidity, tradability, and transferability for all pledged tokens.

不同的架构

translates to

Different Architectures

in English.

Celestia first proposed the concept of modular blockchain, decoupling blockchain into three layers: data, consensus, and execution. In a single blockchain, these three layers are all handled by one network. Celestia focuses on the data and consensus layers, and L2 allows Celestia to be responsible for the data availability layer (DA) to reduce interaction gas fees. For example, Manta Pacific has adopted Celestia as the data availability layer. According to official news from Manta Pacific, after migrating from Ethereum to Celestia, the cost of DA has decreased by 99.81%.

Single-chain blockchain VS modular blockchain

Celestia uses light nodes to access data, but light nodes need to communicate frequently with full nodes to obtain data. Although this can reduce node resource requirements, in large-scale networks, communication between nodes may be affected by delays, resulting in low efficiency.

KIRA has designed what they believe to be a unique layered structure. This structure involves each modular subcomponent (such as DA, execution, etc.) being operated by the same set of validators/nodes. The same group of people participate in both verifying the security of the entire blockchain and selecting which specific applications to verify and execute. In this setup, the system can precisely identify which nodes are running specific applications and verify that the applications are being executed correctly. By explicitly knowing who should have the data and who does not need it, the state can be maintained at the maximum replication level while avoiding unnecessary replication, thereby improving efficiency.

KIRA Architecture Diagram

KIRA is divided into user layer, execution layer, and verification layer. These three layers communicate through the content access layer. The content access layer is the cornerstone of KIRA's design, serving as a middleware system between the client-hosted front-end application (static IPFS page) and the backend (blockchain serving as the settlement layer).

This middleware system KIRA is named INTERX, which is a decentralized API. Through it, dApps can be executed, interacted with, and data status can be accessed without relying on any third-party services (such as light clients). INTERX also allows applications to use protocols such as TCP (for reliable and ordered data transmission) and UDP (fast but not guaranteed reliable communication) for output, providing more flexible communication methods for applications, especially for highly interactive applications such as games.

INTERX has two modes, execution mode and fishermen mode. INTERX in execution mode acts as an API proxy between the user layer and the execution layer, forwarding data changes (transactions) generated by dapps to a single validator (leader) for execution. INTERX in fishermen mode acts as a broadcaster between the execution layer and the validation layer, broadcasting data changes generated by dapps to multiple validators (fishermen). If fishermen observe improper behavior or errors by the executor, they have the right to initiate a challenge. If the fishermen's challenge is proven to be correct, they will receive a reward. Conversely, if their challenge is incorrect, they may face a penalty of losing part of their stake.

除了 INTERX，KIRA 还有两个产品

Apart from INTERX, KIRA has two other products.

· MIRO: KIRA is a front-end application and web wallet for the KIRA network, allowing users to interact with the KIRA blockchain through decentralized API INTERX. It provides a user-friendly interface for managing KIRA accounts and assets, making it suitable for a wide range of users. When the MIRO web application's page is loaded into the browser, all operations executed are performed locally on the user's computer. There is no need for any hosting servers or access to the internet beyond any local or public INTERX nodes' IP addresses.

· SEKAI: Responsible for handling all on-chain application interaction logic for KIRA, such as processing transactions and state transitions, executed by consensus nodes (validators). Validators monitor the actions executed by executors. If they observe any improper behavior or errors by the executors, they have the right to initiate a challenge.

Related Technologies

Aside from consensus mechanisms and architecture design, KIRA has also introduced some new concepts at the technical level. Each of these concepts involves more technology and requires the team to disclose more details in the future:

· Virtual Finality Gadget (VFG): A mechanism used in applications to verify the finality of transactions, providing developers with the ability to customize validation logic. It allows different validator nodes to use different, undisclosed validation strategies to verify transactions. This diversity and privacy of validation strategies make the system more robust and difficult to exploit by malicious actors, as they cannot predict all validation strategies.

· Pessimistic Rolldowns: A type of Rollup that utilizes VFG to execute deterministic and non-specific language code off-chain, while having faster finality and settlement times than zk Rollup and Optimistic Rollup.

· Cross-Application Messaging (XAM): Facilitates communication between different Rollups. With XAM, decentralized validators can be created, DAO governance can be implemented, and tokens can be minted directly on L1, seamlessly integrating with the functionality provided by other applications.

· Metafinality: The core concept of Metafinality is to establish consistency with external networks and systems between multiple blockchains through a certain mechanism or protocol, thereby simplifying cross-chain and cross-application program integration. Users or systems can more easily obtain a unified view of the entire multi-chain system without having to run nodes on each chain.

Challenge

In terms of economic model design in blockchain systems, modular blockchains such as Celestia have simplified their design compared to traditional monolithic blockchains such as Ethereum. However, this modular design has not yet been fully time-tested, so its long-term economic benefits remain to be seen. Ethereum's Gas mechanism covers the consumption of block space and computing resources, while Celestia itself does not include a computing layer, allowing downstream protocols to bear the cost of computing. On the other hand, KIRA, which represents the concept of super-modularity, requires more time to verify the effectiveness and rationality of its token economic design.

In addition, from the perspective of terminal applications, the downstream applications of Celestia and products for end users still require longer construction and development time. As a new platform, KIRA needs more time to build its ecosystem and applications. The demand and development of these applications are the key to capturing real value and reflecting the value of the KIRA protocol layer. Only when application requirements are realized can the value of the KIRA protocol layer be truly transformed.