What is the consensus mechanism of THORChain(RUNE) currency?

THORChain's innovative consensus mechanism, utilizing Threshold Signature Scheme (TSS), fosters unparalleled security and resilience by empowering validators to sign transactions collectively without revealing their private keys.

Dec 10, 2024 at 11:32 pm

Understanding the THORChain (RUNE) Consensus Mechanism

THORChain, a decentralized network for cross-chain liquidity, employs a unique consensus mechanism known as the Threshold Signature Scheme (TSS). This mechanism empowers validators to collectively sign transactions without revealing their individual private keys, ensuring unparalleled security and resilience.

1. Threshold Signature Scheme (TSS)

TSS is a cryptographic protocol that enables multiple parties to generate a single digital signature. In THORChain's context, it is used by validators to approve transactions on the network.

• Key Generation: Each validator in the network generates a unique key pair (public and private). The public keys are combined to form a combined public key.
• Transaction Approval: To approve a transaction, a specific number of validators (referred to as "threshold") must sign the transaction with their respective private keys. These individual signatures are combined using a mathematical operation to create a single collective signature that represents the consensus of the validators.
• Transaction Verification: The collective signature is then verified using the combined public key. If the signature is valid, the transaction is considered approved.

2. Node Selection and Rotation

The THORChain network relies on a set of active validators who participate in the consensus process. To ensure fairness and prevent centralization, these validators are periodically selected and rotated.

• Validator Election: Validators are chosen based on their staked RUNE tokens. The more tokens a validator stakes, the higher its chance of being selected.
• Uniform Random Sampling (URS): URS is used to randomly select a subset of validators to participate in each round of consensus. This ensures that the validator set changes frequently, mitigating the risk of collusion.

3. Consensus and Transaction Finality

Once validators are selected for a consensus round, they perform the following steps:

• Receive Transaction Batch: The validators receive a batch of transactions to be approved.
• Verification and Validation: Each validator independently verifies the transactions and validates them using the TSS.
• Transaction Record: If the minimum number of validators approves the transactions, a signed record of the transactions is created and added to the blockchain ledger.
• Transaction Finality: Once a transaction record is added to the ledger, it becomes immutable and cannot be reversed. This ensures the finality of transactions on the THORChain network.

4. Slashing and Penalty

To discourage malicious behavior, THORChain employs a slashing mechanism. If a validator engages in double-signing or other fraudulent activities, it may be penalized and have its staked tokens slashed (lost).

• Offense Detection: The network monitors validator activities to detect any irregularities.
• Punishment: If an offense is detected, the validator's stake may be partially or fully slashed. This deters validators from malicious behavior and promotes network integrity.

5. Security Considerations

The TSS and the node selection process provide multiple layers of security for THORChain's consensus mechanism.

• Node Distribution: The selection of validators from a large and distributed pool significantly reduces the risk of centralization and malicious control over the network.
• Threshold Signatures: By requiring multiple validators to approve a transaction, TSS ensures that no single validator can compromise the network's security or approve fraudulent transactions.
• Penalty System: The slashing mechanism discourages malicious behavior and protects the network from dishonest actors.

Conclusion:

THORChain's unique consensus mechanism, based on Threshold Signature Scheme (TSS), provides a robust and secure foundation for the network's cross-chain liquidity and exchange operations. By leveraging a distributed validator set, TSS ensures the integrity of transactions, while the node selection process and slashing mechanism maintain fairness and deter malicious activities.