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Cross-Chain Interoperability Module (CCIM)

The Cross-Chain Interoperability Module (CCIM) is currently in development. This section provides a high-level overview of the CCIM and its features.

Cross-Chain Interoperability​

ZenChain is designed to facilitate seamless interoperability with other major blockchain networks, enabling secure and efficient cross-chain transactions. At the core of ZenChain's interoperability strategy is the Cross-Chain Interoperability Module (CCIM), a chain-agnostic framework that manages both incoming and outgoing transactions across various blockchain networks.

By leveraging the CCIM, ZenChain provides a standardized and scalable solution for cross-chain operations, allowing users to initiate and execute transactions across different chains with ease. This enhances the utility and connectivity of decentralized applications (dApps) on ZenChain, enabling them to interact seamlessly with a broad range of blockchains, including Ethereum, Bitcoin, and others. The CCIM's flexible architecture ensures that ZenChain can quickly adapt to new blockchain technologies and protocols, further expanding its ecosystem and fostering innovation in the decentralized finance (DeFi) space.

The CCIM abstracts the underlying complexities of each external blockchain, providing a standardized interface for transaction validation, storage and execution. This design not only broadens the scope of ZenChain's connectivity but also ensures its scalability and adaptability in an ever-evolving blockchain landscape.

Incoming Cross-Chain Transactions​

ZenChain employs the CCIM to facilitate incoming cross-chain transactions from various external blockchains, regardless of their compatibility with the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). The CCIM is designed to be chain-agnostic, providing a flexible and scalable solution for integrating transactions originating from different blockchain networks into the ZenChain ecosystem.

Mechanism Overview​

The CCIM handles all aspects of incoming cross-chain transactions, from detection and verification to execution on ZenChain.

  • Transaction Detection and Monitoring: The CCIM continuously monitors external blockchains for transactions directed towards ZenChain's addresses or smart contracts. This process is conducted through a standardized interface, capable of interfacing with different blockchain protocols.

  • Transaction Validation: Upon detecting a relevant transaction, the CCIM validates it using a chain-specific validation process. This may involve light clients, proof mechanisms, or other blockchain-specific validation techniques, ensuring the authenticity and correctness of the incoming transaction.

  • Data Abstraction and Standardization: The validated transaction data is abstracted and standardized into a common format that can be processed by ZenChain. This standardized format allows ZenChain to handle incoming transactions uniformly, regardless of their originating blockchain.

  • Transaction Storage and State Update: The CCIM stores the validated transaction data securely on ZenChain, ready for further processing. It ensures that all necessary information is recorded to maintain transparency and traceability of cross-chain interactions.

  • Execution and State Transition: Once the incoming transaction is fully validated and stored, the CCIM facilitates the execution of the corresponding action or asset transfer on ZenChain. This could involve minting new tokens, updating smart contract states, or other predefined operations based on the transaction type.

  • User Transparency and Interaction: The CCIM provides interfaces for users and developers to query the status of their incoming cross-chain transactions. This transparency ensures users can track the progress and outcome of their transactions, enhancing trust and usability.

Outgoing Cross-Chain Transactions​

ZenChain facilitates outgoing cross-chain transactions, allowing transactions initiated on ZenChain to be executed on external blockchains, such as Ethereum, Bitcoin, and others. These transactions are managed and validated by the CCIM. The CCIM integrates with ZenChain’s consensus mechanism and employs a multi-signature (multisig) account mechanism involving ZenChain Validators to manage these transactions on external blockchains.

Mechanism Overview​

The CCIM handles all aspects of outgoing cross-chain transactions, including transaction validation, signing, and execution.

  • Transaction Initiation and Monitoring: The CCIM monitors ZenChain for transactions that initiate a cross-chain operation, such as transferring assets or invoking smart contracts on an external blockchain. These transactions are detected through predefined triggers, such as events emitted by authorized smart contracts.

  • Transaction Validation: Once a cross-chain transaction is identified, the CCIM validates it against ZenChain’s cross-chain transaction rules. This ensures that the transaction is constructed correctly and triggered only by authorized events, maintaining the security and integrity of the cross-chain process.

  • Data Abstraction and Transformation: The validated transaction data is abstracted into a common format that can be processed for the specific external blockchain. This transformation includes converting ZenChain-specific data into a format compatible with the target blockchain’s protocol.

  • Transaction Storage and State Update: The CCIM securely stores the validated transaction data on ZenChain, ensuring all relevant information is available for further processing. This storage mechanism allows for transparent tracking and management of cross-chain transactions.

  • Signature Collection and Multisig Signing: Validators are responsible for signing the outgoing cross-chain transactions using their multisig accounts on the external blockchain. The CCIM coordinates the collection of these signatures, ensuring that a sufficient threshold is met for transaction execution.

  • Transaction Execution: Once the required number of validator signatures is collected, the CCIM facilitates the execution of the transaction on the external blockchain. This process involves transferring assets or executing actions directly on the target blockchain, completing the cross-chain operation.

  • User Transparency and Interaction: The CCIM provides user-facing interfaces for querying the status of their outgoing cross-chain transactions. This transparency ensures that users can monitor the progress and outcome of their transactions, enhancing trust and usability.

By integrating these advanced cross-chain capabilities, ZenChain sets a new standard for interoperability, providing a powerful platform for decentralized applications and cross-chain interactions.