Work in Progress -- This FAQ is being expanded. If you have questions not covered here, please open an issue on the GitHub repository.
General
What is Lithosphere?
Lithosphere is a next-generation Layer 1 blockchain platform designed for cross-chain interoperability, powered by AI and deep learning. It enables different blockchains to communicate and transact with each other in a decentralized way, providing complete DeFi financial functionality across multiple token ecosystems.
What makes Lithosphere different from other blockchains?
Cross-chain interoperability: Lithosphere connects all blockchains through Myriad Distributed Key Management (MDKM), enabling tokens from any supported chain to interact
Intelligent smart contracts: First blockchain to integrate Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) into smart contracts
High throughput: Capable of processing up to 1,000,000 TPS using LinBFT consensus
Multi-token standard: LEP100 supports both fungible and non-fungible tokens in a single contract with cross-chain compatibility
What is the LITHO token?
LITHO is the native token of the Lithosphere network. It is used for:
Paying transaction fees across the network
Staking by validators to secure the network
Governance participation
Fueling all LEP100 token operations
Total supply is fixed at 1 billion LITHO tokens.
Development
What programming languages does Lithosphere support?
Lithosphere is EVM-compatible and initially uses Solidity for smart contract development. Future releases will add compilers for additional languages. The SDK and tooling are built with TypeScript.
How do I set up a local development environment?
See the Developer Setup guide. You'll need Node.js >= 20.0.0 and pnpm >= 9.0.0, then run:
Can I migrate my Ethereum smart contracts to Lithosphere?
Yes. Lithosphere is fully compatible with the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). Existing Ethereum smart contracts can be deployed directly on Lithosphere without modification.
Token Standard
What is LEP100?
LEP100 (Lithosphere Evolution Proposal 100) is the token standard for the Lithosphere network. It extends ERC-20, ERC-1155, and BEP-20 with additional features like time slicing, cross-chain compatibility, and batch operations.
How do LEP100 tokens differ from ERC-20?
LEP100 supports both fungible and non-fungible tokens in a single contract
Built-in cross-chain compatibility with ERC-20, ERC-721, ERC-1155, BEP-2, and BEP-20
Time slicing for time-limited token utility
Batch transfers for reduced gas costs
Atomic swaps in two steps
Validators
How do I become a validator?
You need a sufficient stake in the Lithosphere network to run a verification node. See the Validator Setup and Node Deployment guides for detailed instructions.
What are the hardware requirements?
See the Node Deployment guide for current hardware requirements. Lithosphere uses Cosmos SDK with CometBFT consensus, so requirements are similar to other Cosmos-based chains.
What happens if my validator goes offline?
Lithosphere's threshold signature technique handles departing nodes. If your validator goes offline, you may lose your stake rewards and, in severe cases, face slashing penalties. The network maintains stability through the threshold key sharing mechanism.
Network
What consensus mechanism does Lithosphere use?
Lithosphere uses LinBFT (Linear-communication BFT), a Proof of Stake consensus algorithm proposed by Dr. David Yang. It features per-block consensus, rotating leaders, and dynamic participant sets.
What is the block time?
Lithosphere achieves approximately 3-second average block times.
Is Lithosphere compatible with other blockchains?
Yes. Lithosphere supports cross-chain interoperability with any blockchain that uses BFT consensus, as well as EVM-compatible chains, BSC, and others through the Litho Bridge.
