Chain Parameters
Consensus Overview
Lithosphere is a Proof of Stake blockchain network designed to serve as cross-chain DeFi infrastructure. The network enables seamless interoperability between heterogeneous blockchains while maintaining high throughput and security guarantees through its novel consensus protocol.
LinBFT Consensus Protocol
Lithosphere employs the LinBFT (Linear Communication Byzantine Fault Tolerant) consensus protocol, designed by Dr. David Yang. LinBFT builds upon the foundations of classic PBFT (Practical Byzantine Fault Tolerance) and introduces four key improvements:
1. Per-Block Consensus
Unlike traditional BFT protocols where a leader may propose multiple blocks in sequence, LinBFT achieves consensus on a per-block basis. This limits the power of any individual block proposer and mitigates the risk of selfish mining attacks, where a proposer could withhold blocks for personal advantage.
2. Rotating Leader
The block proposer changes with every block. By rotating leadership each round, LinBFT significantly reduces the risk of Denial-of-Service (DoS) attacks targeting a single known leader. An attacker cannot predict and target the next proposer far in advance.
3. Changing Honesty
LinBFT operates under a realistic threat model where participants can behave honestly or maliciously on a per-block basis. A node that is honest in one round may act maliciously in the next, and vice versa. The protocol remains secure as long as more than two-thirds of participants behave honestly in any given block.
4. Dynamic Participant Set
Nodes are permitted to join and leave the validator set at epoch boundaries. This dynamic membership allows the network to scale and adapt over time without requiring a hard-coded or static set of validators.
Communication Efficiency
LinBFT requires only a single round of voting compared to the two rounds used in classic PBFT. This reduction in voting rounds lowers communication overhead and decreases block confirmation time, enabling faster finality.
Proof of Stake Rewards
The PoS mechanism in Lithosphere rewards all participants who contribute to consensus, not just the block proposer. This inclusive reward model incentivizes broad participation and strengthens network security.
Chain Framework
Lithosphere is built on the following technology stack:
Framework
Cosmos-SDK
Consensus Engine
CometBFT
Virtual Machine
LithoVM (EVM-compatible)
Chain ID
lithosphere-1
LITHO_CHAIN_ID
61
Block Time
~3 seconds
The Cosmos-SDK foundation provides modular architecture and proven interoperability primitives, while CometBFT handles networking and consensus. LithoVM delivers full EVM compatibility, allowing developers to deploy Solidity smart contracts and use familiar Ethereum tooling.
Cross-Chain Integration
Lithosphere implements cross-chain asset transfers through a Lock-in/Lock-out mechanism combined with distributed control management. This architecture enables assets from one blockchain to be represented and used on another without requiring centralized custodians.
How Cross-Chain Transactions Work
Lock-in: Assets on the source chain are locked in a smart contract, and a corresponding proof is generated.
Verification: Lithosphere validators verify the lock-in transaction across chains using the distributed control management layer.
Lock-out: Once verified, equivalent assets are released or minted on the destination chain.
Asset Registration
Lithosphere handles cross-chain assets through an automated registration process:
Unregistered assets: When an asset from another chain is bridged to Lithosphere for the first time, a new smart contract is deployed automatically to represent that asset on the Lithosphere network.
Registered assets: For assets that have already been registered, equal tokens are issued within the existing smart contract, maintaining a consistent token address and contract interface.
This approach ensures that each external asset has a single canonical representation on Lithosphere, simplifying DeFi integrations and preventing token fragmentation.
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