Space and Time

StarkEx generates validity proofs, to ensure that only valid data resulting from computations performed with integrity, is committed on-chain. The secret to StarkEx’s massive scaling capabilities lies in the uneven division of computation between its off-chain prover and the on-chain verifier. StarkEx powers self-custodial dApps, and employs innovative anti-censorship mechanisms to ensure that users’ funds always remain in their custody. StarkEx has been developed to serve a diverse range of user and application needs. Applications that wish to integrate with StarkEx can arrive on Mainnet within a few weeks time, depending on the maturity of their off-chain Operator node. With validity proofs, state updates are considered finalized as soon as they are verified on-chain. This can be a matter of hours, as compared to fraud proofs that can be finalized only after the dispute period.

Truebit is a blockchain enhancement which enables smart contracts to securely perform complex computations in standard programming languages at reduced gas costs. While smart contracts can perform small computations correctly, large computation tasks pose security risks for blockchains. Truebit counteracts this shortcoming via a trustless, retrofitting oracle which correctly performs computational tasks. Any smart contract can issue a computation task to this oracle in the form of WebAssembly bytecode, while anonymous “miners” receive rewards for correctly solving the task. The oracle’s protocol guarantees correctness in two layers: a unanimous consensus layer where anyone can object to faulty solutions, and an on-chain mechanism which incentivizes participation and ensures fair remuneration. These components formally manifest themselves through a combination of novel, off-chain architecture and on-chain smart contracts.