Lab Name

Weaver: DLT Interoperability

Short Description

A platform, a protocol suite, and a set of tools, to enable interoperation for data sharing and asset movements between independent networks built on heterogeneous blockchain, or more generally, distributed ledger, technologies, in a manner that preserves the core blockchain tenets of decentralization and security.

Scope of Lab

  • We aim to provide a framework that allows two independent networks, typically (though not limited to) permissioned ones, to interoperate on a need basis.
  • Interoperation does not rely on trusted mediators. Rules and requirements are framed using the networks’ internal governance mechanisms.
  • Interoperation relies minimally on shared infrastructure, which may provide identity services but does not play a part in core request-response protocols.
  • Interoperation occurs through protocols that derive their trust from the counterparty networks’ native consensus mechanisms.
  • Core capabilities (or suported use cases) include data-sharing across ledgers with proof of authenticity and provenance, atomic asset transfers between networks, and atomic asset exchanges in multiple networks.
  • We already support Hyperledger Fabric and Corda, and plan to extend support soon to Hyperledger Besu. We expect to build our framework in such a way that it can support any other arbitrary DLT with minimal effort.
  • The key platform elements are:
    • Protocol units, namely request access control, and generation and verification of authenticity proofs. These leverage the networks’ native smart contract frameworks.
    • Generic and extensible patterns for ledger views and artifact addresses for seamless inter-network communication. Our goal is to provide a basis for an eventual standard that is not tied to a particular DLT implementation.
    • Generic (i.e., not DLT-specific) semi-trusted relay modules that mediate communication while acting on behalf of individual networks. They serve discovery and routing purposes akin to the routing and DNS infrastructure of the conventional internet.
    • DLT-specific plugins called drivers augment relay capabilities with query- and response-translation mechanisms.
  • Apart from the core platform features listed above, we provide SDK extensions for network application users to adapt existing apps for interoperability.
  • We will provide and maintain a basic testnet for rapid prototyping and testing.

Initial Committers

  • https://github.com/VRamakrishna
  • https://github.com/ermyas
  • https://github.com/nwaywood
  • https://github.com/dileban
  • https://github.com/airvin
  • https://github.com/AntTargett
  • https://github.com/sanvenDev
  • https://github.com/knarayan
  • https://github.com/dhinakaran2705
  • https://github.com//Yining-Hu
  • https://github.com/Vinayaka-Pandit
  • https://github.com/hyp0th3rmi4

Sponsor

  • https://github.com/lehors - TSC Member

Former Members

  • https://github.com/ChanderG
  • https://github.com/dushyantbehl

Pre-existing repository

N/A