Preface: In this article, you will learn how the blockchain of the first layer of ZetaChain is built.
☆ What is ZetaChain ?
ZetaChain is a decentralized multi-chain ecosystem characterized by flexibility, simplicity and security. In the ZetaChain ecosystem, it is possible to exchange messages between any blockchains, and there is also the possibility of using universal smart contracts.
At the top level, ZetaChain is a blockchain based on the Proof of Stake (PoS) consensus algorithm, which was created by the Cosmos SDK and the Tendermint PBFT mechanism. As a result, ZetaChain provides fast blocking time (~5 seconds) and instant completion (confirmation is not required, reorganization is not allowed).
It has been demonstrated that the Tendermint PBFT consensus mechanism, which is usually used as the first layer for any RoS/DPoS blockchain and can scale up to about 300 nodes during production, and with future updates with threshold BLS signatures, their number can potentially increase to 1000+. Transaction throughput in ZetaChain can potentially reach 100 TPS thanks to the efficient Tendermint consensus protocol. The ZetaChain architecture consists of a distributed network of nodes, often called validators. Validators work as observers who can reach agreement depending on external states and events, plus they can update the state of the external network by signing a distributed key. ZetaChain does all this in a decentralized, transparent and efficient way.
Each validator contains two clients:
Zettacore- responsible for creating a blockchain and supporting a replicated state machine;
Zero Client- responsible for monitoring events in external chains and signing outgoing transactions.
ZetaCore and ZetaClient are combined together and managed by node operators. Anyone can become a node operator to participate in the verification, provided that there is enough asset in the stack.
☆ Validators of the ZetaChain network
ZetaChain uses the Tendermint consensus protocol, which is a partially synchronous Byzantine Fault Tolerant (BFT) consensus algorithm. Each validator node can vote on block proposals with voting rights proportional to the linked coin rates (ZETA).
Each validator is identified by its consensus public key. Validator nodes must be online all the time, ready to participate in the ever-growing production of blocks. In exchange for their services, validators will receive a blocking fee and possibly other rewards, such as gas fees or processing fees, proportional to their bond rates.
☆Observers in ZetaChain
Another important group of participants in the ZetaChain consensus are the surveillance servers that reach consensus on events and states of the external chain. Observers monitor certain relevant transactions/events/states connected to external chains at certain addresses through their full nodes of external chains. Observers can be further divided into two roles:
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Sequencer- detects relevant external transactions/events/states and informs the verifiers
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Verifier- check and vote on ZetaChain to reach consensus.
The system requires at least one sequencer and several verifiers. The sequencer does not need to be trusted, but at least one honest sequencer is needed for survivability.
☆ Singers or subscribers
ZetaChain jointly contains standard ECDSA/Dsa keys for authenticated interaction with external chains. The keys are distributed among several signatories in such a way that only the vast majority of them can sign on behalf of ZetaChain.
It is important to make sure that no single object or a small part of nodes can sign messages on behalf of ZetaChain in external chains. The Zeta Chain system uses linked rates and positive/negative incentives to ensure economic security.
☆ Conclusion and further development
In practice, all of the above roles (except the sequencer) are hosted on the same computer or server, sharing software and credentials such as validator keys and associated bids, as well as related rewards/reductions. It is planned that over time, ZetaChain will first switch from Proof-of-Authority to a fully delegated Proof-of-Stake (DPoS) model and gradually delegate the management of the blockchain to ZETA coin holders through online voting.
✹ Athens 2 Testnet Network Info
Athens 2 is ZetaChain’s actively-developed testnet. This is a public experimental development network that will experience frequent updates. Developers can build omnichain dApps using Athens, leveraging ZetaChain’s latest features. It includes both cross-chain messaging functionality and omnichain smart contracts. Below, you will find network info for the Athens 2 Testnet. You can add this info as a network to your wallet (e. g. Metamask) to interact with ZetaChain directly, deploy contracts, and so on.
Chain ID: 7001
Network Name: ZetaChain Athens 2
Gas Token Name: ZETA
EVM RPC Endpoint: https://api.athens2.zetachain.com/evm
Explorer: https://explorer.zetachain.com
External Chain Addresses
Below you’ll find addresses of ZetaChain’s Connector contracts and ZETA Tokens on connected testnet chains.
Bitcoin Testnet
ZetaChain TSS Address:
tb1q8ev0a9c0khvumur5w6dw9szuzk9a6f7lh6jlhz)
Goerli
Chain ID: 5
ZetaChain TSS Address:
0x7c125C1d515b8945841b3d5144a060115C58725F
Zeta Connector:
0x00007d0BA516a2bA02D77907d3a1348C1187Ae62
ZETA token:
0xCc7bb2D219A0FC08033E130629C2B854b7bA9195
BSC Testnet
Chain ID: 97
ZetaChain TSS Address:
0x7c125C1d515b8945841b3d5144a060115C58725F
Zeta Connector:
0x000054d3A0Bc83Ec7808F52fCdC28A96c89F6C5c
ZETA token:
0x000080383847bd75f91c168269aa74004877592f
Polygon Mumbai
Chain ID: 80001
ZetaChain TSS Address:
0x7c125C1d515b8945841b3d5144a060115C58725F
Zeta Connector:
0x000054d3A0Bc83Ec7808F52fCdC28A96c89F6C5c
ZETA token:
0x000080383847bd75f91c168269aa74004877592f
Klaytn Baobab
Chain ID: 1001
ZetaChain TSS Address:
0x7c125C1d515b8945841b3d5144a060115C58725F
Zeta Connector:
0x000054d3A0Bc83Ec7808F52fCdC28A96c89F6C5c
ZETA token:
0x000080383847bd75f91c168269aa74004877592f
👀 ZetaChain Testnet Guide 👀
Details
Enter the app now.
With over 100,000 signups on the waitlist, ZetaChain is excited to publicly announce the launch of ZetaLabs, built on the Athens Testnet. ZetaLabs is a place for people to test and contribute to the development of omnichain dApps and the underlying ZetaChain blockchain.
ZetaLabs
ZetaLabs is a testbed for new omnichain dApps and key pillar in the ZetaChain developer and contributor ecosystem. It’s an open environment where users can test, learn, and contribute to dApps built on the ZetaChain protocol. It’s built for everyone, supporting desktop and mobile as well as language localization. The first live dApp on ZetaLabs is a functional Omnichain Swap for trading assets between any connected chains. It represents the first of a larger effort to continue open sourcing example smart contracts and UIs that inspire and kickstart omnichain dApp creation in the growing developer ecosystem. Let’s look at the Swap App, ZETA Points system, and updates on the ZetaScan explorer.
Swap App
All a user needs to do is send a single transaction, and all gas, transfers, and fees are handled by ZetaChain. To try the app, connect your Metamask or Coinbase wallet, and then swap any asset to any other asset like so:
ZetaLabs Swap App demo
Note, to improve your ease of use on testnets, supported tokens on the Swap App are limited to a few assets including ZETA for each chain. As needed, we can easily add any and all tokens on different chains. The pricing, slippage, and liquidity of tokens is neither reflective of Mainnet nor is it stable, since there is no monetary value or real market for these tokens.
ZETA Points and Leaderboard
ZETA Points allow community members to track their progress and contributions to ZetaLabs. They also encourage daily testing with ZetaLabs and new user participation. The system incentivizes product/protocol feedback and bug reports to help the team make regular upgrades to the network. The ZETA Points earning structure is as follows:
The Leaderboard page shows your contributions and how you stack up against the rest of the community. The in-app leaderboard of top accounts is viewable by everyone:
To invite additional testers, click on the “Earn ZETA Points” button in the navigation bar to find your shareable invite link. Both you and your invited users will earn points after completing the Twitter account verification. Twitter verification is required to prevent spam from bots (the app uses read-only access). Get Started Here.
How to get Testnet ZETA
You’ll need testnet assets to do transactions on ZetaLabs. You can get testnet ZETA and gas assets for connected chains directly through the Get ZETA page on ZetaLabs.
Through this interface, you will receive ZETA and the respective gas assets on each connected chain — right now, these are Goerli, Ropsten, Polygon Mumbai, and BSC Testnet. You can view amounts you will receive in the table below the requesting interface. The team will add more network support over time as needed by the developer ecosystem. After requesting ZETA from the interface, you should receive your assets within a few minutes, and then you can test the Swap interface above.
The ZETA you receive on testnets may also be used to develop dApps. If you’re interested in building on top of ZetaChain, you can get started using docs here. If you need additional ZETA or testnet gas assets for development, check out other methods for requesting testnet ZETA here, or ask the team for help on Discord!
ZetaScan Updates
ZetaScan is the blockchain explorer that lets users transparently view data on the Athens Testnet. In addition to cross-chain transactions, ZetaScan now has external address and transaction support. You can use the top input field to search for and view your own wallet address or any native network transaction hash that has interacted with ZetaChain.
Address support
ZetaScan will be one of the first truly cross-chain explorers that brings a great and needed level of transparency to the cross-chain crypto ecosystem. Expect to see many more features on ZetaScan that support both developers and users alike.
Want to build cross-chain?
In addition to developing the core L1 blockchain of ZetaChain, the team is working with incredibly talented developers on building the next generation of crypto products. If you have an idea that uses ZetaChain, you can start developing here and reach out on Discord with questions. The team is happy to provide resources to help you build amazing products!
What’s next for ZetaLabs?
ZetaChain will release more information about the protocol, explorer, devtools, documentation, ZetaLabs updates, and ways you can contribute soon. Stay tuned on Twitter and Discord! If you have more questions about ZetaLabs, see the FAQ page here.