Gm fam,
Just finished reading the latest Starkware post titled “Starknet Decentralization: A Roadmap in Broad Strokes”.
Referring to the Staker onboarding, this article states that the staking contract will be on the Ethereum mainnet (“Staker onboarding: We must give time for the L1 staking contract to accumulate sufficient staked tokens to secure the decentralized protocol with real economic weight.”)
Why is that? Is it essential for security reasons, or could staking occur directly on Starknet as well?
Thanks for your insights. Have a great day!
The main reason, as far as I understand it, is to allow the validator set to be entered permissionlessly (or through governance), where this ability is entirely protected by Ethereum’s security and not the L2’s economic or social security.
It additionally allows for the sequencer and/or prover schedule to be L1-defined which further limits the responsibility of L2 consensus.
That makes sense; it’s much clearer now.
Thanks for your answers guys
It seems that Starkware has chosen to implement the staking contract on the Ethereum mainnet for the purpose of security and decentralization.
Running a staking contract on a well-established blockchain like Ethereum can offer a higher level of security and trust for users who are staking their tokens. It leverages the existing infrastructure, consensus mechanisms, and network effects of Ethereum. This can help ensure that the staking process is robust and reliable.
Additionally, using Ethereum for staking provides a clear separation of concerns. Ethereum can handle the staking process, while Starknet can focus on its specific functionalities and execution of smart contracts. This separation can help in achieving a more modular and scalable architecture.
While it might be technically possible to implement staking directly on Starknet, doing so could introduce additional complexities and potential security risks. By leveraging a well-established blockchain like Ethereum, Starkware can tap into the security and reliability that Ethereum provides, allowing Starknet to focus on its core functionality.
Overall, using the Ethereum mainnet for staking is likely a strategic decision made to enhance the security and decentralization of the protocol.