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A list of common terms in the Hyperlane protocol |
Agent
Hyperlane agents are off-chain actors that read and write Hyperlane smart contract state.
Example agents include validators and relayer.md.
Aggregation ISM
The aggregation-ism.md is a type of interchain security module that aggregates security from many sovereign-consensus (ISMs) by requiring that m of n ISMs verify a particular interchain message.
Checkpoint
A checkpoint is a (merkle root, index) tuple, corresponding to the state of the #mailboxincremental merkle tree at a particular point in time.
Checkpoints signatures by #validators are used in #multisig-isms.
Collateral chain
For a #warp-route, the chain on which the #collateral-token is deposited into the warp route.
Read more about deploy-warp-route
Collateral token
For a #warp-route, the token which is deposited on the #collateral-chain to create a wrapped token on a remote #synthetic-chain.
Read more about deploy-warp-route
Default ISM
The #interchain-security-module that will be used to verify inbound messages if the message recipient has not specified their own ISM.
See security.md to see the current configurations.
Domain
A unique identifier for a particular chain, used by the Hyperlane protocol to determine message origin and destination.
May be the same as the EVM chain ID, but isn't always. See domains for a list of known Hyperlane domain IDs.
Interchain accounts (ICA)
A #middleware smart contract that allows users to make interchain smart contract calls.
For example, DAOs can use interchain accounts to own contracts on remote chains.
See accounts.md for more information.
Interchain gas paymaster
A smart contract deployed by a #relayer that accepts payments on an origin chain for message delivery on destination chains.
See interchain-gas-payments.md for more information
Interchain queries (IQS)
A #middleware smart contract that allows users to make interchain view calls.
For example, smart contracts can use interchain queries to look up oracle exchange rates or token balances from a remote chain.
See query.md for more information.
Interchain security module
sovereign-consensus (ISMs) are smart contracts that provide security to Hyperlane's interchain messaging-api.
ISMs are responsible for verifying that interchain messages being delivered on the destination chain were actually sent on the origin chain.
Mailbox
Arguably the most important Hyperlane smart contract, the messaging.md exposes an API that developers can use to send.md and receive.md interchain messages.
Middleware
A smart contract that sends and receives messages, and exposes a developer facing API. Developers are expected use this API instead of interacting directly with the #mailbox.
Example middlewares include #interchain-accounts-ica and #interchain-queries-iqs
Multisig ISM
The multisig-ism.md is a type of #interchain-security-module that uses m of n #validator signatures in order to verify a particular interchain message.
Relayer
relayer.md are Hyperlane #agents responsible for delivering messages from their origin chain(s) to their destination chain(s).
Relayers are untrusted, and anyone can operate a relayer.
Routing ISM
The Routing ISM is a type of #interchain-security-module that defers to a different ISM depending on the message being delivered.
For example, a Routing ISM could use a different ISM depending on the origin chain from which the message was sent.
Synthetic chain
For a #warp-route, a chain on which wrapped tokens are minted. These wrapped tokens are backed by #collateral-tokens that have been locked on the #collateral-chain.
Read more about deploy-warp-route
Validator
validators.md are Hyperlane #agents responsible for attesting to messages sent from an origin chain.
#multisig-isms use validator signatures to provide security for inbound messages.
Warp route
deploy-warp-route are Hyperlane's take on the concept of token bridging, allowing you to permissionlessly transfer any ERC20-like asset to any chain via Hyperlane.