Glue Manifesto: How can a centralized system better help decentralized systems evolve?

Author: Marco De Rossi

Original link: https://link.medium.com/VQCpdHTro4

Translation: Liu Yi

Translation order

Please consider a question: if there is no centralized exchange, what is the total market value of crypto assets today? In my opinion, it may be one thousandth of the present value, or it may be zero, so it is best not to look forward to burning in the prison where the centralized transaction is located. The crypto world is not a flat world. Centralized exchanges are the bridge between the crypto network and the traditional network, which is the "binder" referred to below. Coin speculation is the only application that was launched before the blockchain. What is the next application (if any)? I do not know. If you want to guess, I would rather choose the "over" STO, the current DeFi, because the STO is still young. As a blockchain practitioner, I certainly believe in the potential of decentralized technology, and believe that it is a good way to heal the structural defects of modern fusion systems. However, if you want to make full use of the potential of decentralized technology, don't confront it with centralized technology. Rather, you may wish to do more research and do your best to integrate development. I hope Ben will bring some inspiration to my family.

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Decentralized maximism

The network economy system has been running for several years based on centralized technologies such as e-mail, API, CRM, e-commerce, ERP, SQL database, and cloud computing. Then decentralized technology emerged, enabling any party to enter economic interaction. You do n’t need to know confrontation, you just have to believe in technology, how amazing! Sometimes we are so passionate about this new paradigm that we have no choice but to conceive a new world where everything is decentralized, because "centralization" is evil, and we must avoid it at any cost.

We focus on the case of complete decentralization, which is not bad because all points of trust are excluded. However, such an extreme approach does not always allow us to reach an acceptable compromise, which makes the system easy to use, effective, and widely involved. What method can make full use of the potential of decentralized technology? It is based on the close interaction of decentralized and centralized components to design economic systems, so that developers and companies can make wise and prudent decisions based on whether components need trust to determine how to mix and use.

The third way

We believe that the confrontation between centralized storage technology and decentralized / blockchain technology will soon pass. The third path is emerging.

Following V's classic framework , consider the following types of technologies: logically, architecturally, and governed, just like traditional IT. but:

• No custody. Although centralized, you cannot steal your money;
• Can be replaced at any time;
• Allow failure. Because multiple systems are running at the same time and can be replaced with each other, there is nothing to fail, as long as there is a working one. Or simply put: low failure rates are acceptable.

In the end, this type of technology—adhesives—doesn't need to be perfect, trusted, or fault-tolerant, as long as it works. The reliability of the system does not depend on a single component, and the sum of multiple components, that is, the most trusted component, plus multiple adhesives and centralized technology you recognize.

Adhesives: Overview

Simply put, the adhesive is responsible for reading the signed statement from the decentralized system and forwarding it to the centralized system, or vice versa. The following is an example:

• Repeaters: They are not safekeeping. They simply forward your instructions (ie signing a statement). For example, a Mesh network node of the 0x protocol, or a transaction repeater in a state channel, allows failure and is replaceable. Don't worry, because you rely on the whole network. So the repeater is the adhesive.
• Pre-roller connector: The decentralized smart contract pre-roller relies on multiple centralized pre-roller connectors to send a smart contract a signing statement describing the state of the off-chain world. Any of these pre-connectors are allowed to fail, are replaceable, and are not safekeeping … they are all adhesives.
• Watchtowers: They read the signing statement (Ethereum status) and send transactions to the main chain, launching disputes to protect the interests of users. You can hire as many watchtowers as you like, you can replace them if you fail. They are adhesives.
• Gas station networks: They forward your signed statement and pay you for transaction gas. You don't need to trust a single repeater, because you can switch to another one at any time, or use multiple at the same time.
• Zero-knowledge proof transaction aggregator: In a high-level network using zero-knowledge proof, any aggregator node that knows the upper state can aggregate a signed statement (transaction), create a new state zero-knowledge proof, and submit it to the chain. Verification of smart contracts on … is an alternative, failing glue.
• Order Matcher: The more you send orders to the off-chain order matcher, the better, because the chances of finding a matching order are greater. The order matcher does not do custody and therefore allows failure. As long as there is no more than one order matcher to act honestly. They can be seen as adhesives.
• State connector (this will be the guy!): The basic version is a "if so, then that" tool that reads data from the blockchain, and if it matches the trigger condition, forwards it to the centralized system-API, electricity ⼦ Mail, database, e-commerce, ie on-chain-> traditional centralized system. The high-level version of the "if so, then that" tool supports the on-chain process, and even any mixed off-chain repeater <-> on-chain <-> traditional centralized system process. The level of adhesive!

Xuan Yuan

Our declaration:

1. Centralization is not evil if it is replaceable and does not act as a custodian;
2. Let us pay attention to how decentralization and centralization mutually achieve each other, and whoever beats them;
3. Let's put centralization and decentralization into the unified technology picture, and soon the developer community will merge into one;
4. Traditional developers are our friends! Let's spend more time developing tools to help crypto developers who need to fully understand and have access to the decentralized world. 99% of web developers don't understand the principle of HTTP. To expand Ethereum, we need a similar thing;
5. Let's name the adhesive technology. They are ineffective, safe, replaceable … and are needed;
6. It's better to be perfect than landing, and it's better to be 100% decentralized. Let us avoid decentralized maximization;
7. Let's choke up!

2 ⽉ 10 ⽇ 2020

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