At Mission Zambia Stake Pool, we’re excited to take the next step in enhancing our participation in the Cardano community and network. We proudly announce that [ZAM] is now one of the first fully registered Mithril signers on the Cardano mainnet. If you believe in the core principles of the Cardano community and wish to support a stake pool dedicated to serving the needs of orphanages in Zambia – one that is committed to getting the job done – then look no further. Please delegate your stake to [ZAM].
Understanding Mithril and its Role in Cardano
Mithril technology has been widely discussed in the Cardano space. In essence, Mithril enables full node level security with the ease of use typically found in light client wallets. To put it simply, it combines security and convenience. Now, let’s delve into the details.
Full node security entails having the entire Cardano blockchain, including all transaction history and on-chain scripts. This level of security is provided by full node clients like the Cardano CLI node, which powers Cardano stake pools and the Daedalus wallet. However, downloading and verifying the entire blockchain (about 140GB in size) can be impractical for most users. Light clients, on the other hand, like mobile wallets and browser extensions, rely on a centralized service provided by the wallet makers. While they synchronize faster and occupy less storage space, this convenience comes at the cost of some security due to the presence of a trusted third party.
Here’s where Mithril comes into play. It addresses the need for a trusted third party while maintaining the convenience of a light wallet. Mithril achieves this by creating decentralized checkpoints or snapshots on the blockchain. These checkpoints ensure the validity of the blockchain up to that point, allowing clients to synchronize with the Cardano network in a manner similar to light clients, all without relying on a trusted third party. This groundbreaking approach places Cardano ahead of other projects in terms of security and user experience.
How Mithril Works
Mithril operates on a stake-based signature scheme, and in order to create trustless snapshots on the chain, it employs decentralized validation and signing to reach a consensus. Here are the key actors in the Mithril protocol:
- Mithril Signers: Stake pool operators voluntarily register as Mithril signers and create snapshots of the Cardano blockchain’s state. These snapshots are then validated and signed (or rejected) by other Mithril signer stake pools. The voting weight of each signer is proportional to the amount of stake they have delegated to them. Once a percentage threshold of ADA delegated to all Mithril signers is reached, a snapshot is considered valid.
- Mithril Aggregators: Trustless nodes that coordinate the activities of Mithril signers. Aggregators facilitate the registration of stake pool operators as signers and combine their signatures into multi-signatures, which are used to generate an associated certificate for the snapshot in the Mithril certificate chain. Additionally, aggregators store the full Cardano snapshot database and certificate chain, ensuring their availability to Mithril clients.
- Mithril Clients: These nodes retrieve the snapshots and associated certificate chain from the aggregators and can use them to restore the full Cardano blockchain. The client also cryptographically ensures the validity and integrity of the snapshots and certificate chain.
Stake with [ZAM] and Join Our Mission
Currently, Mission Zambia Stake Pool has no delegation. We are eager to demonstrate our commitment to promoting Cardano and its financial applications, furthering decentralization of the network, enhancing the end-user experience, and supporting underprivileged children in Zambia. By being a registered Mithril signer, we aim to play an active role in the Cardano community. Join us in our mission and stake with [ZAM]!
Relevant Links
- Mithril: a stronger and lighter blockchain for better efficiency
- Mithril Protocol Release Set to Propel Cardano’s Scalability and Chain Synchronization to New Heights
- Mithril nears mainnet release
- Mithril. A complete guide.
- Mithril. Github
- Mithril: Stake-based Threshold Multisignatures
- Hans at SEA – Twitter thread