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C1 Option · Ethereum L1

Realizing the C1 base-consensus layer by posting W3 state to Ethereum L1.

This stub captures the high-level shape of an Ethereum settlement deployment. Future iterations will dive into contract layouts, gas modeling, and bridging.

Required Smart Contracts

WorkflowRegistry

  • Register / activate workflows, store manifest CID + quorum.
  • Emit events for explorers and subgraphs.
  • Authority enforcement via multisig or RegistryAdmin.

ValidatorRegistry

  • Validator ID → account, BLS key, stake data.
  • Functions for staking/unstaking, heartbeats, slashing.
  • Events feed monitoring dashboards.

AttestationLog

  • Append-only trigger + step attestations with transcript roots.
  • Aggregated signature bundles or references to offchain proofs.
  • Indexable for verifiers, explorers, auditors.

Data Model Sketch

struct Workflow {
  bytes32 workflowHash;
  string manifestCid;
  bool active;
  uint32 quorumSize;
}

struct Validator {
address account;
bytes32 blsPubkey;
uint256 stake;
uint64 latestHeartbeat;
}

struct StepAttestation {
uint64 workflowRunId;
uint32 stepIndex;
bytes32 transcriptRoot;
bytes signatureBundle; // aggregated BLS or concatenated sigs
}
Real contracts would pack structs tightly, emit events for every mutation, and expose read-only view methods for offchain clients / subgraphs.

Posting Flow

1. Register
Workflow owners call `registerWorkflow` with manifest CID, quorum size, authority metadata.
2. Stake / Bond
Validators deposit ETH/ERC-20 into `ValidatorRegistry`, publish BLS keys, enter active set.
3. Orchestrate
C3 runs elect → execute → attest offchain, producing transcripts and signature bundles.
4. Commit
Relayer batches attestations into Ethereum transactions (e.g., `recordStep`, `recordTrigger`).
5. Prove / Slash (future)
Dispute contracts consume stored transcripts to slash misbehavior or resolve challenges.

Tokenomics

What ETH Pays For (Settlement Layer)

●
Smart contract execution gas
●
Base layer security ($100B+ stake)
●
Finality guarantees (Gasper FFG)
●
Total ordering across all workflows

What W3 Token Pays For (Protocol Layer)

●
Workflow execution fees (user → validator)
●
Validator staking (orchestration, not base)
●
Governance votes (protocol upgrades)
●
Slashing penalties (misbehavior)
Token Demand
Validators + users must hold W3. ERC-20 on Ethereum = instant DEX/CEX liquidity.
Value Leakage
ETH captures base-layer value (security, ordering). W3 only captures protocol-layer value.

Dual Token = Split Value, Faster Launch

Trade-offs

What You Get

  • Finality: ~13 min deterministic finality via Gasper FFG.
  • Security: Ethereum's $100B+ stake protects your state.
  • Infrastructure: Instant wallet, explorer, indexer support.
  • Global Ordering: All workflow events canonically sequenced.
  • Faster Launch: Weeks to deploy contracts vs. years to bootstrap L1.

What It Costs

  • Dual Gas Payment: Pay ETH for settlement, W3 for workflows (complexity + UX friction).
  • Split Value Capture: ETH captures base security value; W3 only captures protocol value.
  • EVM Constraints: Smart contract gas limits, storage costs, upgrade complexity.
  • Governance Dependency: Ethereum hardforks may require contract rewrites.
  • Latency Floor: ~12s slot times, ~13min finality can't be bypassed.