The OP Stack’s Fault Proof System is live on OP Goerli
This post gives an overview of the OP Stack's first fault proof system, its components, and how they will work together to enhance decentralization in the Optimism ecosystem.
We are proud to share that fault proofs are now live on OP Goerli Testnet! This alpha release is the first fault proof system for the OP Stack. Its modular design lays the foundation for a multi-proof future, inclusive of ZK proofs, and significantly increases the opportunities for ecosystem contributors to build alternative fault proof components to secure the system.
The goal is to launch fault proofs in production soon, and community involvement in testing the system is critical to building a robust fault proof mechanism.
Read on for an overview of the fault proof system, and for more information on how you can help test the system—or skip right to our Immunefi bug bounty page, where we’ve added details on helping find bugs in the OP Stack’s fault proof system.
System Overview
The Fault Proof System released in today’s alpha is comprised of three main components: a Fault Proof Program (FPP), a Fault Proof Virtual Machine (FPVM), and a dispute game protocol. These components will work together to challenge malicious or faulty activity on the network to preserve trust and consistency within the system.
The OP Stack’s unique design allowed the decoupling of the FPP and FPVM. This approach paves the way for the development of multiple proof systems, unique dispute games, and a variety of FPVMs in the future.
Building with the OP Stack will eventually enable developers to custom-build a fault proof system comprised of any combination of these isolated components—including validity proofs, attestation proofs, or ZKVM. Dispute games in the dispute protocol can also be backed by multiple security mechanisms.
For a full technical walkthrough of the OP Stack’s first fault proof system, check out this video recorded by OP Labs engineer Clabby.
Advancing Decentralization
With the system live on OP Goerli Testnet, all OP Chains and OP Stack chains are one step closer to benefiting from the security provided by a robust fault proof system.
The system is designed to eventually enable secure bridging without central fallback. Plus, due to the OP Stack’s open source ethos and MIT license, its fault proof system paves the way for several protocol implementations. This multiplicity not only moves us closer to Stage 2 technical decentralization, but also serves as a foundation for strong social decentralization.
The more diverse a protocol’s contributors—from clients to proving mechanisms, dispute games, and other infrastructure—the more decentralized the protocol becomes. The modularity of the fault proof system creates a plethora of opportunities for developers within the Collective to engage in shaping and sustaining the OP Mainnet and the Superchain.
Help Test the Fault Proof System and Find Bugs
Everyone in the ecosystem can help ready the fault proof system for production by testing the system and reporting any bugs discovered through our regular Immunefi bug bounty program.
This fault proof system alpha is a major step towards a more decentralized and efficient Superchain, and contributors across the ecosystem will benefit from our Collective effort to test and improve it.