We are thrilled to introduce our latest product, Chorus One SDK. This advanced toolkit is set to transform how our customers integrate staking functionalities into their applications. As the leading staking provider with the most extensive network support in the industry, robust security features, and comprehensive transaction management, our SDK (Software Development Kit) is poised to become an essential tool for institutions and developers, enabling them to leverage enterprise-grade staking solutions across all major networks including Ethereum, Solana, TON, Avalanche, Cosmos, NEAR, and Polkadot with unparalleled ease and efficiency.

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What is Chorus One SDK?

The Chorus One SDK is an all-in-one toolkit for building staking dApps or implementing programmatic native staking into your product. It supports non-custodial staking on various networks validated by Chorus One. With this SDK, our customers can build, sign, and broadcast transactions, as well as retrieve staking information and rewards for user accounts.

Supported Networks

Chorus One has the most extensive network support for staking in the industry. Currently, the Chorus One SDK provides support for the following networks, with plans to expand to even more in the future:

• Ethereum
• Solana
• TON
• Avalanche
• Cosmos (including Cosmos Hub, Osmosis, Injective, etc.)
• NEAR
• Polkadot (Substrate)

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Who is Chorus One SDK For?

The Chorus One SDK is designed for a diverse audience, including:

• Custodians: Looking to offer secure staking solutions.
• MPC Wallets: Interested in integrating staking capabilities into their wallets.
• Asset Managers and Funds: Aiming to implement staking transactions within their existing custody and risk management frameworks.
• Exchanges: Wanting to provide ETH staking options to their users without any 32 ETH minimum requirement as well as staking across other major networks.

By using the Chorus One SDK, our customers can easily integrate programmatic native staking, access detailed staking position data, and minting of osETH LST to offer flexible staking options to their end users.

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SDK vs. APIs: Why We Chose to Build an SDK

At Chorus One, we prioritize security, transparency, and user control. Our decision to develop an SDK over a traditional API was driven by the following considerations:

Enhanced Security

• Local Transaction Building and Signing: Users can generate and sign transactions locally on their devices, ensuring that private keys are not exposed to external environments.
• Reduced Risk of Exposure: Keeping private keys within the user’s environment minimizes the risk of exposure to malicious actors.

Verifiable Trust and Transparency

• Direct Verification: Users can directly specify and verify the validator addresses they interact with, ensuring transparency and control over staking activities.
• Elimination of External Dependencies: The SDK approach removes potential attack vectors associated with relying on external APIs, enhancing overall trust and security.

Open-Source and Auditable

• Open-Source Code: The Chorus One SDK is open-source, allowing users and developers to review, audit, and contribute to the codebase. This openness ensures that the SDK is transparent and trustworthy.

💡 Why does it matter?

Choosing the Chorus One SDK means prioritizing security, transparency, and user empowerment. With local transaction building and signing, and open-source transparency, users can confidently participate in staking activities across supported networks.

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How does it Work?

Our SDK offers a robust suite of tools for managing staking operations on various networks. Here’s a high-level overview of its functionality:

Comprehensive Transaction Management

• Building, Signing, and Broadcasting Transactions: Users can seamlessly manage staking, unstaking, delegation, and reward withdrawal operations.
• Flexible Custody Solutions: Supports a variety of custody options, including mobile wallets, browser extensions, hardware wallets, and custom custodial solutions like Fireblocks.

Detailed Information Retrieval

• Staking Information and Reward Data: Users can fetch detailed staking information and reward data for any account, ensuring they have all the information needed to make informed decisions.

Integrated Validator Support

• Built-in Support for Chorus One Validators: The SDK includes built-in support for Chorus One validators across all supported blockchain networks, as well as the ability to specify custom validator addresses.

Command Line Interface (CLI)

• Easy Interaction: The SDK includes a CLI for easy interaction with supported networks, simplifying operations for users who prefer command line tools.

Resources

For more detailed information on how our SDK works and technical guides, explore the following resources:

• Chorus One SDK
• GitHub Repository

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Final word

The launch of Chorus One SDK marks our commitment to simplifying staking. By equipping our customers with all the necessary tools, we enable them to effortlessly integrate and deliver an exceptional staking experience to their end users.

If you’re an institution, wallet provider, asset manager, or developer looking to integrate staking into your product or would like to learn more, reach out to us at staking@chorus.one.

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About Chorus One

Chorus One is one of the biggest institutional staking providers globally, operating infrastructure for 60+ Proof-of-Stake networks, including Ethereum, Cosmos, Solana, Avalanche, and Near, amongst others. Since 2018, we have been at the forefront of the PoS industry and now offer easy enterprise-grade staking solutions, industry-leading research, and also invest in some of the most cutting-edge protocols through Chorus Ventures. We are a team of over 50 passionate individuals spread throughout the globe who believe in the transformative power of blockchain technology.

The floor is Lava, and the ceiling is infinite! 🌋

We're thrilled to announce that Lava Network is officially live on public mainnet. As an early investor and dedicated supporter, Chorus One has been closely working with the Lava team from testnet stages to this monumental mainnet launch. Our commitment to Lava is steadfast, and we are excited to continue supporting its development and future growth.

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What is Lava Network?

Lava Network is at the cutting edge of blockchain accessibility, providing a user-friendly and scalable solution to tackle the crucial requirement for an access layer in the blockchain infrastructure. Unlike conventional methods relying on centralized or public RPC endpoints, Lava Network leverages a decentralized array of premier service providers. This approach ensures trustworthy, secure, and swift RPC services.

Lava comprises a Cosmos appchain and an off-chain protocol. RPC providers register on the Lava chain to serve RPC across many different ecosystems. Lava can support any chain and by aggregating providers and routing requests, boasts lightning-fast speed, hyper-scalability, and nearly 100% uptime.

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How Lava works - A quick overview

1. Chains and rollups create an incentive pool on Lava, consisting of their native token or stablecoins or even memecoins
2. Providers join Lava to serve RPC requests to earn monthly rewards from the incentive pool, based on their quality of service and amount of LAVA staked
3. Lava aggregates providers and optimally routes requests based on geolocation and provider quality of service
4. Users and developers get free RPC; blockchains get happy ecosystems and reliable, cost-efficient infrastructure

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How Lava staking and restaking works

1. Users can stake LAVA to a Lava validator
2. RPC providers stake LAVA to join the network and serve requests for other chains
3. Users and apps send requests to many different RPC providers
4. RPC providers on Lava are selected to handle more requests if they have higher performance and higher amounts of staked LAVA.
5. Users can restake their Validator stake to an RPC provider on Lava
6. Restaking to an RPC provider on Lava helps improve performance and security across the network, meaning the fastest and most reliable providers serve requests more often
7. As of today, only Lava RPC will be supported on Lava Mainnet. So users can only restake to Lava RPC providers via a UI provided by Leap wallet.More chains will be added soon.

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Architecture of Lava Network

Lava Network is structured with several key architectural elements:

Specifications (Specs)

Lava can support any chain but to add these chains, specifications must be written and pass through governance. Specifications are simple JSON files which describe the RPC calls and the compute cost to serve each call. Once a spec is added to Lava, RPC providers can join and serve the RPC calls for the new chain.

Peer-to-Peer Lava SDK

The Lava SDK is a decentralized, peer-to-peer blockchain RPC for developers exploring cross-chain functionality. This JavaScript/TypeScript library provides decentralized access to all chains supported by the Lava ecosystem. It simplifies the process of building decentralized applications and interacting with multiple blockchains, offering tools for both server and online environments.

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The LAVA Token

The LAVA token is central to the Lava Network, serving multiple functions within the ecosystem:

• Reward Infrastructure Providers: LAVA is used to reward providers on Lava.
• Native Token Earnings: Providers can earn native tokens from chains/rollups supported by the network.
• Restaking: LAVA can be restaked to lower security fees to the protocol, boost the performance of the network and earn additional rewards.
• Capped Supply: LAVA has a capped supply with deflationary mechanisms.

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Tokenomics

The team has published detailed tokenomics, emphasizing the role of LAVA in rewarding infrastructure providers and supporting network security. Please refer to the official tokenomics documentation.

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Why Stake Lava?

Staking Lava not only secures the network but also provides opportunities to boost network performance by giving more weight to top RPC providers. By staking with Chorus One, you can participate in securing the Lava Network while earning rewards from multiple blockchains. Here are the key benefits:

• High Rewards: Earn from staking LAVA and additional tokens from supported chains.
• Enhanced Security: Restaking helps improve the performance and security of the network.
• Community Growth: Support the growth of a decentralized, robust blockchain infrastructure.

How to Get Started

Staking Lava with Chorus One is easy. Follow these three simple steps:

1. Visit the Lava Network on Staking Rewards.
2. Search for the Chorus One validator.
3. Stake & Restake your LAVA and start earning rewards!

More Resources

• Podcast: Watch our podcast with Lava CEO, Yair Cleper.
• How to stake LAVA with Chorus One: https://chorus.one/articles/how-to-stake-lava-with-chorus-one
• Video guide for staking LAVA: https://youtu.be/LTshHMV9Gq0

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Staking LAVA with Chorus One

To learn more or to if you’re an institution looking to stake LAVA with Chorus One, please reach out to us at: https://shorturl.at/znows

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About Chorus One

Chorus One is one of the biggest institutional staking providers globally, operating infrastructure for 60+ Proof-of-Stake networks, including Ethereum, Cosmos, Solana, Avalanche, and Near, amongst others. Since 2018, we have been at the forefront of the PoS industry and now offer easy enterprise-grade staking solutions, industry-leading research, and also invest in some of the most cutting-edge protocols through Chorus Ventures. We are a team of over 50 passionate individuals spread throughout the globe who believe in the transformative power of blockchain technology.

The Avalanche Foundation has unveiled ACP-77, a transformative proposal set to redefine Subnet creation and operation within the Avalanche blockchain ecosystem. This ambitious initiative aims to lower entry barriers, enhance flexibility, and foster a more decentralized and dynamic network environment. Here, we delve into the intricacies of ACP-77, exploring its current context, proposed changes, benefits, and potential challenges.

-> Please note, ACP-77 proposes renaming 'Subnets' to 'Avalanche L1s (Layer 1s)'. If the proposal passes, they will henceforth be known as Avalanche L1s.

The Current landscape of Subnets

Subnets and their role: In the Avalanche ecosystem, subnets function as independent blockchains that leverage the mainnet for interoperability. However, the existing requirements for Subnet validation have created significant hurdles for developers.

The cost barrier: Currently, validators of Subnets must also validate the Avalanche mainnet, necessitating a minimum stake of 2,000 AVAX. At today's rates, this amounts to a substantial financial commitment, approximately $70,000. This high cost deters many developers that aim to jumpstart their Subnet by running their own validators, stifling innovation and limiting the expansion of the subnet ecosystem.

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Key proposals of ACP-77

ACP-77 introduces a series of pivotal changes designed to overhaul the Subnet creation process, making it more accessible and efficient.

1. Decoupling Subnet and Mainnet validation:

• Current Requirement: Validators must validate both the subnet and the mainnet, involving a high financial stake.
• Proposed Change: Subnet validators will no longer be required to validate the mainnet. This separation allows subnet creators to define their own validator sets and operational logic, significantly reducing costs.

2. Enhanced validator set management:

• Autonomy for Subnets: Subnet creators will gain the ability to establish their own rules for validator sets, staking rewards, and operational conditions. This autonomy empowers developers to tailor their subnet operations to their specific needs and goals.

3. P-Chain fee mechanism:

• Service payments: Subnet validators will pay the P-Chain for services such as validator set changes and cross-Subnet communication.
• Continuous balance depletion: Avalanche L1s will have balances on the P-chain that deplete continuously, requiring periodic refills to maintain operations. This ensures an ongoing contribution to the network’s overall functionality and security.

‍4. Streamlined synchronization:

• Current process: Validators must sync with the entire mainnet, which can be resource-intensive.
• Proposed process: Validators will only need to sync with the P-Chain, reducing resource requirements and streamlining the validation process.

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Benefits of ACP-77

The proposed changes in ACP-77 bring several significant benefits to the Avalanche network and its developers.

1. Lower costs and increased accessibility:

• Reduced Financial Barriers: By removing the 2,000 AVAX requirement, ACP-77 makes the creation of L1s and maintenance far more affordable. This democratization of Subnet access is poised to unlock a wave of innovation and participation within the ecosystem.

2. Greater flexibility and autonomy:

• Customizable operations: Subnet creators can now define their own validator rules, staking rewards, and operational conditions. This flexibility allows for highly customized and optimized Subnet operations, tailored to specific project needs.

3. Incentives for decentralization:

• Promoting decentralized models: The new framework encourages projects to adopt more decentralized, permissionless models. This shift towards decentralization enhances the resilience and diversity of the network.

4. Enhanced security and interoperability:

• Self-regulated security: Subnets will be responsible for their own security and validator integrity allowing even for restaking solutions as an example, promoting better self-regulation and robust security practices.
• Seamless interoperability: Through Avalanche Warp Messaging (AWM), Subnets will enjoy improved interoperability, facilitating smoother communication and collaboration across the network.

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Potential challenges and considerations

While ACP-77 promises numerous benefits, it also introduces certain challenges that need to be addressed.

1. Economic implications:

• Impact on AVAX tokenomics: The changes in validator requirements could affect the overall AVAX holdings among Subnet validators, influencing the tokenomics and market dynamics of AVAX. Careful analysis and management will be needed to maintain balance and stability.

2. Implementation complexity:

• Transition challenges: The shift to new validation models and the continuous fee mechanism introduces complexity in implementation. L1 operators will need to adapt to new cost structures and operational protocols, which may require significant adjustments and planning.

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Final word

ACP-77 represents a bold and forward-thinking step in the evolution of the Avalanche network. By lowering financial barriers, enhancing flexibility, and promoting decentralization, this proposal has the potential to unlock unprecedented growth and innovation within the Subnet ecosystem. While challenges remain, the careful implementation of ACP-77 could pave the way for a more accessible, dynamic, and resilient Avalanche network, fostering a new era of blockchain development and collaboration.

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About Chorus One

Chorus One is one of the biggest institutional staking providers globally, operating infrastructure for 60+ Proof-of-Stake networks, including Ethereum, Cosmos, Solana, Avalanche, and Near, amongst others. Since 2018, we have been at the forefront of the PoS industry and now offer easy enterprise-grade staking solutions, industry-leading research, and also invest in some of the most cutting-edge protocols through Chorus Ventures. We are a team of over 50 passionate individuals spread throughout the globe who believe in the transformative power of blockchain technology.

In Part 2 of our TON Series, we dive into TON’s staking mechanisms. We'll cover the what, why, and how of staking TON, as well as how to get started easily with Chorus One.

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An introduction to TON Staking

TON leverages the Proof of Stake (PoS) consensus algorithm, a system where validators are responsible for proposing and validating new blocks of transactions. In TON's PoS model, validators are selected through a competitive election process to ensure the highest levels of security and performance.

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The Election and Validation Process

The election process is central to TON staking. During each consensus round, potential validators submit their applications along with their stake and other parameters, which determines the level of maintenance they are willing to perform. The Elector governance contract evaluates these applications, selecting validators based on their stake and parameters, aiming to maximize the network's overall stake.

Once selected, validators enter a validation cycle, as depicted in the timeline diagram below:

Key Phases of the Validation Cycle:

1. Election (6-7 hours): Candidates apply to become validators.
2. Delay (2-3 hours): A brief waiting period before validation starts.
3. Validation (18 hours): Validators approve transactions and propose new blocks.
4. Hold (9 hours): Validators prepare for the next cycle.

To ensure continuous network operation, TON employs two types of pools—odd and even—which operate in alternating cycles, providing seamless validation without interruptions.

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Minimum stake

To be eligible for the validator election process, validators need a minimum stake of

300,000 TON. Validators stake Toncoin for a fixed specific term, and the stake is refunded with interest after the completion of a validation round.

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Validator rewards

Each transaction on TON requires a computation fee called gas used to conduct network storage and the transaction processing on-chain. Like most blockchain networks, on TON, these fees are accumulated within the Elector contract in a reward pool. 50% of fees users pay are burnt and 50% goes to validators.

The network also subsidizes block creation by adding a subsidy to the reward pool equal to 1.7 TON for each block in the main chain, called masterchain. TON’s architecture allows for the creation of parallel chains, called  workchains. For workchain blocks,  the reward per block is set to 1 TON. The network has an inflation rate of approximately 0.3-0.6% annually.

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How does TON staking work?

TON offers several staking mechanisms to cater to different needs and preferences. Let's explore these options:

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1. Nominator Pool ‍

The Nominator Pool is central in TON's staking ecosystem, offering a collaborative approach to staking that allows multiple users to pool their Toncoin (TON) tokens and collectively participate in the network's validation process. This pooling mechanism is designed to democratize staking, making it accessible to a broader range of participants who may not have sufficient tokens to meet the minimum staking requirements individually.

The Nominator Pool enables a group of up to 40 nominators (stakers) to combine their staking power and delegate it to a validator like Chorus One. This collective staking approach not only helps in meeting the high minimum staking thresholds but also ensures that the network remains secure and robust by leveraging the combined resources of multiple stakeholders.

How the Nominator Pool Works:

1. A nominator joins the pool by staking a minimum of 10,000 TON tokens.
2. The pool collectively stakes the combined tokens through a validator. The operator managing the validator must stake at least 1,000 TON tokens which are used to protect against bad behavior.
3. The Election Process starts: During the election phase, which lasts between 6 to 7 hours, the pool’s validator submits an application for validation, along with the combined stake from all nominators.
4. Delay Period: After the election, there is a delay of 2 to 3 hours before the validation phase begins.
5. Validation Cycle: The validator then participates in an 18-hour validation cycle, during which they propose and validate new blocks of transactions.
6. Reward Distribution: At the end of each validation cycle, the rewards earned are distributed among the nominators based on the proportion of their stake in the pool.
7. To access their rewards, nominators need to send a transaction of 1 TON to the pool with a specific comment, which triggers the return of their entire stake and earned rewards.
8. Withdrawal: Nominators can withdraw their entire stake and rewards in one transaction. Partial withdrawals are not supported via this mechanism, necessitating a complete withdrawal of funds when accessing rewards.

To visualize the Nominator Pool workflow, consider the following diagram:

This workflow ensures continuous network validation, with odd and even pools alternating their validation cycles to maintain seamless operation and security of the TON blockchain.

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Pros and Cons of the Nominator Pool

Pros:

• Relatively low effort to set up, with support from validators like Chorus One
• Allows multiple nominators to pool resources, making it easier to meet staking thresholds.
• Automatically handles proportional reward distribution.

Cons:

• The minimum staking requirements might exclude investors with less than 10,000 TON.
• Only allows full withdrawals, which can be restrictive for nominators needing partial access to their funds.
• Utilizes a hot wallet for operational fees, posing potential security risks.

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2. Single Nominator Pools

The Single Nominator Pool is a streamlined and secure staking mechanism within the TON ecosystem, designed specifically for validators who have sufficient TON to stake independently (aka solo stakers). This approach reduces complexity and enhances security by focusing on a single nominator, making it an ideal choice for those who prefer a more straightforward staking process.

The Single Nominator Pool allows a single entity to manage the staking process, providing a simplified and secure framework for validators. By eliminating the need for multiple nominators, this mechanism significantly reduces the attack surface, making it easier to safeguard the staked assets.

How the Single Nominator Pool Works

1. A Single Nominator Pool is deployed by a validator like Chorus One.
2. Only one nominator, who is also the pool owner, stakes their TON tokens. The single nominator can stake any amount of TON which should meet the protocol minimum requirement (currently 300,000 TON tokens).
3. The nominator applies for validation by submitting their stake during the election period (6-7 hours).
4. After the election, a delay of 2-3 hours occurs before the validation phase begins.
5. The validator participates in an 18-hour validation cycle, validating transactions and proposing new blocks.
6. All rewards generated during the validation cycle are directed to the single nominator.

• Flexible Withdrawals: The nominator can withdraw any amount of their stake and rewards, offering greater flexibility compared to multi-nominator pools.

7. The pool uses a cold wallet to store the principal staking funds, significantly reducing the risk of theft.
8. Hot Wallet Operations: The validator uses a hot wallet to manage operational fees, ensuring that the cold wallet remains secure.

To illustrate the workflow of the Single Nominator Pool, consider the following diagram:

This simplified workflow highlights the continuous cycle of election, delay, validation, and hold phases, ensuring the seamless operation and security of the TON blockchain.

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Pros and Cons of the Single Nominator Pool

Pros:

• Easy to deploy and manage a single nominator pool.
• Reduced attack surface via the use of a cold wallet for principal funds.
• Allows partial withdrawals, providing greater flexibility for the nominator.

Cons:

• Not suitable for groups or multiple nominators with smaller holdings of TON tokens.
• Doesn’t support distribution of rewards between validator and nominator, requiring technical expertise from nominator to operate the pool, or off-chain payments.
• All operations rely on the single nominator, which can be a limitation for shared or community-based staking.

The Single Nominator Pool offers a secure and efficient staking solution for individual validators, combining simplicity with enhanced security measures. By focusing on a single participant, this mechanism ensures that the staking process is straightforward and easy to manage, making it an attractive option for those looking to stake their TON independently.

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3. Liquid staking

Liquid Staking protocols enable TON holders to participate in staking pools, lending their funds to validators at a predetermined interest rate. In return, stakers receive liquid staking receipt tokens, known as Pool Jettons, which represent their share in the pool. These tokens can be exchanged back for TON at any time, allowing stakers to maintain liquidity while earning rewards.

The protocol is user-agnostic, accommodating users of all capital sizes without any minimum or maximum stake requirements.

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How TON Liquid Staking Works

1. Users stake their TON in a pool managed by the Liquid Staking Contract.
2. Upon staking, users receive Pool Jettons, which are liquid staking receipt tokens representing their share of the pool. These tokens ensure that users can maintain liquidity and withdraw their staked assets whenever needed.

3. Staked funds are lent to validators, who use them for participating in the network’s validation process. Validators are chosen based on their stake and maintenance parameters during election phase, followed by a validation cycle.
4. During each 36-hour validation cycle, validators earn rewards, which are distributed proportionally to all participants in the pool.
5. Rewards come from interest payments made by validators who borrow the staked funds. The value of Pool Jettons increases as rewards are distributed, reflecting the growing stake in the pool.
6. Users can deposit and withdraw their assets at any time without any predefined limits, managed through specialized smart contracts that ensure accurate accounting and security.

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Pros and Cons of TON Liquid Staking

Pros:

• User-agnostic design makes it suitable for all users, regardless of their stake size or technical expertise.
• Allows partial and full withdrawals at any time, providing liquidity to stakers.

Cons:

• Higher effort required for deployment and management due to the use of multiple smart contracts and DAOs.
• Reliance on various smart contracts can increase the risk of vulnerabilities, necessitating rigorous audits and security measures.

The Liquid Staking Contract offers a versatile and powerful staking solution on the TON blockchain, combining the benefits of liquidity, decentralization, and accessibility. By understanding and leveraging this mechanism, users can participate in network validation more flexibly and securely, contributing to the overall stability and growth of the TON ecosystem.

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Staking TON with Chorus One

Chorus One offers white-label TON validator services for institutional customers, as well as deployment and management of nominator pools. We can create nominator pools for our customers, requiring a minimum delegation of 300,000 TON tokens (TONcoin).

As the operator, Chorus One takes full responsibility for the operational fees, maintenance, and performance of the validator, ensuring seamless and efficient service.

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Ready to get started, or want to learn more?

Fill this form - https://chorusone.my.salesforce-sites.com/WebToLead

OR

Email us - staking@chorus.one

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About Chorus One

Chorus One is one of the biggest institutional staking providers globally, operating infrastructure for 50+ Proof-of-Stake networks, including Ethereum, Cosmos, Solana, Avalanche, and Near, amongst others. Since 2018, we have been at the forefront of the PoS industry and now offer easy enterprise-grade staking solutions, industry-leading research, and also invest in some of the most cutting-edge protocols through Chorus Ventures. We are a team of over 50 passionate individuals spread throughout the globe who believe in the transformative power of blockchain technology.