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Introduction

Risk is the measure of the extent to which an entity is threatened by potential circumstances or events, and is typically a function of (i) the adverse impacts that would arise if the circumstance or event occurs, and (ii) the likelihood of occurrence. [National Institute of Standards and Technology]

This document provides a high-level systematic overview of the security risks in cross-chain protocols by identifying, classifying, and analyzing the elements of risk inherent in the design, implementation, and operation of such infrastructure. In addition, it proffers a set of risk controls and best practices to mitigate the likelihood and magnitude of various risks. While this document offers a general toolkit for reasoning about cross-chain protocols, it does not directly analyze individual protocols.

Crosschain Communication Protocols

Working definition: ...

Modalities of Cross-chain Communication: ...

  • Asset Exchange

  • Asset Transfer

  • General Purpose Communication:

Security Challenges

TBA - note about the size scale and magnitude of hacks - challenges in systematically reasoning about the Security and risk in this space

Purpose and Scope of this Framework