Build a more secure Polkadot cross-chain interaction ecosystem

Join the PolkaWorld community and build Web 3.0 together!

Acala announced last week the  Sinai upgrade, which is a liquidity protocol that supports all L0, L1, L2, and Lx. Aimed at aggregating all liquidity in the Web3 ecosystem! But as liquidity and DApps become multi-chain in nature,cross-blockchain security becomes critical.

To this end, Acala proposes the "Sentinel" mechanism, which is a cross-chain security mechanism that protects cross-chains by taking pre-emptive security measures. Operational integrity and protection against potential security threats. The first version of Sentinel will enhance the security of cross-chain assets through a configurable rate limiting function, which controls the speed of cross-chain asset transfers to reduce risks.

Check out below to learn what Sentinel is and what it will bring to the Polkadot ecosystem!

The blockchain field is constantly innovating and developing. Over time, blockchain technology and its applications have become increasingly complex. As this complexity increases, the blockchain ecosystem faces more security challenges. Protecting these systems from attacks or other security issues becomes even more important.

In the Polkadot ecosystem, different blockchains (called parachains) are connected to each other through the Internet, forming a complex network. In such an environment, ensuring the security of each chain is crucial to the stability of the entire system. Sentinel is a critical solution that combines advanced technology with proactive security strategies designed to secure operations between these interconnected blockchains, i.e. cross-chain operations.

What is Sentinel?

Sentinel is an open An innovative project in the Runtime Module Library (ORML) aimed at improving the security and functionality of blockchain networks. Led by the Acala team, Sentinel was conceived as a comprehensive set of tools and modules. The project started with the introduction of a module called orml-rate-limit. This initial version of the product lays the foundation for building a strong security framework focused on cross-chain interactions.

Sentinel's current role is to provide governance capabilities to parachains, allowing them to configure and implement meticulous security measures. This is achieved by seamlessly integrating Sentinel with other necessary modules such as the orml-xtokens module. This integration facilitates controlled XCM transfers and reduces potential security risks by limiting transfer rates. This capability demonstrates Sentinel's direct role in strengthening the security of digital ecosystems.

However, defining Sentinel only as its first feature (such as rate limiting) is not comprehensive enough. Sentinel's goals and vision are farmore than that. Sentinel plans to introduce more diverse modules and extensions in future versions. These new additions will be carefully designed to address evolving security challenges and adapt to ongoing changes in blockchain technology. The development of Sentinel will proceed in stages, and each update will enhance its security features and bring more services to the community

Speed-limited Importance

Rate limiting is a widely recognized security measure that plays a key role in maintaining the integrity of digital platforms. By integrating rate limiting measures into the Open Runtime Module Library (ORML), Sentinel solves an important problem in parachain security infrastructure, providing parachains with a much-needed layer of protection. This rate-limiting feature ensures that even in the event of a security breach, legitimate users will still be able to transfer funds, although there may be some delays.

In Sentinel's design philosophy, maintaining a balance between security and usability is very important. We want the system to be both secure and easy to use.

This is a community-driven project

Sentinel is An open source project whose development process reflects the power of open source community collaboration. Sentinel is available on GitHub as part of Substrate’s Open Runtime Module Library (ORML), where anyone can access, view, and contribute code. We encourage broad community participation to advance the project.

The Acala team is committed to making Sentinel available to all parachains, and we hope the security of the entire Polkadot ecosystem can be strengthened! Here is the link to the module: https://github.com/open-web3-stack/open-runtime-module-library/

Summary

Although the Sentinel project is still in its early stages of development, it has already shown a positive impact on the future of blockchain security. Sentinel's rate-limiting module is its first feature and sets the stage for building a more sophisticated and comprehensive security suite.

As Sentinel further develops, it will continue to work to protect the interconnection structure of blockchain networks to ensure that these networks are not only resistant to external threats, but also can unleash its broad potential.