Block Production and Validation

Botanix's block production and validation process combines the federation's authority model with CometBFT consensus to create a fast, secure, and predictable blockchain. This chapter explains how federation members collaborate to produce blocks, validate transactions, and maintain network consensus.

Block Production Overview

Block production in Botanix follows a structured process where federation members take turns creating new blocks containing user transactions. Unlike proof-of-work systems where miners compete to solve puzzles, or proof-of-stake systems where validators are randomly selected, Botanix uses a deterministic rotation among the 16 federation members.

Each block contains regular EVM transactions from users, bridge operations (peg-ins and peg-outs), and special epoch blocks that synchronize with Bitcoin blocks for withdrawal processing. The system maintains consistent block times while ensuring all transactions are properly validated before inclusion.

Federation Block Proposers

Proposer Selection

CometBFT uses a round-robin algorithm to select which federation member will propose the next block. This deterministic selection ensures fair participation while preventing any single member from dominating block production. The proposer selection rotates through all 16 federation members, giving each member equal opportunity to produce blocks.

If the designated proposer is offline or fails to create a valid block within the timeout period, CometBFT automatically moves to the next member in the rotation. This failover mechanism ensures continuous block production even when individual federation members experience technical issues.

Block Creation Process

When selected as the proposer, a federation member collects pending transactions from the network mempool, validates each transaction according to EVM rules, and packages them into a new block. The proposer must ensure that all transactions are valid, properly formatted, and don't conflict with the current network state.

The proposer also includes any pending bridge operations that have met their confirmation requirements, special epoch markers when synchronized with Bitcoin blocks, and updates to network state based on the included transactions. All of this information is packaged into a properly formatted block proposal.

Transaction Validation

EVM Compatibility

Botanix maintains full EVM compatibility, meaning all transaction validation follows standard Ethereum rules. This includes verifying digital signatures, checking account balances and nonces, validating smart contract calls, and ensuring gas limits are respected. Users can interact with Botanix using standard Ethereum tools and expect identical behavior.

The validation process ensures that all state transitions are correct and that the resulting network state is consistent across all federation members. This compatibility allows existing Ethereum applications and tools to work seamlessly on Botanix.

Bridge Transaction Validation

Bridge transactions require additional validation beyond standard EVM checks. For peg-in transactions, the system must verify cryptographic proofs of Bitcoin deposits, confirm that deposit addresses are properly derived, and ensure that no double-spending occurs. The validation also checks that the deposited Bitcoin amount matches the tokens being minted.

Peg-out transactions involve verifying that tokens are properly burned and that withdrawal requests are correctly formatted with valid Bitcoin destination addresses. The system maintains strict accounting to ensure the total token supply never exceeds the Bitcoin held in custody.

Consensus Process

CometBFT Integration

Once a federation member creates a block proposal, it's broadcast to all other federation members for consensus. The CometBFT consensus process requires at least 11 of the 16 federation members to agree on the block before it becomes final.

The consensus process involves multiple rounds of voting where federation members signal their acceptance or rejection of the proposed block. If the block receives sufficient votes, it becomes finalized and is added to the blockchain. If not, the process moves to the next proposer in rotation.

Validation by All Members

Every federation member independently validates each proposed block, checking all transactions, verifying state transitions, and ensuring compliance with protocol rules. This distributed validation ensures that no invalid transactions are included and that all members maintain consistent network state.

The validation process includes checking that bridge operations have proper authorization, all EVM transactions follow standard rules, block formatting is correct, and the proposed state changes are valid. Only when these checks pass do members vote to accept the block.

Finality and Confirmation

Once a block receives more than two-thirds of federation votes (at least 11 of 16), it becomes immediately final and cannot be reversed. This provides users with instant confirmation that their transactions are permanently settled, unlike systems that require multiple confirmations for security.

The immediate finality eliminates the possibility of chain reorganizations, providing users and applications with certainty about transaction status as soon as blocks are confirmed.

Epoch Blocks and Bitcoin Synchronization

Epoch Block Creation

Every 10 Botanix blocks, roughly every minute, the network creates special epoch blocks that synchronize Layer 2 operations with Bitcoin. These epoch blocks trigger batch processing of pending peg-out requests and update the network's Bitcoin state information.

Epoch blocks contain the same types of transactions as regular blocks but include additional metadata about Bitcoin network state and trigger special processing routines for bridge operations. The timing aligns with Bitcoin blocks to ensure efficient coordination between networks.

Peg-out Processing

When an epoch block is created, the federation processes all pending peg-out requests that have been confirmed since the previous epoch. This batch processing approach optimizes Bitcoin transaction fees and ensures predictable withdrawal processing times for users.

The epoch-based processing means users can expect their withdrawal requests to be handled within approximately 10 minutes of submission, providing predictable service levels while maintaining operational efficiency.

Performance and Monitoring

Block Time Consistency

The federation maintains consistent block times of approximately 5-6 seconds under normal conditions. This predictability enables applications to provide better user experiences and allows for more accurate transaction time estimates.

Performance monitoring tracks block production times, consensus completion speed, and transaction processing throughput to ensure the network meets performance targets and to identify potential optimization opportunities.

Network Health Monitoring

Federation members continuously monitor network health metrics including block production success rates, consensus participation levels, transaction processing times, and system resource usage. This monitoring enables proactive identification and resolution of potential issues.

Health monitoring also tracks individual federation member performance to ensure all participants meet operational standards and contribute effectively to network security and performance.

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Block production and validation in Botanix combines the efficiency of authority-based consensus with the security of distributed validation, creating a fast and reliable blockchain that serves as an effective Bitcoin Layer 2 solution.