Snowbridge
  • Introduction
  • Concepts
  • Architecture
    • Overview
    • Components
    • Channels
    • Verification
      • Ethereum
      • Polkadot
        • Operational Costs
    • Governance
    • Upgrades
    • Relayers
  • Applications
    • Token Transfers
  • Security
    • Exploit Reporting
    • Audits
  • Other
    • Quick Start Guide
    • Processes for keeping track of dependency changes
    • Bridges Workshop
  • Rococo Testnet
    • Rococo-Sepolia Token Transfers
  • Operations
    • Infrastructure
    • Contributing to Snowbridge
    • Governance and Operational Processes
    • General Governance Updates
    • Test Runtime Upgrades
    • Run Relayers
Powered by GitBook
On this page
  • Cross-chain Governance
  • Governance API
  1. Architecture

Governance

PreviousOperational CostsNextUpgrades

Last updated 10 months ago

As a common-good project, the bridge and its components will be exclusively governed by Polkadot's governance. Specifically, the governance model that is being proposed for Polkadot.

This promotes decentralisation in the following ways:

  • No power is vested in centralised collectives or multisig accounts

  • Snowfork and its employees will have no control over the bridge and its locked-up collateral

  • Anyone can participate in governance, from normal users to elected members of the Polkadot fellowship

Cross-chain Governance

Our bridge has contracts on the Ethereum side, and these contracts need to be able to evolve along with the parachain side. Cross-chain governance will control both configuration and code upgrades on the Ethereum side.

As a prime example, Polkadot and BEEFY consensus algorithms will change, and so we need to make sure the Ethereum side of the bridge remains compatible. Otherwise locked up collateral will not be redeemable.

Smart contract upgrades and configuration changes will be triggered by Polkadot governance through the use of cross-chain messaging secured by the bridge itself.

Governance API

  • - Upgrade the gateway contract

  • - Set the operating mode of the gateway contract

  • - Force-update a channel's configuration

  • - Force-transfer ether from an agent

  • - Set fee/reward parameters

Gov2
upgrade
set_operating_mode
force_update_channel
force_transfer_native_from_agent
set_pricing_parameters