A gossip network for cross-chain trampoline payments

Summary:

The context is discussing the issue of cross-chain lightning payments and proposing a solution involving a "Gateway" software that connects nodes operating on different chains. The proposal involves using trampoline routing and a directed graph connecting nodes based on the chain they operate on. The proposed Gateway software would calculate proportional fees and prices for exchanging assets between different chains and advertise its services through a gossip network. To enable cross-chain payments, updates to the Lightning protocol are suggested, such as an update_gateway gossip message and an update_gateway_route message.To mitigate the free option problem, validation checks are proposed at the moment of payment processing, including a calculation of asset conversion and cltv_expiry times for each hop in the payment path. Finally, the context discusses the communication protocol between the Gateway software and the nodes it connects, suggesting that each node should have a plugin or extension to interface with the Gateway software.The communication between CG, TA2 and TB3 is being discussed with regards to the Lightning Network protocol. TB3 receives errors that are then relayed back to TA2 through CG, with two new messages introduced for this mini-protocol within "-*?->". If everything goes smoothly, TB3 will need to communicate with TA2 again through CG in order to pass the payment preimage, requiring two more messages: one from BT3 to TCG and another from CG to TX2.A UML sequence diagram is suggested as the best way to document this communication, but installation of the necessary software would be required. Feedback is welcomed to refine the ideas presented.

Updated on: 2023-06-01T18:25:27.936937+00:00