LayerZero is a protocol that enables seamless, secure interoperability between blockchains. It allows the creation of a fully-connected network mesh between chains, both within and across compatibility groups.
The key innovation of LayerZero is the separation of intrinsic security (related to delivery guarantees like censorship resistance) from extrinsic security (like signature schemes). Intrinsic security is handled by an immutable Endpoint smart contract which provides strong delivery guarantees. Extrinsic security is implemented in updatable modules called MessageLibs, which are appended to an immutable registry. This separation allows extrinsic security to be customized on a per-application basis while still providing immutable intrinsic security.
The protocol also utilizes Decentralized Verifier Networks (DVNs) to verify packet data integrity and permissionless executors to handle feature logic separately from security verification. Overall, this modular architecture provides flexibility and extensibility to incorporate new blockchains and features over time, while maintaining strong security guarantees. Show Less
