Clear DefinitionsOff‑Chain Messaging
1 min read
Pronunciation
[off-cheyn mes-ij-ing]
Analogy
Like sending a text message instead of mailing a letter to save postage and time.
Definition
Communication channels outside the blockchain—such as secure P2P networks, Whisper, or libp2p pub/sub—used to coordinate state channels, share data, or deliver notifications without incurring on‑chain costs.
Key Points Intro
Off‑chain messaging enables scalable, low‑latency coordination among participants.
Key Points
Low cost: No gas fees for each message.
Real‑time: Immediate delivery via P2P networks.
Privacy: End‑to‑end encryption for channel data.
Reliability: Retries and gossip protocols for resilience.
Example
Lightning Network nodes use gossip and direct channels over TCP to exchange payment invoices and route updates off‑chain.
Technical Deep Dive
Clients run libp2p nodes with mplex streams and noise encryption. Messages signed with node keys, broadcast via pub/sub topics. Delivery acknowledgments and retry logic ensure reliability.
Security Warning
Compromised messaging peers can spy or censor; use authenticated encryption and multiple peer connections.
Caveat
Off‑chain messages lack on‑chain finality; design fallback on‑chain dispute mechanisms.
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