Blockchain & Cryptocurrency Glossary

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IBC Relayer

1 min read
Pronunciation
[I-B-C ruh-lay-er]
Analogy
Like a courier service that picks up packages at one warehouse and delivers them to another across the border.
Definition
An off‑chain process that monitors events on source and destination blockchains, fetches proofs, and submits IBC messages to facilitate cross‑chain communication.
Key Points Intro
Relayers automate the transport of IBC packets and acknowledgements between chains.
Key Points

Event watching: Listens for `SendPacket` and `WriteAcknowledgement` events.

Proof assembly: Queries state proofs from full nodes.

Transaction submission: Calls `RecvPacket` or `AcknowledgePacket` on target chain.

Fault tolerance: Retries on failure and handles reorgs.

Example
A relayer node running Hermes moves token transfer packets from Cosmos Hub to Osmosis chain reliably.
Technical Deep Dive
Relayer connects via gRPC to both chain endpoints, constructs `PacketMsg` with Merkle proof from `CommitmentProof`, signs and broadcasts transaction. Maintains local DB of pending packets and statuses.
Security Warning
Malfunctioning relayer can stall transfers; run redundant instances.
Caveat
Relayer keys need securing; compromise can allow malicious packet injection.
Related Terms
IBC Channel
IBC Packet

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