Towards Scalable Cross-Chain Messaging

Blockchains were originally designed as closed execution environments and lack the ability to communicate directly with external systems. To overcome this limitation, many blockchains employ relayers, external applications capable of transporting data between different blockchains. Typically, the process of relaying data is permissionless and multiple independent relayers work concurrently to transport the same information between two blockchains. While this model increases the reliability of data delivery by providing redundancy, it also introduces challenges that have not been previously discussed. In this work, we bridge this gap by discussing the shortcomings of permissionless cross-chain relaying systems and identifying three issues that adversely impact their performance, scalability and security. We take the first step towards addressing issues that hinder performance and scalability by proposing a novel protocol to enable coordination among independent relayers. Additionally, we provide an in-depth discussion about the tradeoffs associated with the design of relayer coordination protocols for permissionless settings. Through this work we provide a foundation for improving cross-chain relaying services.