KAGOME treasury proposal 4: Enhancing Polkadot clients diversity

Context of proposal

KAGOME is a C++ implementation of the Polkadot Host that brings clients diversity to Polkadot and Kusama networks mitigating risks associated with fatal bugs, fostering innovation, and expanding the development community. 

During Milestone 3, the final features for complete Polkadot-SDK node compatibility were implemented. Consequently, KAGOME became the first alternative Polkadot Host implementation to participate in Polkadot's validating set. This accomplishment positions Polkadot among a select group of networks, including Ethereum and Filecoin, that support multiple client implementations.

https://x.com/Polkadot/status/1910660705256190293 

Future cohorts of the Decentralized Nodes program aim to have more node operators running KAGOME (link) which will increase the portion of validators running alternative clients in the network leading to higher network resilience and stability.

The scope of this proposal is targeting implementation of new RFCs in KAGOME as well as necessary features to keep KAGOME compatible with Polkadot-SDK. 

This is a joint proposal with our long term partners SRLabs, who are helping us with the security assessment of KAGOME to give confidence to node operators. Previous work by SRLabs with our team helped us to identify several critical issues, which were addressed by our team (link, link). Given the increasing adoption of KAGOME by node operators, a thorough security assessment is more crucial than ever.

The Web3 Foundation will partner on this proposal as technical advisor and deliverables auditor to ensure the completed milestones are technically sound.

Alignment with JAM

Quadrivium is also developing a JAM client alongside KAGOME. 

However, multiple Polkadot Host implementations are important today, particularly because KAGOME already works with the Polkadot SDK. Additionally, alternative clients such as KAGOME offer a valuable opportunity for Polkadot to prepare for supporting multiple clients following the JAM upgrade, which we expect to happen no sooner than in a year or two.

The scope of proposal

• Security assessment of new features by SRLabs
• Libp2p coroutines revamp
• Claim queue
•      Grid in approvals (retroactive)
• Remove async backing params
• Trie caching
• Traces
• Faster erasure coding (RFC-139)
• Pending code storage key (RFC-123)
• Standardize compressed blob prefixes (RFC-135)
• Reputation system for disputes and statement distribution
• PVF improvements (retroactive):
  • PVF execution parameters
  • PVF priority
  • PVF unix socket
  • PVF clone
• Constrain parachain block validity on a specific core (RFC-103, retroactive)
• Networking improvements (retroactive)
  • QUIC support
  • Audi-v3 (RFC-91)
  • Parallel sync
• Tests & post-security audit improvements (retroactive)

Link to full proposal

Requested funding

• Quadrivium: 636,000 USDC
• SRLabs: 345,800 USDC
• Total: 981,800 USDC

About Quadrivium

Quadrivium (https://www.qdrvm.io ) is a blockchain infrastructure development company founded in 2023.

The company specializes in the development of blockchain clients, peer-to-peer networking tools, and zk-cryptography. Quadrivium develops KAGOME Polkadot Host implementation, in partnership with the Web3 Foundation. The company also maintains the C++ libp2p library.

About SRLabs

SRLabs (https://www.srlabs.de/) is home to knowledge leaders securing critical infrastructures in finance, blockchain, energy, and telecommunications.

The company focuses on hands-on hacking resilience, not compliance. Their approach is shaped by combining their hacking research with impactful consulting work for innovation leaders who naturally thrive on cutting-edge technologies.

SRLabs is one of the leading blockchain audit companies with experience in many Substrate-based blockchains, including the Polkadot layer-0 relay chain and parachains built on top.