LP-0030Finalplatformp-chainvalidatorsstakingl1

LP-030: Platform VM

Abstract

The Platform VM (PlatformVM) runs the P-Chain, Lux's coordination chain. It manages the validator set, staking operations, L1 / L2 spawn, and blockchain deployment. All other chains derive their validator sets and security guarantees from the P-Chain. The PlatformVM is a linear chain with deterministic BLS finality (LP-020) and UTXO-based transaction model. L1 / L2 spawn is canonical per LP-018.

Specification

Transaction Types

On-wire identifiers (preserved for protocol compatibility):

| Tx Type | Description |

|---|---|

| AddValidatorTx | Register a validator with stake, BLS key, and duration |

| AddDelegatorTx | Delegate stake to an existing validator |

| RemoveValidatorTx | Remove validator (after stake period ends) |

| CreateSovereignL1Tx | Atomic L1 spawn (LP-018) — replaces legacy four-step ceremony |

| CreateChainTx | Deploy a VM (identified by VM ID) on an L1 / L2 |

| AddL1ValidatorTx | Add a validator to a specific L1 / L2 |

| ImportTx / ExportTx | Cross-chain UTXO transfers (P <-> X/C) |

Staking

Minimum stake: 2,000 LUX (validator), 25 LUX (delegator)
Stake period: 2 weeks to 1 year
Reward: proportional to stake weight and uptime (>80% required)
Delegation fee: set by validator (minimum 2%)
Maximum validators: 10,000 on the primary network

L1 / L2 Lifecycle (LP-018)

The atomic L1 spawn primitive replaces the legacy four-step ceremony:

1. CreateSovereignL1Tx — commit-or-revert spawn with networkID, validator set, and PQ cert mode (LP-217 — operator-facing names PQ-off / PQ-fast / PQ-strict / PQ-heavy; was LP-017 Pulsar/Aurora/Polaris codenames, historical) bound at genesis

2. CreateChainTx — deploy a VM (identified by VM ID) on the L1 / L2

3. AddL1ValidatorTx — adds validators to the L1 / L2 (requires L1 / L2 control key signatures)

L2s (anchored, shared-validator) and sovereign L1s (own validator set) are both modeled by the canonical Network CR (LP-018). Mode is derived from the validators field — no separate kind, no separate code path.

UTXO Model

The P-chain uses a UTXO transaction model (not account-based):

Each output has an amount, locktime, threshold, and set of owner addresses
Inputs reference previous outputs by (txID, outputIndex)
Multi-sig: threshold-of-N signing on any output
Timelocks: outputs can be locked until a specific Unix timestamp

Validator Set Propagation

The P-chain is the source of truth for all validator sets. Other chains read P-chain state to determine:

Primary network validators (for Quasar consensus)
L1 / L2 validators (for L1- / L2-specific consensus)
BLS public keys (for Warp message verification)

Updates propagate through Warp messages (LP-021) to all subscribed chains.

Security Considerations

1. Sybil resistance: minimum stake requirements prevent low-cost validator flooding.

2. Nothing-at-stake: validators are slashed for equivocation (signing conflicting blocks).

3. L1 / L2 isolation: a compromised L1 / L2 cannot affect the primary network or other L1s / L2s.

Reference

| Resource | Location |

|---|---|

| PlatformVM | github.com/luxfi/node/vms/platformvm/ |

| Staking logic | github.com/luxfi/node/vms/platformvm/txs/ |

| Atomic L1 spawn | LP-018 |

Copyright

Licensed under the MIT License.