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Switchboards

Switchboards are onchain smart contracts that validate off-chain proofs generated by Watchers and submitted by Transmitters. They ensure that the off-chain logic executed in the App-Gateway meets the application's security, cost, and performance requirements.

switchboard diagram

Key Features of Switchboards​

  • Permissionless Registration: Anyone can write a Switchboard and register it with the SOCKET protocol.

  • Lightweight Interface: The interface is designed to be simple and efficient. Switchboards accept proofs from Transmitters and return a boolean (true or false) indicating whether the proof is valid.

  • Application-Defined: Developers can choose or create their own Switchboards to meet their desired security, cost, and latency profiles.

  • Proof-Agnostic: Switchboards accept various types of proofs, such as oracle attestations, zk-proofs, multi-signature proofs, or optimistic submissions.

How Switchboards Fit into the Protocol​

  1. The Transmitter submits a signed user request and proof generated by a Watcher to the onchain SOCKET contract.
  2. The SOCKET contract forwards the proof to the Switchboard selected by the application developer.
  3. The Switchboard verifies the proof and returns a boolean (true or false).
  4. If the proof is accepted, the onchain smart contract is executed.

Switchboards provide developers with complete control over their validation logic, allowing them to balance security, cost, and performance to suit their specific application needs.

Think of Switchboards as...​

The connective tissue between Watchers and application developers. They allow developers to define when off-chain proofs are considered valid, ensuring that off-chain logic is securely and efficiently verified before triggering onchain contracts.