• Arbitrum DAO votes on implementing BoLD protocol for better security and efficiency.
• BoLD will enable permissionless validation on Arbitrum One, promoting decentralization.
• Arbitrum Nova will keep permissioned validation but add Infura’s validator for reliability.

The Arbitrum DAO is moving forward with a proposal to implement the Bounded Liquidity Delay (BoLD) protocol across its network, including Arbitrum One and Arbitrum Nova.

If approved, this proposal will update the current dispute resolution system with a more effective and secure protocol. The BoLD integration is anticipated in February 2025. Currently, validators have a 6.4-day window to dispute assertions about the chain’s state.

This system, while functional, is vulnerable to delay attacks, where bad actors dispute assertions to delay their confirmation. BoLD tackles this by introducing a fixed upper time bound for dispute resolution, which stops delay attacks and ensures timely assertion confirmations.

Permissionless Validation Comes to Arbitrum One

With BoLD comes a major change: permissionless validation on Arbitrum One. Now, anyone can secure the network by validating transactions and verifying the chain’s state.

This transition to permissionless validation is a key step in Arbitrum’s plan to decentralize its network. The goal is an open and accessible validation process for all. This move also ensures that any honest party can always successfully defend against malicious claims on the chain’s state, keeping the network safe and sound.

Arbitrum Nova: Permissioned Validators Remain

While Arbitrum One moves to permissionless validation, Arbitrum Nova will keep its permissioned validator system. This means that only approved validators can participate in the validation process.

But here’s the twist: Infura’s validator will be added to the whitelist. This boosts the number of active validators on Arbitrum Nova and improves the network’s overall reliability.

A Stronger Ethereum Connection and Enhanced Network Security

The BoLD protocol will strengthen Arbitrum’s connection to Ethereum by using Ethereum’s security model and promoting openness in network validation.

Read also: Vitalik Buterin Praises Arbitrum’s Tech and Adoption, Reaffirms L2 Dominance

By adopting unauthorized validation on Arbitrum One, BoLD will better align with Ethereum’s principles of decentralization and accessibility. Plus, adding Infura’s validator to Arbitrum Nova also supports Ethereum’s goal of decentralization by diversifying the validator set.