Claims

What are claims?

A claim is a statement that needs to be verified before it is accepted as truth on-chain. It can represent proof of something happening on a blockchain—such as a transaction being completed, a smart contract reaching a specific state, or consensus being formed.

Claims can also bring off-chain data on-chain in a verifiable way, as seen in oracles, AI agents, and other trust mechanisms.

These claims are submitted to the VSL, where they undergo validation using proofs before being accepted as trustworthy information.

The Verifiable Settlement Layer (VSL) architecture

By verifying claims, the VSL ensures that different blockchain networks can rely on the same source of truth, making cross-chain communication and settlement possible without needing to trust a single entity.

Types of claims

The VSL processes different types of claims, each serving a specific purpose:

Block transition claims

These verify that a blockchain has correctly transitioned from one valid state to another. They are supported by cryptographic proofs, such as math proofs and zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs).

State query claims

These confirm specific pieces of data from a blockchain’s state, such as account balances or smart contract conditions. They use Merkle proofs and ZKPs to ensure accuracy.

Consensus claims

These validate that a blockchain’s consensus process has been correctly executed. This ensures that the recorded transactions align with the network’s consensus rules.