The core technology of Octopus Network is trust-minimal blockchain interoperability. Based on that, Octopus Relay, which itself is a set of smart contracts running on NEAR blockchain, provides leased security to appchains, and makes appchains interoperable with NEAR and other appchains. Furthermore, appchains can interoperate with blockchains outside the Octopus Network, either via bridges on NEAR, such as with Ethereum via Rainbow bridge, or they can utilize the out-of-the-box IBC pallet to connect with any IBC enabled blockchains directly.

Anyone can provide security to an appchain by staking $OCT tokens in the Octopus Relay. After that, the validator should set up and run a validator node for the appchain, and the node will sync the validator set from the Octopus Relay. Then all validator nodes for one appchain will form a quorum to reach consensus on block production and be rewarded with the appchain native token. If one or more validators act maliciously in the consensus process, any honest node can submit a fraud proof to the Octopus Relay to challenge them. Once the fraud proof is confirmed, the staked $OCT belonging to the malicious actors will be slashed. By this mechanism, an appchain’s security is economically ensured by $OCT staking in the Octopus Relay.