From e9d910950874de26457bb77876a9fda671db301d Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Blessed Tosin-Oyinbo <121986463+techninja8@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Thu, 5 Jun 2025 03:58:30 +0100
Subject: [PATCH 01/13] Create frostgate.md

---
 applications/frostgate.md | 504 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 1 file changed, 504 insertions(+)
 create mode 100644 applications/frostgate.md

diff --git a/applications/frostgate.md b/applications/frostgate.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..33ec87025a8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/applications/frostgate.md
@@ -0,0 +1,504 @@
+# Frostgate - A ZK-Agnostic Modular Architecture for Trustless Interoperability
+
+* **Team Name:** Frostgate Labs
+* **Payment Details:**
+  * **DOT:**   13zkusUEfqSXYomjHroNTXygY878hJAoEAkTtoc6DDrbaB5q
+  * **USDC (Polkadot Asset Hub):**   13zkusUEfqSXYomjHroNTXygY878hJAoEAkTtoc6DDrbaB5q
+* **Level:** 2
+
+---
+
+## Project Overview
+
+### Overview
+
+Frostgate proposes a modular framework for trustless cross-chain interoperability, eliminating the need for trusted bridges, light clients, or multisig committees. By leveraging zero-knowledge proofs, programmable chain adapter interfaces, and a clean abstraction model, it enables secure, scalable and verifiable messaging across blockchains, without compromising decentralization.
+
+At its core, Frostgate fuses three foundational components:
+- **Succinct State Validation (SSV)** for proving message validity and state correctness,
+- **Chain abstraction** for clean and extensible cross-chain logic, and
+- **ZK-agnostic pluggable backends** for proof generation and verification.
+
+Collectively, these components enable a fully trustless communication architecture that is universally compatible with chains, applications, and protocols.
+
+### Why Frostgate Matters to Polkadot
+
+Frostgate addresses a core pain point in Polkadot: trustless, chain-agnostic messaging beyond XCM. While XCM excels at intra-ecosystem communication, interoperability with external chains (Ethereum, Solana, etc.) often introduces additional trust assumptions. 
+
+While solutions like Hyperbridge and zkBridge have laid important foundations for trustless messaging using cryptographic proofs, Frostgate further offers a modular and zk-agnostic architecture that supports multiple (extensible) proof systems and chain abstraction interfaces, enabling broader interoperability and greater flexibility without reliance on a single proof framework.
+
+Frostgate replaces traditional solutions, like multisigs, light clients and centralized oracles, while fully aligning with Substrate's modular philosophy—through native pallets, runtime hooks, and zk-proof integration. This enables:
+
+- **Strong support for parachain-to-external-chain messaging** without need for trusted validators and multi-signature committees
+- **Cross-chain state verification** relying on the soundness of cryptographic proofs instead of governance
+- **Composable interoperability primitives** that any Substrate project can leverage
+
+This would allow Polkadot to seamlessly participate in a broader, trustless ecosystem. Rather than positioning Polkadot as a central hub, Frostgate fosters open interoperability, allowing any chain to adopt its protocol to communicate securely and verifiably with Polkadot and beyond.
+
+#### Key Innovations
+
+- Chain-agnostic interoperability through ICAP (Interoperable Chain Abstraction Protocol)
+- Zero-knowledge–based verification with pluggable ZK backends (SP1, RiscZero, Halo2)
+- Native Substrate compatibility via custom verification pallet
+- Stateless, permissionless, incentive-aligned relayer and prover network
+- A standardized `FrostMessage` structure for secure message packaging and proof embedding
+
+---
+
+### Integration with Polkadot/Substrate
+
+Frostgate is designed to deeply integrate with the Substrate and Polkadot ecosystems by providing:
+1. A **Substrate-native verification pallet** for zero-knowledge proofs
+2. **Custom runtime APIs** and hooks for proof consumption and execution
+3. A **Substrate ChainAdapter**, enabling seamless message normalization and ingestion
+
+Our architecture prioritizes low overhead, high verifiability, and compatibility with the tools and standards used within the Polkadot ecosystem.
+
+---
+
+### Open Source Value and Reusability
+
+Frostgate's modular components are designed as foundational primitives for the broader ecosystem:
+
+- **`frostgate-zkip`** → ZK backend abstraction for any Substrate project needing proof verification
+- **`frostgate-icap`** → Chain adapter standard for cross-chain tools and protocols
+- **Substrate verifier pallet** → Reusable ZK verification primitive for any parachain
+- **`frostgate-sdk`** → Complete development kit for building cross-chain applications
+- **`frost-cli`** → Command-line tools for proof generation and message management
+- **`FrostMessage` protocol** → Standardized cross-chain message format
+
+All code will remain Apache 2.0 licensed and continuously maintained under the `frostgate` GitHub organization. We will document clear onboarding paths for ecosystem contributors and maintain long-term compatibility with Substrate updates.
+
+---
+
+### Motivation
+
+Right now, the majority of existing interoperability protocols introduce additional trust assumptions, whether through centralized validators, multisig governance, or specialized relayers. These assumptions are brittle and often the weakest link in cross-chain design.
+
+Frostgate is built around a simple but powerful premise: **trust cryptography, not governance**. By using zero-knowledge proofs to verify cross-chain state and messages, Frostgate avoids replication, consensus simulation, and multisig centralization. It offers a verifiable-first approach that aligns with Web3 core principles: open, decentralized, and trustless.
+
+---
+
+## Project Details
+
+### Core Architecture
+
+Frostgate breaks interoperability down into modular, composable components. These include:
+
+#### 1. ICAP (Interoperable Chain Abstraction Protocol)
+
+ICAP defines a singular trait-based abstraction over common blockchain behaviors:
+
+```rust
+#[async_trait]
+pub trait ChainAdapter: Send + Sync {
+    async fn submit_message(&self, msg: &FrostMessage) -> Result<Self::TxId>;
+    async fn verify_on_chain(&self, msg: &FrostMessage) -> Result<()>;
+    async fn listen_for_events(&self) -> Result<Vec<MessageEvent>>;
+    // ...
+}
+```
+
+Each chain implements its own `ChainAdapter`, exposing methods for:
+
+* Submitting messages
+* Listening to finalized events
+* Verifying message finality
+* Reporting health status
+
+This allows Frostgate to natively interface with Ethereum, Substrate, Solana, and more, without hardcoding chain-specific logic.
+
+---
+
+#### 2. ZKPlug (ZK Backend Plugin Interface)
+
+The `ZKPlug` trait abstracts zero-knowledge proof systems behind a common API. It defines how a zk-backend:
+
+* Compiles and loads circuits
+* Generates state proofs
+* Verifies proofs succinctly
+* Manages keys and configurations
+
+Current backend: **SP1 zkVM**
+Planned: **Halo2**, **RiscZero**, **Groth16**
+
+This enables chain/application developers to choose proof systems based on performance, cost, or cryptographic assumptions.
+
+---
+
+#### 3. FrostMessage
+
+```rust
+pub struct FrostMessage {
+    id: Uuid,
+    from_chain: ChainId,
+    to_chain: ChainId,
+    payload: Vec<u8>,
+    proof: Option<ZkProof>,
+    metadata: HashMap<String, String>,
+    timestamp: u64,
+    nonce: u64,
+}
+```
+
+This is the canonical message format in Frostgate. It ensures:
+
+* Message authenticity via embedded zkProof
+* Replay protection using nonces and timestamps
+* Metadata flexibility for extensibility
+* Uniformity across chains
+
+---
+
+#### 4. Message Flow
+
+```text
+Finalized Event (Source Chain) → ChainAdapter → FrostMessage → ZKProof → Relayer → TargetChain Verifier → Execution (Destination Chain)
+```
+
+Each finalized event is captured, normalized, bundled, proven, relayed, and verified—all without the need for full node sync or committee approval.
+
+---
+
+### Security Model
+
+Frostgate employs multiple layers of security:
+
+* **Native Finality:** ChainAdapters ensure only finalized events are processed.
+* **Proof Soundness:** ZK proofs provide mathematical guarantees of correctness.
+* **Replay Protection:** Messages include nonces and timestamps.
+* **Key Attestation:** Verification keys are hash-attested and versioned.
+* **Batch Integrity:** Batching protocol supports n-of-m validity and rejection of malformed batches.
+
+---
+
+### Chain Support
+
+Frostgate's architecture is designed for extensibility, with active implementations for Substrate and Ethereum-based chains, and ongoing work to support Solana. Planned integration with emerging ecosystems like Sui further highlights its modularity. Through its adapter-based model, Frostgate can be extended to virtually any blockchain, enabling a unified approach to cross-chain messaging without hardcoded assumptions.
+
+| Chain          | Status           |
+| -------------- | ---------------- |
+| Substrate      | ✅ Implemented    |
+| Ethereum (EVM) | ✅ In progress    |
+| Solana         | ✅ In progress    |
+| Sui            | 🔜 Planned       |
+| Custom chains  | 🧩 Adapter-ready |
+
+---
+
+## Ecosystem Fit
+
+### Fit Within the Polkadot/Substrate Ecosystem
+
+Frostgate is designed to become a foundational interoperability layer for:
+
+* Parachains needing external data validation
+* Builders exploring multi-chain execution
+* Infrastructure providers standardizing cross-chain proofs
+
+While Polkadot's XCM handles messaging within the network, Frostgate extends that philosophy outwards, offering a modular, Substrate-native framework for secure, trustless messaging with external chains. It does not aim to replace existing tools and infrastructure, but rather to expand Polkadot's interoperability surface with cryptographic guarantees.
+
+---
+
+### Target Audience
+
+| Stakeholder    | Needs                             | How Frostgate Helps               |
+| -------------- | --------------------------------- | --------------------------------- |
+| Parachain Devs | External data, proof security     | Verifiable, pluggable proof layer |
+| ZK Engineers   | Circuit deployment, composability | Unified backend interface         |
+| App Builders   | Multi-chain UX                    | Simple CLI & SDK                  |
+| Researchers    | Interop security                  | Auditable, open architecture      |
+
+---
+
+### Market Comparison
+
+| Protocol  | Trust Model       | Chain Support    | ZK Proofs | Substrate Native |
+| --------- | ----------------- | ---------------- | --------- | ---------------- |
+| Wormhole  | Multisig          | Ethereum, Solana | ❌         | ❌                |
+| LayerZero | Oracle-based      | EVM              | ❌         | ❌                |
+| Frostgate | Cryptographic (ZK-based) | Modular   | ✅         | ✅                |
+
+---
+
+## Team 
+
+### Team members
+
+- Blessed Tosin-Oyinbo (Founder & Lead Engineer)
+
+- **Contact Name:** Blessed Tosin-Oyinbo
+- **Contact Email:** tosinoyinboblessed@gmail.com
+- **Website:** blessedtosinoyinbo.vzy.io
+
+* **[To Hire] Rust + ZK Engineer**
+
+  * Will support ZKPlug backend integrations
+  * Focus on Halo2 and RiscZero circuits
+  * Support general project development
+
+---
+
+- **Registered Address:** To be determined upon grant approval
+- **Registered Legal Entity:** "To be incorporated upon grant approval"
+
+---
+
+### Team's experience
+
+As a solo founder, I bring 4+ years of hands-on experience in backend and systems engineering with deep expertise in protocol research and zero-knowledge cryptography. Currently working as a Software Engineer at Vault, specializing in distributed storage infrastructure and node coordination.
+
+Key relevant experience:
+- Vault - Building cryptographically verifiable distributed storage infrastructure
+- Protocol-level research on Pedersen-Vector-Commitments and Inner Product Proofs for deterministic Validator-side settlement on high-throughput infrastructures like Solana
+- Open source contribution in cryptography and developer tooling (e.g. FileCheck)
+- DevRel/Marketing at Payscribe (Fintech)
+
+This is my first application to the Web3 Foundation grants program.
+
+### Team Code Repos
+
+- https://github.com/frostgate (organization - created)
+- https://github.com/techninja8 (personal account)
+
+### Team LinkedIn Profiles
+
+- https://www.linkedin.com/in/[tosin-oyinbo-blessed-tnxl]
+
+### Team Growth Plans
+
+Upon grant approval, I plan to hire:
+- **Rust + ZK Engineer** (part-time initially, scaling to full-time)
+  - Support ZKPlug backend integrations
+  - Focus on Halo2 and RiscZero circuits
+  - General project development support
+
+I have identified potential contributors from the Polkadot and Rust communities and will formalize hiring upon grant approval and initial funding.
+
+---
+
+## Development Status
+
+### Codebase (60% complete) - Current Codebase Implementations
+
+* `frostgate-icap`: Chain adapter trait + Substrate adapter -> https://github.com/frostgate/frostgate-icap
+* `frostgate-zkip`: ZK plugin trait + SP1 backend -> https://github.com/frostgate/frostgate-zkip
+* `frost-cli`: CLI tool for proof generation and batch verification -> https://github.com/frostgate/frost-cli
+* `frostgate-verifier`: In-progress Substrate pallet -> https://github.com/frostgate/frostgate-verifier
+* `frostgate-sdk`: Core primitive types and functions -> https://github.com/frostgate/frostgate-sdk
+
+---
+
+### Documentation - `frostgate-docs`
+
+* Architecture and interface overview
+* CLI usage guide
+* Adapter integration instructions
+* Proof API and JSON-RPC compatibility
+
+---
+
+## Development Roadmap
+
+### Total Duration: 3 months
+
+**FTE:** 1.5
+**Total Requested Grant:** $35,000
+**DOT Share:** 60%
+**USDC Share:** 40%
+
+---
+
+### 🎯 Milestone 1: Core Protocol Stabilization & Foundation
+
+**Duration:** 1 month  
+**Cost:** $10,000  
+**Focus:** Stabilize core components, implement essential adapters, and establish solid testing foundation
+
+| Number | Deliverable | Specification |
+|--------|-------------|---------------|
+| 0a. | License | Apache 2.0 |
+| 0b. | Documentation | - Complete architecture overview<br>- API specifications and reference<br>- Integration guides<br>- Inline code documentation |
+| 0c. | Testing Guide | - Unit tests (>70% coverage)<br>- Integration test suite<br>- CI/CD pipeline setup<br>- Test execution and interpretation guide |
+| 0d. | Docker Configuration | - Development environment setup<br>- Test environment containers<br>- Multi-stage build optimization<br>- Docker-compose for local development |
+| 0e. | Technical Article | - Deep dive into the ICAP (Interoperable Chain Abstraction Protocol) design<br>- Comparison of trust models: multisig vs. light clients vs. ZK proofs<br>- Performance benchmarks of the ZK proof generation pipeline<br>- Technical walkthrough of the ChainAdapter trait implementation |
+| 1a. | ICAP Core Refinements | - Complete ChainAdapter trait implementation<br>- Enhanced EVM adapter with Web3 integration<br>- Comprehensive error handling and async support<br>- Connection pooling and resource management |
+| 1b. | Substrate Integration | - Full Substrate ChainAdapter implementation<br>- Event listening and message submission<br>- Finality verification system<br>- Runtime integration support |
+| 1c. | Message Protocol Enhancement | - FrostMessage serialization/deserialization<br>- Proper nonce management system<br>- Message validation pipeline<br>- Replay protection with timestamp validation |
+| 1d. | ZK Proof System | - Complete ZKPlug trait with SP1 backend<br>- Proof generation optimization<br>- Proof caching mechanism<br>- Resource management for concurrent proving |
+| 1e. | SDK Foundation | - High-level SDK interface<br>- Builder patterns for configuration<br>- Configuration validation<br>- Basic TypeScript bindings |
+
+---
+
+### 🎯 Milestone 2: Advanced Features & Testnet Integration
+
+**Duration:** 1 month  
+**Cost:** $12,000  
+**Focus:** Advanced features, multi-chain support, and comprehensive tooling
+
+| Number | Deliverable | Specification |
+|--------|-------------|---------------|
+| 0a. | License | Apache 2.0 |
+| 0b. | Documentation | - Testnet deployment guides<br>- Multi-chain integration patterns<br>- SDK usage examples and tutorials<br>- Performance optimization guide |
+| 0c. | Testing Guide | - E2E test suite (>70% coverage)<br>- Performance benchmarking framework<br>- Load testing scenarios<br>- Fuzz testing implementation |
+| 0d. | Technical Article | - Real-world testnet deployment case studies (Goerli ↔ Rococo)<br>- Monitoring and observability best practices for cross-chain infrastructure<br>- Message batching strategies and optimization techniques |
+| 2a. | Multi-Chain Support | - Goerli/Ethereum testnet integration<br>- Rococo/Polkadot testnet support<br>- Solana devnet adapter<br>- Cross-testnet messaging validation |
+| 2b. | ZK Backend Extensions | - Halo2 backend implementation<br>- RiscZero backend support<br>- Performance comparisons across backends<br>- Backend switching capabilities |
+| 2c. | Batch Processing System | - Message batching with configurable sizes<br>- Timeout handling and batch optimization<br>- Batch proof generation<br>- Queue management system |
+| 2d. | Monitoring & Observability | - Prometheus metrics integration<br>- Grafana dashboard templates<br>- Health check endpoints<br>- Alert system configuration |
+| 2e. | Enhanced CLI Tools | - Interactive mode for operations<br>- Configuration management<br>- Proof inspection and validation tools<br>- Network diagnostics and debugging |
+| 2f. | Developer Experience | - VS Code extension for development<br>- Web-based playground<br>- Debug tools and utilities<br>- Network explorer interface |
+
+---
+
+### 🎯 Milestone 3: Production Readiness & Ecosystem Integration
+
+**Duration:** 1 month  
+**Cost:** $13,000  
+**Focus:** Security hardening, scalability, production deployment, and ecosystem adoption
+
+| Number | Deliverable | Specification |
+|--------|-------------|---------------|
+| 0a. | License | Apache 2.0 |
+| 0b. | Documentation | - Complete production deployment guide<br>- Security best practices documentation<br>- Troubleshooting and maintenance guide<br>- Developer onboarding materials |
+| 0c. | Testing Guide | - Comprehensive security test suite<br>- Stress and chaos testing framework<br>- End-to-end integration tests<br>- Performance validation suite |
+| 0d. | Technical Article | - Security audit findings and hardening measures implemented<br>- Real-world dApp integration case study (Ethereum ↔ Substrate)<br>- Economic analysis of proof generation costs vs. alternative solutions<br>- Future roadmap for recursive proofs and advanced features |
+| 3a. | Security & Audit | - Internal security review completion<br>- External audit coordination<br>- Key management system implementation<br>- Rate limiting and DoS protection |
+| 3b. | Scalability Solutions | - Horizontal scaling architecture<br>- Load balancing implementation<br>- Circuit optimization for performance<br>- Proof aggregation system |
+| 3c. | Production Deployment | - Kubernetes Helm charts<br>- K8s operators for management<br>- Automated backup/restore tools<br>- Failover and disaster recovery system |
+| 3d. | Ecosystem Integration | - Functional demo dApp (Ethereum ↔ Substrate)<br>- Developer SDK with framework integrations<br>- Active parachain team engagement<br>- At least one pilot integration delivery |
+| 3e. | Performance Validation | - Benchmarking results across all backends<br>- <30s proof generation target for SP1<br>- Throughput and latency measurements<br>- Resource utilization optimization |
+| 3f. | Long-term Sustainability | - Maintenance strategy documentation<br>- Contributor onboarding process<br>- Community engagement plan<br>- Update and upgrade procedures |
+
+---
+
+## Future Plans
+
+### Project Sustainability & Financing
+
+#### 1. Revenue Streams
+- Transaction fees from cross-chain message verification
+- Enterprise licensing for custom chain adapters and dedicated proving infrastructure
+- Professional support and integration services
+- Proof marketplace commission fees (long-term)
+
+#### 2. Development Funding
+- Initial phase supported by Web3 Foundation grant
+- Planned applications for ecosystem grants from:
+  * Ethereum Foundation (for EVM integration)
+  * Solana Foundation (for Solana adapter)
+  * Other chain ecosystem funds
+- Strategic partnerships with parachains for custom integration funding
+
+### Short-Term Enhancement & Promotion (0-6 months)
+
+#### 1. Technical Enhancement
+- Regular release cycle with bi-weekly updates
+- Open-source contribution program
+- Integration examples for popular frameworks
+- Comprehensive developer documentation
+
+#### 2. Community Building
+- Developer workshops and hackathons
+- Technical blog posts and documentation
+- Active participation in Polkadot ecosystem events
+- Regular community calls and development updates
+
+#### 3. Strategic Partnerships
+- Collaboration with parachain teams for pilot integrations
+- Partnership with infrastructure providers for proving services
+- Integration with existing cross-chain messaging protocols
+- Academic partnerships for ZK research
+
+### Long-Term Vision & Roadmap (1-2 years)
+
+#### 1. Technical Evolution
+- Recursive proof systems for improved scalability
+- Advanced WASM state transition verification
+- Novel ZK circuit optimizations
+- Integration with emerging L2 solutions
+
+#### 2. Ecosystem Development
+- Decentralized proof marketplace
+- Community governance framework
+- Grant program for ecosystem tools
+- Research collaboration program
+
+#### 3. Enterprise Adoption
+- Enterprise-grade support services
+- Custom integration solutions
+- Compliance and audit frameworks
+- High-availability infrastructure
+
+#### 4. Research & Innovation
+- ZK-proof optimization research
+- Novel interoperability protocols
+- Academic paper publications
+- Patent-free innovation sharing
+
+### Team Growth & Structure
+
+#### 1. Core Team Expansion
+- Additional protocol developers
+- Developer advocates
+- Technical documentation writers
+- Community managers
+
+#### 2. Organizational Development
+- Formation of technical advisory board
+- Establishment of Frostgate Labs as a technology company
+- Strategic partnerships with enterprise clients
+- Development of enterprise service model
+
+#### 3. Business Development
+- Enterprise sales and integration team
+- Cloud infrastructure partnerships
+- Strategic blockchain ecosystem alliances
+- Customer success team
+
+#### 4. Product Development Structure
+- Core protocol team (open source)
+- Enterprise solutions team
+- Cloud infrastructure team
+- Professional services team
+
+---
+
+## Additional Information
+
+### Development Environment
+
+* Rust 1.75+
+* Subxt 0.32+
+* SP1 zkVM (latest)
+
+---
+
+### Project Structure
+
+```text
+frostgate/
+├── frostgate-icap/          # Chain abstraction protocol
+├── frostgate-zkip/          # ZK plugin interface
+├── frost-cli/               # Command-line interface
+├── frostgate-verifier/      # Substrate pallet
+├── frostgate-prover/        # Proof generation service
+├── frostgate-sdk/           # Developer SDK
+└── frostgate-docs/          # Documentation
+```
+
+---
+
+### Performance Goals
+
+* Proof generation time: <30s (SP1), <60s (Halo2), <45s (RiscZero)
+* Verification cost: <500k gas on Ethereum
+* Batch support: 100+ messages per proof
+* Message latency: <5s end-to-end
+* Throughput: 1000+ messages per minute
+
+---
+
+### How did you hear about the Grants Program?
+
+Twitter, Web3 Foundation blog, GitHub ecosystem

From 9d2769d62dc1a01c2752a17eb7846abd3ff33bdd Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Blessed Tosin-Oyinbo <121986463+techninja8@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Thu, 5 Jun 2025 13:56:12 +0100
Subject: [PATCH 02/13] Update frostgate.md (added total_cost_dai)

---
 applications/frostgate.md | 1 +
 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+)

diff --git a/applications/frostgate.md b/applications/frostgate.md
index 33ec87025a8..fbecdaa7ad7 100644
--- a/applications/frostgate.md
+++ b/applications/frostgate.md
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
   * **DOT:**   13zkusUEfqSXYomjHroNTXygY878hJAoEAkTtoc6DDrbaB5q
   * **USDC (Polkadot Asset Hub):**   13zkusUEfqSXYomjHroNTXygY878hJAoEAkTtoc6DDrbaB5q
 * **Level:** 2
+* **total_cost_dai:** 35000
 
 ---
 

From e27271e678648212b0b2106a0eef85b7c457fbba Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Blessed Tosin-Oyinbo <121986463+techninja8@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Thu, 5 Jun 2025 23:57:15 +0100
Subject: [PATCH 03/13] updated frostgate application. corrected FTE and grant
 request

---
 applications/frostgate.md | 27 +++++++++++++--------------
 1 file changed, 13 insertions(+), 14 deletions(-)

diff --git a/applications/frostgate.md b/applications/frostgate.md
index fbecdaa7ad7..d37801f42c7 100644
--- a/applications/frostgate.md
+++ b/applications/frostgate.md
@@ -4,8 +4,7 @@
 * **Payment Details:**
   * **DOT:**   13zkusUEfqSXYomjHroNTXygY878hJAoEAkTtoc6DDrbaB5q
   * **USDC (Polkadot Asset Hub):**   13zkusUEfqSXYomjHroNTXygY878hJAoEAkTtoc6DDrbaB5q
-* **Level:** 2
-* **total_cost_dai:** 35000
+* **Level:** 3
 
 ---
 
@@ -51,7 +50,7 @@ This would allow Polkadot to seamlessly participate in a broader, trustless ecos
 Frostgate is designed to deeply integrate with the Substrate and Polkadot ecosystems by providing:
 1. A **Substrate-native verification pallet** for zero-knowledge proofs
 2. **Custom runtime APIs** and hooks for proof consumption and execution
-3. A **Substrate ChainAdapter**, enabling seamless message normalization and ingestion
+3. A **Polkadot/Substrate ChainAdapter**, enabling seamless message normalization and ingestion
 
 Our architecture prioritizes low overhead, high verifiability, and compatibility with the tools and standards used within the Polkadot ecosystem.
 
@@ -232,11 +231,6 @@ While Polkadot's XCM handles messaging within the network, Frostgate extends tha
 - **Contact Email:** tosinoyinboblessed@gmail.com
 - **Website:** blessedtosinoyinbo.vzy.io
 
-* **[To Hire] Rust + ZK Engineer**
-
-  * Will support ZKPlug backend integrations
-  * Focus on Halo2 and RiscZero circuits
-  * Support general project development
 
 ---
 
@@ -247,7 +241,7 @@ While Polkadot's XCM handles messaging within the network, Frostgate extends tha
 
 ### Team's experience
 
-As a solo founder, I bring 4+ years of hands-on experience in backend and systems engineering with deep expertise in protocol research and zero-knowledge cryptography. Currently working as a Software Engineer at Vault, specializing in distributed storage infrastructure and node coordination.
+As a solo founder, I bring 4+ years of hands-on experience in backend and systems engineering with deep expertise in protocol research and zero-knowledge cryptography. Prev Software Engineer at Vault, specializing in distributed storage infrastructure and node coordination.
 
 Key relevant experience:
 - Vault - Building cryptographically verifiable distributed storage infrastructure
@@ -273,6 +267,11 @@ Upon grant approval, I plan to hire:
   - Support ZKPlug backend integrations
   - Focus on Halo2 and RiscZero circuits
   - General project development support
+ - **Full-stack Software Engineer** (part-time initially, scaling to full-time)
+  - Refine CLI for testing, message relay, proof submission etc.
+  - Focus on SDK improvement, write wrappers/utilites for other devs
+  - Frontend development, including public explorer for testnets, landing page/
+  - Work on UI to monitor cross-chain txs, relayer activites, testnet chain statues
 
 I have identified potential contributors from the Polkadot and Rust communities and will formalize hiring upon grant approval and initial funding.
 
@@ -303,8 +302,8 @@ I have identified potential contributors from the Polkadot and Rust communities
 
 ### Total Duration: 3 months
 
-**FTE:** 1.5
-**Total Requested Grant:** $35,000
+**FTE:** 2.5
+**Total Requested Grant:** $50,000
 **DOT Share:** 60%
 **USDC Share:** 40%
 
@@ -313,7 +312,7 @@ I have identified potential contributors from the Polkadot and Rust communities
 ### 🎯 Milestone 1: Core Protocol Stabilization & Foundation
 
 **Duration:** 1 month  
-**Cost:** $10,000  
+**Cost:** $15,000  
 **Focus:** Stabilize core components, implement essential adapters, and establish solid testing foundation
 
 | Number | Deliverable | Specification |
@@ -334,7 +333,7 @@ I have identified potential contributors from the Polkadot and Rust communities
 ### 🎯 Milestone 2: Advanced Features & Testnet Integration
 
 **Duration:** 1 month  
-**Cost:** $12,000  
+**Cost:** $17,000  
 **Focus:** Advanced features, multi-chain support, and comprehensive tooling
 
 | Number | Deliverable | Specification |
@@ -355,7 +354,7 @@ I have identified potential contributors from the Polkadot and Rust communities
 ### 🎯 Milestone 3: Production Readiness & Ecosystem Integration
 
 **Duration:** 1 month  
-**Cost:** $13,000  
+**Cost:** $18,000  
 **Focus:** Security hardening, scalability, production deployment, and ecosystem adoption
 
 | Number | Deliverable | Specification |

From aacbae6759b66807e7059e5ce60fe19acf2e2604 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Blessed Tosin-Oyinbo <121986463+techninja8@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Fri, 6 Jun 2025 18:17:56 +0100
Subject: [PATCH 04/13] (update) updated codebase with basic implementation of
 frostgate-pallet-verifier. Adjusted application to reflect it.

---
 applications/frostgate.md | 8 +++++---
 1 file changed, 5 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)

diff --git a/applications/frostgate.md b/applications/frostgate.md
index d37801f42c7..7dd532db139 100644
--- a/applications/frostgate.md
+++ b/applications/frostgate.md
@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@ I have identified potential contributors from the Polkadot and Rust communities
 * `frostgate-icap`: Chain adapter trait + Substrate adapter -> https://github.com/frostgate/frostgate-icap
 * `frostgate-zkip`: ZK plugin trait + SP1 backend -> https://github.com/frostgate/frostgate-zkip
 * `frost-cli`: CLI tool for proof generation and batch verification -> https://github.com/frostgate/frost-cli
-* `frostgate-verifier`: In-progress Substrate pallet -> https://github.com/frostgate/frostgate-verifier
+* frostgate-pallet-verifier: Complete Substrate pallet for ZK proof verification -> https://github.com/frostgate/frostgate-pallet-verifier
 * `frostgate-sdk`: Core primitive types and functions -> https://github.com/frostgate/frostgate-sdk
 
 ---
@@ -325,8 +325,9 @@ I have identified potential contributors from the Polkadot and Rust communities
 | 1a. | ICAP Core Refinements | - Complete ChainAdapter trait implementation<br>- Enhanced EVM adapter with Web3 integration<br>- Comprehensive error handling and async support<br>- Connection pooling and resource management |
 | 1b. | Substrate Integration | - Full Substrate ChainAdapter implementation<br>- Event listening and message submission<br>- Finality verification system<br>- Runtime integration support |
 | 1c. | Message Protocol Enhancement | - FrostMessage serialization/deserialization<br>- Proper nonce management system<br>- Message validation pipeline<br>- Replay protection with timestamp validation |
-| 1d. | ZK Proof System | - Complete ZKPlug trait with SP1 backend<br>- Proof generation optimization<br>- Proof caching mechanism<br>- Resource management for concurrent proving |
-| 1e. | SDK Foundation | - High-level SDK interface<br>- Builder patterns for configuration<br>- Configuration validation<br>- Basic TypeScript bindings |
+| 1d. | Substrate Pallet Integration | - Complete integration and testing of frostgate-pallet-verifier with runtime hooks, proof verification capabilities, and seamless parachain compatibility |
+| 1e. | ZK Proof System | - Complete ZKPlug trait with SP1 backend<br>- Proof generation optimization<br>- Proof caching mechanism<br>- Resource management for concurrent proving |
+| 1f. | SDK Foundation | - High-level SDK interface<br>- Builder patterns for configuration<br>- Configuration validation<br>- Basic TypeScript bindings |
 
 ---
 
@@ -496,6 +497,7 @@ frostgate/
 * Batch support: 100+ messages per proof
 * Message latency: <5s end-to-end
 * Throughput: 1000+ messages per minute
+* Successfully verify ZK proofs on-chain using the frostgate-pallet-verifier in a local Substrate runtime
 
 ---
 

From 3a68c189bc66ffba6b159e56d8c45ef57e45b39f Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Blessed Tosin-Oyinbo <121986463+techninja8@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Fri, 6 Jun 2025 18:19:06 +0100
Subject: [PATCH 05/13] (update-1) updated codebase with basic implementation
 of frostgate-pallet-verifier. Adjusted application to reflect it.

---
 applications/frostgate.md | 2 +-
 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/applications/frostgate.md b/applications/frostgate.md
index 7dd532db139..381839830e7 100644
--- a/applications/frostgate.md
+++ b/applications/frostgate.md
@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@ I have identified potential contributors from the Polkadot and Rust communities
 * `frostgate-icap`: Chain adapter trait + Substrate adapter -> https://github.com/frostgate/frostgate-icap
 * `frostgate-zkip`: ZK plugin trait + SP1 backend -> https://github.com/frostgate/frostgate-zkip
 * `frost-cli`: CLI tool for proof generation and batch verification -> https://github.com/frostgate/frost-cli
-* frostgate-pallet-verifier: Complete Substrate pallet for ZK proof verification -> https://github.com/frostgate/frostgate-pallet-verifier
+* `frostgate-pallet-verifier`: Complete Substrate pallet for ZK proof verification -> https://github.com/frostgate/frostgate-pallet-verifier
 * `frostgate-sdk`: Core primitive types and functions -> https://github.com/frostgate/frostgate-sdk
 
 ---

From 1de27473e3336981470df15b4def4e768828f0f8 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Blessed Tosin-Oyinbo <121986463+techninja8@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2025 02:29:59 +0100
Subject: [PATCH 06/13] Delete applications/frostgate.md

---
 applications/frostgate.md | 506 --------------------------------------
 1 file changed, 506 deletions(-)
 delete mode 100644 applications/frostgate.md

diff --git a/applications/frostgate.md b/applications/frostgate.md
deleted file mode 100644
index 381839830e7..00000000000
--- a/applications/frostgate.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,506 +0,0 @@
-# Frostgate - A ZK-Agnostic Modular Architecture for Trustless Interoperability
-
-* **Team Name:** Frostgate Labs
-* **Payment Details:**
-  * **DOT:**   13zkusUEfqSXYomjHroNTXygY878hJAoEAkTtoc6DDrbaB5q
-  * **USDC (Polkadot Asset Hub):**   13zkusUEfqSXYomjHroNTXygY878hJAoEAkTtoc6DDrbaB5q
-* **Level:** 3
-
----
-
-## Project Overview
-
-### Overview
-
-Frostgate proposes a modular framework for trustless cross-chain interoperability, eliminating the need for trusted bridges, light clients, or multisig committees. By leveraging zero-knowledge proofs, programmable chain adapter interfaces, and a clean abstraction model, it enables secure, scalable and verifiable messaging across blockchains, without compromising decentralization.
-
-At its core, Frostgate fuses three foundational components:
-- **Succinct State Validation (SSV)** for proving message validity and state correctness,
-- **Chain abstraction** for clean and extensible cross-chain logic, and
-- **ZK-agnostic pluggable backends** for proof generation and verification.
-
-Collectively, these components enable a fully trustless communication architecture that is universally compatible with chains, applications, and protocols.
-
-### Why Frostgate Matters to Polkadot
-
-Frostgate addresses a core pain point in Polkadot: trustless, chain-agnostic messaging beyond XCM. While XCM excels at intra-ecosystem communication, interoperability with external chains (Ethereum, Solana, etc.) often introduces additional trust assumptions. 
-
-While solutions like Hyperbridge and zkBridge have laid important foundations for trustless messaging using cryptographic proofs, Frostgate further offers a modular and zk-agnostic architecture that supports multiple (extensible) proof systems and chain abstraction interfaces, enabling broader interoperability and greater flexibility without reliance on a single proof framework.
-
-Frostgate replaces traditional solutions, like multisigs, light clients and centralized oracles, while fully aligning with Substrate's modular philosophy—through native pallets, runtime hooks, and zk-proof integration. This enables:
-
-- **Strong support for parachain-to-external-chain messaging** without need for trusted validators and multi-signature committees
-- **Cross-chain state verification** relying on the soundness of cryptographic proofs instead of governance
-- **Composable interoperability primitives** that any Substrate project can leverage
-
-This would allow Polkadot to seamlessly participate in a broader, trustless ecosystem. Rather than positioning Polkadot as a central hub, Frostgate fosters open interoperability, allowing any chain to adopt its protocol to communicate securely and verifiably with Polkadot and beyond.
-
-#### Key Innovations
-
-- Chain-agnostic interoperability through ICAP (Interoperable Chain Abstraction Protocol)
-- Zero-knowledge–based verification with pluggable ZK backends (SP1, RiscZero, Halo2)
-- Native Substrate compatibility via custom verification pallet
-- Stateless, permissionless, incentive-aligned relayer and prover network
-- A standardized `FrostMessage` structure for secure message packaging and proof embedding
-
----
-
-### Integration with Polkadot/Substrate
-
-Frostgate is designed to deeply integrate with the Substrate and Polkadot ecosystems by providing:
-1. A **Substrate-native verification pallet** for zero-knowledge proofs
-2. **Custom runtime APIs** and hooks for proof consumption and execution
-3. A **Polkadot/Substrate ChainAdapter**, enabling seamless message normalization and ingestion
-
-Our architecture prioritizes low overhead, high verifiability, and compatibility with the tools and standards used within the Polkadot ecosystem.
-
----
-
-### Open Source Value and Reusability
-
-Frostgate's modular components are designed as foundational primitives for the broader ecosystem:
-
-- **`frostgate-zkip`** → ZK backend abstraction for any Substrate project needing proof verification
-- **`frostgate-icap`** → Chain adapter standard for cross-chain tools and protocols
-- **Substrate verifier pallet** → Reusable ZK verification primitive for any parachain
-- **`frostgate-sdk`** → Complete development kit for building cross-chain applications
-- **`frost-cli`** → Command-line tools for proof generation and message management
-- **`FrostMessage` protocol** → Standardized cross-chain message format
-
-All code will remain Apache 2.0 licensed and continuously maintained under the `frostgate` GitHub organization. We will document clear onboarding paths for ecosystem contributors and maintain long-term compatibility with Substrate updates.
-
----
-
-### Motivation
-
-Right now, the majority of existing interoperability protocols introduce additional trust assumptions, whether through centralized validators, multisig governance, or specialized relayers. These assumptions are brittle and often the weakest link in cross-chain design.
-
-Frostgate is built around a simple but powerful premise: **trust cryptography, not governance**. By using zero-knowledge proofs to verify cross-chain state and messages, Frostgate avoids replication, consensus simulation, and multisig centralization. It offers a verifiable-first approach that aligns with Web3 core principles: open, decentralized, and trustless.
-
----
-
-## Project Details
-
-### Core Architecture
-
-Frostgate breaks interoperability down into modular, composable components. These include:
-
-#### 1. ICAP (Interoperable Chain Abstraction Protocol)
-
-ICAP defines a singular trait-based abstraction over common blockchain behaviors:
-
-```rust
-#[async_trait]
-pub trait ChainAdapter: Send + Sync {
-    async fn submit_message(&self, msg: &FrostMessage) -> Result<Self::TxId>;
-    async fn verify_on_chain(&self, msg: &FrostMessage) -> Result<()>;
-    async fn listen_for_events(&self) -> Result<Vec<MessageEvent>>;
-    // ...
-}
-```
-
-Each chain implements its own `ChainAdapter`, exposing methods for:
-
-* Submitting messages
-* Listening to finalized events
-* Verifying message finality
-* Reporting health status
-
-This allows Frostgate to natively interface with Ethereum, Substrate, Solana, and more, without hardcoding chain-specific logic.
-
----
-
-#### 2. ZKPlug (ZK Backend Plugin Interface)
-
-The `ZKPlug` trait abstracts zero-knowledge proof systems behind a common API. It defines how a zk-backend:
-
-* Compiles and loads circuits
-* Generates state proofs
-* Verifies proofs succinctly
-* Manages keys and configurations
-
-Current backend: **SP1 zkVM**
-Planned: **Halo2**, **RiscZero**, **Groth16**
-
-This enables chain/application developers to choose proof systems based on performance, cost, or cryptographic assumptions.
-
----
-
-#### 3. FrostMessage
-
-```rust
-pub struct FrostMessage {
-    id: Uuid,
-    from_chain: ChainId,
-    to_chain: ChainId,
-    payload: Vec<u8>,
-    proof: Option<ZkProof>,
-    metadata: HashMap<String, String>,
-    timestamp: u64,
-    nonce: u64,
-}
-```
-
-This is the canonical message format in Frostgate. It ensures:
-
-* Message authenticity via embedded zkProof
-* Replay protection using nonces and timestamps
-* Metadata flexibility for extensibility
-* Uniformity across chains
-
----
-
-#### 4. Message Flow
-
-```text
-Finalized Event (Source Chain) → ChainAdapter → FrostMessage → ZKProof → Relayer → TargetChain Verifier → Execution (Destination Chain)
-```
-
-Each finalized event is captured, normalized, bundled, proven, relayed, and verified—all without the need for full node sync or committee approval.
-
----
-
-### Security Model
-
-Frostgate employs multiple layers of security:
-
-* **Native Finality:** ChainAdapters ensure only finalized events are processed.
-* **Proof Soundness:** ZK proofs provide mathematical guarantees of correctness.
-* **Replay Protection:** Messages include nonces and timestamps.
-* **Key Attestation:** Verification keys are hash-attested and versioned.
-* **Batch Integrity:** Batching protocol supports n-of-m validity and rejection of malformed batches.
-
----
-
-### Chain Support
-
-Frostgate's architecture is designed for extensibility, with active implementations for Substrate and Ethereum-based chains, and ongoing work to support Solana. Planned integration with emerging ecosystems like Sui further highlights its modularity. Through its adapter-based model, Frostgate can be extended to virtually any blockchain, enabling a unified approach to cross-chain messaging without hardcoded assumptions.
-
-| Chain          | Status           |
-| -------------- | ---------------- |
-| Substrate      | ✅ Implemented    |
-| Ethereum (EVM) | ✅ In progress    |
-| Solana         | ✅ In progress    |
-| Sui            | 🔜 Planned       |
-| Custom chains  | 🧩 Adapter-ready |
-
----
-
-## Ecosystem Fit
-
-### Fit Within the Polkadot/Substrate Ecosystem
-
-Frostgate is designed to become a foundational interoperability layer for:
-
-* Parachains needing external data validation
-* Builders exploring multi-chain execution
-* Infrastructure providers standardizing cross-chain proofs
-
-While Polkadot's XCM handles messaging within the network, Frostgate extends that philosophy outwards, offering a modular, Substrate-native framework for secure, trustless messaging with external chains. It does not aim to replace existing tools and infrastructure, but rather to expand Polkadot's interoperability surface with cryptographic guarantees.
-
----
-
-### Target Audience
-
-| Stakeholder    | Needs                             | How Frostgate Helps               |
-| -------------- | --------------------------------- | --------------------------------- |
-| Parachain Devs | External data, proof security     | Verifiable, pluggable proof layer |
-| ZK Engineers   | Circuit deployment, composability | Unified backend interface         |
-| App Builders   | Multi-chain UX                    | Simple CLI & SDK                  |
-| Researchers    | Interop security                  | Auditable, open architecture      |
-
----
-
-### Market Comparison
-
-| Protocol  | Trust Model       | Chain Support    | ZK Proofs | Substrate Native |
-| --------- | ----------------- | ---------------- | --------- | ---------------- |
-| Wormhole  | Multisig          | Ethereum, Solana | ❌         | ❌                |
-| LayerZero | Oracle-based      | EVM              | ❌         | ❌                |
-| Frostgate | Cryptographic (ZK-based) | Modular   | ✅         | ✅                |
-
----
-
-## Team 
-
-### Team members
-
-- Blessed Tosin-Oyinbo (Founder & Lead Engineer)
-
-- **Contact Name:** Blessed Tosin-Oyinbo
-- **Contact Email:** tosinoyinboblessed@gmail.com
-- **Website:** blessedtosinoyinbo.vzy.io
-
-
----
-
-- **Registered Address:** To be determined upon grant approval
-- **Registered Legal Entity:** "To be incorporated upon grant approval"
-
----
-
-### Team's experience
-
-As a solo founder, I bring 4+ years of hands-on experience in backend and systems engineering with deep expertise in protocol research and zero-knowledge cryptography. Prev Software Engineer at Vault, specializing in distributed storage infrastructure and node coordination.
-
-Key relevant experience:
-- Vault - Building cryptographically verifiable distributed storage infrastructure
-- Protocol-level research on Pedersen-Vector-Commitments and Inner Product Proofs for deterministic Validator-side settlement on high-throughput infrastructures like Solana
-- Open source contribution in cryptography and developer tooling (e.g. FileCheck)
-- DevRel/Marketing at Payscribe (Fintech)
-
-This is my first application to the Web3 Foundation grants program.
-
-### Team Code Repos
-
-- https://github.com/frostgate (organization - created)
-- https://github.com/techninja8 (personal account)
-
-### Team LinkedIn Profiles
-
-- https://www.linkedin.com/in/[tosin-oyinbo-blessed-tnxl]
-
-### Team Growth Plans
-
-Upon grant approval, I plan to hire:
-- **Rust + ZK Engineer** (part-time initially, scaling to full-time)
-  - Support ZKPlug backend integrations
-  - Focus on Halo2 and RiscZero circuits
-  - General project development support
- - **Full-stack Software Engineer** (part-time initially, scaling to full-time)
-  - Refine CLI for testing, message relay, proof submission etc.
-  - Focus on SDK improvement, write wrappers/utilites for other devs
-  - Frontend development, including public explorer for testnets, landing page/
-  - Work on UI to monitor cross-chain txs, relayer activites, testnet chain statues
-
-I have identified potential contributors from the Polkadot and Rust communities and will formalize hiring upon grant approval and initial funding.
-
----
-
-## Development Status
-
-### Codebase (60% complete) - Current Codebase Implementations
-
-* `frostgate-icap`: Chain adapter trait + Substrate adapter -> https://github.com/frostgate/frostgate-icap
-* `frostgate-zkip`: ZK plugin trait + SP1 backend -> https://github.com/frostgate/frostgate-zkip
-* `frost-cli`: CLI tool for proof generation and batch verification -> https://github.com/frostgate/frost-cli
-* `frostgate-pallet-verifier`: Complete Substrate pallet for ZK proof verification -> https://github.com/frostgate/frostgate-pallet-verifier
-* `frostgate-sdk`: Core primitive types and functions -> https://github.com/frostgate/frostgate-sdk
-
----
-
-### Documentation - `frostgate-docs`
-
-* Architecture and interface overview
-* CLI usage guide
-* Adapter integration instructions
-* Proof API and JSON-RPC compatibility
-
----
-
-## Development Roadmap
-
-### Total Duration: 3 months
-
-**FTE:** 2.5
-**Total Requested Grant:** $50,000
-**DOT Share:** 60%
-**USDC Share:** 40%
-
----
-
-### 🎯 Milestone 1: Core Protocol Stabilization & Foundation
-
-**Duration:** 1 month  
-**Cost:** $15,000  
-**Focus:** Stabilize core components, implement essential adapters, and establish solid testing foundation
-
-| Number | Deliverable | Specification |
-|--------|-------------|---------------|
-| 0a. | License | Apache 2.0 |
-| 0b. | Documentation | - Complete architecture overview<br>- API specifications and reference<br>- Integration guides<br>- Inline code documentation |
-| 0c. | Testing Guide | - Unit tests (>70% coverage)<br>- Integration test suite<br>- CI/CD pipeline setup<br>- Test execution and interpretation guide |
-| 0d. | Docker Configuration | - Development environment setup<br>- Test environment containers<br>- Multi-stage build optimization<br>- Docker-compose for local development |
-| 0e. | Technical Article | - Deep dive into the ICAP (Interoperable Chain Abstraction Protocol) design<br>- Comparison of trust models: multisig vs. light clients vs. ZK proofs<br>- Performance benchmarks of the ZK proof generation pipeline<br>- Technical walkthrough of the ChainAdapter trait implementation |
-| 1a. | ICAP Core Refinements | - Complete ChainAdapter trait implementation<br>- Enhanced EVM adapter with Web3 integration<br>- Comprehensive error handling and async support<br>- Connection pooling and resource management |
-| 1b. | Substrate Integration | - Full Substrate ChainAdapter implementation<br>- Event listening and message submission<br>- Finality verification system<br>- Runtime integration support |
-| 1c. | Message Protocol Enhancement | - FrostMessage serialization/deserialization<br>- Proper nonce management system<br>- Message validation pipeline<br>- Replay protection with timestamp validation |
-| 1d. | Substrate Pallet Integration | - Complete integration and testing of frostgate-pallet-verifier with runtime hooks, proof verification capabilities, and seamless parachain compatibility |
-| 1e. | ZK Proof System | - Complete ZKPlug trait with SP1 backend<br>- Proof generation optimization<br>- Proof caching mechanism<br>- Resource management for concurrent proving |
-| 1f. | SDK Foundation | - High-level SDK interface<br>- Builder patterns for configuration<br>- Configuration validation<br>- Basic TypeScript bindings |
-
----
-
-### 🎯 Milestone 2: Advanced Features & Testnet Integration
-
-**Duration:** 1 month  
-**Cost:** $17,000  
-**Focus:** Advanced features, multi-chain support, and comprehensive tooling
-
-| Number | Deliverable | Specification |
-|--------|-------------|---------------|
-| 0a. | License | Apache 2.0 |
-| 0b. | Documentation | - Testnet deployment guides<br>- Multi-chain integration patterns<br>- SDK usage examples and tutorials<br>- Performance optimization guide |
-| 0c. | Testing Guide | - E2E test suite (>70% coverage)<br>- Performance benchmarking framework<br>- Load testing scenarios<br>- Fuzz testing implementation |
-| 0d. | Technical Article | - Real-world testnet deployment case studies (Goerli ↔ Rococo)<br>- Monitoring and observability best practices for cross-chain infrastructure<br>- Message batching strategies and optimization techniques |
-| 2a. | Multi-Chain Support | - Goerli/Ethereum testnet integration<br>- Rococo/Polkadot testnet support<br>- Solana devnet adapter<br>- Cross-testnet messaging validation |
-| 2b. | ZK Backend Extensions | - Halo2 backend implementation<br>- RiscZero backend support<br>- Performance comparisons across backends<br>- Backend switching capabilities |
-| 2c. | Batch Processing System | - Message batching with configurable sizes<br>- Timeout handling and batch optimization<br>- Batch proof generation<br>- Queue management system |
-| 2d. | Monitoring & Observability | - Prometheus metrics integration<br>- Grafana dashboard templates<br>- Health check endpoints<br>- Alert system configuration |
-| 2e. | Enhanced CLI Tools | - Interactive mode for operations<br>- Configuration management<br>- Proof inspection and validation tools<br>- Network diagnostics and debugging |
-| 2f. | Developer Experience | - VS Code extension for development<br>- Web-based playground<br>- Debug tools and utilities<br>- Network explorer interface |
-
----
-
-### 🎯 Milestone 3: Production Readiness & Ecosystem Integration
-
-**Duration:** 1 month  
-**Cost:** $18,000  
-**Focus:** Security hardening, scalability, production deployment, and ecosystem adoption
-
-| Number | Deliverable | Specification |
-|--------|-------------|---------------|
-| 0a. | License | Apache 2.0 |
-| 0b. | Documentation | - Complete production deployment guide<br>- Security best practices documentation<br>- Troubleshooting and maintenance guide<br>- Developer onboarding materials |
-| 0c. | Testing Guide | - Comprehensive security test suite<br>- Stress and chaos testing framework<br>- End-to-end integration tests<br>- Performance validation suite |
-| 0d. | Technical Article | - Security audit findings and hardening measures implemented<br>- Real-world dApp integration case study (Ethereum ↔ Substrate)<br>- Economic analysis of proof generation costs vs. alternative solutions<br>- Future roadmap for recursive proofs and advanced features |
-| 3a. | Security & Audit | - Internal security review completion<br>- External audit coordination<br>- Key management system implementation<br>- Rate limiting and DoS protection |
-| 3b. | Scalability Solutions | - Horizontal scaling architecture<br>- Load balancing implementation<br>- Circuit optimization for performance<br>- Proof aggregation system |
-| 3c. | Production Deployment | - Kubernetes Helm charts<br>- K8s operators for management<br>- Automated backup/restore tools<br>- Failover and disaster recovery system |
-| 3d. | Ecosystem Integration | - Functional demo dApp (Ethereum ↔ Substrate)<br>- Developer SDK with framework integrations<br>- Active parachain team engagement<br>- At least one pilot integration delivery |
-| 3e. | Performance Validation | - Benchmarking results across all backends<br>- <30s proof generation target for SP1<br>- Throughput and latency measurements<br>- Resource utilization optimization |
-| 3f. | Long-term Sustainability | - Maintenance strategy documentation<br>- Contributor onboarding process<br>- Community engagement plan<br>- Update and upgrade procedures |
-
----
-
-## Future Plans
-
-### Project Sustainability & Financing
-
-#### 1. Revenue Streams
-- Transaction fees from cross-chain message verification
-- Enterprise licensing for custom chain adapters and dedicated proving infrastructure
-- Professional support and integration services
-- Proof marketplace commission fees (long-term)
-
-#### 2. Development Funding
-- Initial phase supported by Web3 Foundation grant
-- Planned applications for ecosystem grants from:
-  * Ethereum Foundation (for EVM integration)
-  * Solana Foundation (for Solana adapter)
-  * Other chain ecosystem funds
-- Strategic partnerships with parachains for custom integration funding
-
-### Short-Term Enhancement & Promotion (0-6 months)
-
-#### 1. Technical Enhancement
-- Regular release cycle with bi-weekly updates
-- Open-source contribution program
-- Integration examples for popular frameworks
-- Comprehensive developer documentation
-
-#### 2. Community Building
-- Developer workshops and hackathons
-- Technical blog posts and documentation
-- Active participation in Polkadot ecosystem events
-- Regular community calls and development updates
-
-#### 3. Strategic Partnerships
-- Collaboration with parachain teams for pilot integrations
-- Partnership with infrastructure providers for proving services
-- Integration with existing cross-chain messaging protocols
-- Academic partnerships for ZK research
-
-### Long-Term Vision & Roadmap (1-2 years)
-
-#### 1. Technical Evolution
-- Recursive proof systems for improved scalability
-- Advanced WASM state transition verification
-- Novel ZK circuit optimizations
-- Integration with emerging L2 solutions
-
-#### 2. Ecosystem Development
-- Decentralized proof marketplace
-- Community governance framework
-- Grant program for ecosystem tools
-- Research collaboration program
-
-#### 3. Enterprise Adoption
-- Enterprise-grade support services
-- Custom integration solutions
-- Compliance and audit frameworks
-- High-availability infrastructure
-
-#### 4. Research & Innovation
-- ZK-proof optimization research
-- Novel interoperability protocols
-- Academic paper publications
-- Patent-free innovation sharing
-
-### Team Growth & Structure
-
-#### 1. Core Team Expansion
-- Additional protocol developers
-- Developer advocates
-- Technical documentation writers
-- Community managers
-
-#### 2. Organizational Development
-- Formation of technical advisory board
-- Establishment of Frostgate Labs as a technology company
-- Strategic partnerships with enterprise clients
-- Development of enterprise service model
-
-#### 3. Business Development
-- Enterprise sales and integration team
-- Cloud infrastructure partnerships
-- Strategic blockchain ecosystem alliances
-- Customer success team
-
-#### 4. Product Development Structure
-- Core protocol team (open source)
-- Enterprise solutions team
-- Cloud infrastructure team
-- Professional services team
-
----
-
-## Additional Information
-
-### Development Environment
-
-* Rust 1.75+
-* Subxt 0.32+
-* SP1 zkVM (latest)
-
----
-
-### Project Structure
-
-```text
-frostgate/
-├── frostgate-icap/          # Chain abstraction protocol
-├── frostgate-zkip/          # ZK plugin interface
-├── frost-cli/               # Command-line interface
-├── frostgate-verifier/      # Substrate pallet
-├── frostgate-prover/        # Proof generation service
-├── frostgate-sdk/           # Developer SDK
-└── frostgate-docs/          # Documentation
-```
-
----
-
-### Performance Goals
-
-* Proof generation time: <30s (SP1), <60s (Halo2), <45s (RiscZero)
-* Verification cost: <500k gas on Ethereum
-* Batch support: 100+ messages per proof
-* Message latency: <5s end-to-end
-* Throughput: 1000+ messages per minute
-* Successfully verify ZK proofs on-chain using the frostgate-pallet-verifier in a local Substrate runtime
-
----
-
-### How did you hear about the Grants Program?
-
-Twitter, Web3 Foundation blog, GitHub ecosystem

From 85ef24c5affef584ff65068e40bc40191df54724 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Blessed Tosin-Oyinbo <121986463+techninja8@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2025 02:32:00 +0100
Subject: [PATCH 07/13] Create frostgate.md

---
 applications/frostgate.md | 315 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 1 file changed, 315 insertions(+)
 create mode 100644 applications/frostgate.md

diff --git a/applications/frostgate.md b/applications/frostgate.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..26ab617b6b4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/applications/frostgate.md
@@ -0,0 +1,315 @@
+# Frostgate - A Modular, ZK-Agnostic Protocol for Trustless Interoperability
+
+* **Team Name:** Axia Labs
+* **Payment Details:**
+  * **DOT:** 13zkusUEfqSXYomjHroNTXygY878hJAoEAkTtoc6DDrbaB5q
+  * **USDC (Polkadot Asset Hub):** 13zkusUEfqSXYomjHroNTXygY878hJAoEAkTtoc6DDrbaB5q
+* **Level:** 2
+
+---
+
+## Project Overview
+
+### Overview
+
+Frostgate is a modular interoperability protocol designed to enable secure, trust-minimized message transmission across heterogeneous blockchains. Rooted in our research of Succinct State Validation (SSV), Frostgate employs succinct cryptographic proofs to establish verifiable claims about state transitions on external chains. This design minimizes dependency on centralized relayers, multi-signature committees, or heavyweight consensus replication.
+
+By treating each chain as an isolated context with its own finality semantics, Frostgate introduces Interoperability Chain Abstraction via its ChainAdapter interface, a canonical boundary for cryptographic externalization. This allows sovereign chains to interoperate via standardized proof systems, introducing modularity at the consensus and proof backends.
+
+Rather than function as a traditional bridge, Frostgate acts as a protocol-level coprocessor, a foundational layer for interoperable applications, enabling cross-chain messaging, asset flows and shared state logic while preserving the integrity and sovereignty of participating chains.
+
+### Motivation
+
+Most existing interoperability protocols introduce additional trust assumptions. These are brittle and often the weakest link in cross-chain design.
+
+Frostgate is built around a simple but powerful premise: **trust cryptography, not governance**. By using cryptographic proofs to verify cross-chain states and messages, we avoid replication, consensus simulation, and multisig centralization. It offers a verifiable-first approach that aligns with Web3 core principles: open, decentralized, and trustless. We believe that this approach is the end-game of interoperability for heterogeneous chains, regardless of underlying architecture.
+
+### How Frostgate Differs from Existing Solutions
+
+Unlike existing interoperability solutions, Frostgate eliminates trust assumptions through pure cryptographic verification:
+
+| Feature | Frostgate | LayerZero | Axelar | IBC |
+|---------|-----------|-----------|--------|-----|
+| Trust Model | ZK Proofs Only | Oracle + Relayer | Validator Set | Light Client |
+| Substrate Native | ✅ | ❌ | Partial | ❌ |
+| ZK Backend Agnostic | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
+| Verification Method | On-chain ZK | Off-chain Oracle | Validator Consensus | Light Client Sync |
+| Governance Dependencies | No core dependecies | Oracle Selection | Validator Governance | Client Updates |
+
+**Key Differentiators:**
+- **Pure Cryptographic Verification**: No validator sets, no oracles, no committees
+- **Modular ZK Backends**: Support for SP1, Halo2, RiscZero without vendor lock-in  
+- **Native Substrate Integration**: Built specifically for Polkadot ecosystem requirements
+- **Chain Sovereignty**: No shared security assumptions or governance dependencies
+
+## Project Details
+
+#### **Interoperability as Verifiable Message-Passing**
+
+Let each chain $C$ be a deterministic state machine with transition function $\delta$. Frostgate encodes cross-chain state transitions as authenticated messages $M: \{C_i \rightarrow C_j\}$, each accompanied by a succinct cryptographic witness $\pi_M$ attesting to the finality and validity of the originating event.
+
+Acceptance on the destination chain is reduced to a single predicate:
+
+$$
+\text{Accept}_{C_j}(M) \iff V_j(\pi_M) = 1
+$$
+
+where $V_j$ is a backend-agnostic verifier.
+
+#### **Finality as a Security Primitive**
+
+Finality is formalized as a predicate $F$, mapping blocks to their consensus status:
+
+$$
+F(b_i) = 1 \iff \text{Consensus}_{C_i}(b_i) = \text{final}
+$$
+
+Frostgate's adapters abstract over both BFT and probabilistic finality, ensuring only finalized events are eligible for cross-chain export.
+
+#### **Chain Abstraction via ICAP**
+
+Every chain implements a **ChainAdapter**, an interface contract, not a binding dependency. This adapter is responsible for:
+- Extracting finalized events
+- Encoding messages under the Frostgate specification
+- Exposing finality and proof-generation hooks
+
+This abstraction empowers any chain community to author their own adapters, fostering a truly open, permissionless ecosystem.
+
+### Core Components (MVP Scope)
+
+#### `frostgate-icap`
+
+Implements the Interoperable Chain Abstraction Protocol (ICAP), defining a trait-based abstraction over blockchain behaviors. Initial focus on Substrate chains only.
+
+- `ChainAdapter` composed of subtraits:
+  - `FinalityProvider`
+  - `MessageSubmitter` 
+  - `MessageProver`
+  - `EventListener`
+  - `CapabilityProvider`
+
+#### `frostgate-zkip`
+
+Defines the ZK backend plugin interface (`ZkBackend` trait) with initial SP1 implementation only. Other backends (Halo2, RiscZero) will be added in future iterations.
+
+#### `frostgate-sdk`
+
+Developer SDK providing core types and utilities:
+- `FrostMessage` (canonical cross-chain message format)
+- `ChainId` (Substrate-focused initially)
+- `MessageVerifier<B: ZkBackend>`
+
+### Use Case (MVP)
+
+The initial implementation focuses on Substrate-to-Substrate message passing within the Polkadot ecosystem. A parachain emits an outbound message event, the Substrate ChainAdapter verifies finality via GRANDPA, generates a ZK proof using SP1, and transmits it to the destination parachain where it's verified via the Frostgate pallet.
+
+## Team
+
+### Team Members
+
+- Lead: Blessed Tosin-Oyinbo Olamide
+- Planned: Rust Developer (to be hired with grant funding)
+
+### Contact
+
+- **Contact Name:** Blessed Tosin-Oyinbo Olamide
+- **Contact Email:** [Reach out via email](tosinoyinboblessed@gmail.com)
+- **Website:** [Frostgate Research](https://medium.com/@frostgate/)
+- **Social Media:** [Frostgate Twitter](https://x.com/devfrostgate)
+
+### Legal Structure
+- **Registered Address:** Will be established within 30 days of grant approval
+- **Registered Legal Entity:** Axia Labs Limited will be incorporated in [Delaware] upon grant acceptance, with all legal requirements completed immediately after first milestone delivery
+
+### Team's Experience
+
+**Blessed Tosin-Oyinbo** - Founder, Lead Engineer at Axia Labs. Previously Marketing/DevRel Lead at Payscribe. Worked on Vault (Verifiable distributed storage infrastructure) and independent Solana research focusing on succinct cryptographic proofs for validator-side deterministic settlement in high-throughput systems. Over 4 years of industry and open-source experience.
+
+
+### Team Code Repos
+- [frostgate-sdk](https://github.com/frostgate/frostgate-sdk)
+- [frostgate-pallet-verifier](https://github.com/frostgate/frostgate-pallet-verifier)
+- [frostgate-icap](https://github.com/frostgate/frostgate-icap)
+- [frostgate-circuits](https://github.com/frostgate/frostgate-circuits)
+- [frost-cli](https://github.com/frostgate/frost-cli)
+- [frostgate-node](https://github.com/frostgate/frostgate-node)
+- [frostgate-relayer](https://github.com/frostgate/frostgate-relayer)
+- [frostgate-docs](https://github.com/frostgate/frostgate-docs)
+- [frostgate-zkip](https://github.com/frostgate/frostgate-zkip)
+
+### Team GitHub Profiles
+
+- [Blessed Tosin-Oyinbo](https://github.com/techninja8/)
+
+### Team LinkedIn Profiles
+
+- [Blessed Tosin-Oyinbo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tosin-oyinbo-blessed-tnxl/)
+
+## Development Status
+
+### Current Implementation Status
+
+Frostgate's codebase is approximately 40% complete, comprising foundational components including early versions of `frostgate-icap`, `frostgate-zkip`, and `frostgate-sdk`. Key progress includes:
+
+- Basic `ChainAdapter` trait defined with core Substrate integration patterns
+- SP1 backend integration foundation with proof-of-concept circuit compilation
+- Message serialization working with `scale-codec` for Substrate compatibility  
+- GRANDPA finality verification logic implemented for testnet integration
+- Core error handling and async patterns established
+
+
+### Documentation Status
+
+Documentation includes architectural overview, basic integration guides, and preliminary API specifications. Current focus is on technical implementation with comprehensive documentation planned for milestone deliverables.
+
+## Roadmap
+
+### Total Duration: 2 months
+
+**FTE:** 1 (Month 1), 1.5 (Month 2 with additional developer (contract/part-time))
+**Total Requested Grant:** $22,000
+**DOT Share:** 50%
+**USDC Share:** 50%
+
+---
+
+### 🎯 Milestone 1: Core Protocol Foundation
+
+**Duration:** 1 month  
+**Cost:** $10,000  
+**Focus:** Build and test the foundational components
+
+| Number | Deliverable | Specification |
+|--------|-------------|---------------|
+| 0a. | License | Apache 2.0 |
+| 0b. | Documentation | - Architecture overview<br>- Core API specifications<br>- Setup and installation guide<br>- Inline code documentation |
+| 0c. | Testing Guide | - Unit tests (>85% coverage)<br>- CI/CD pipeline setup<br>- Test execution guide<br>- Code quality checks |
+| 0d. | Docker Configuration | - Development environment setup<br>- Test environment containers<br>- Docker-compose for local development |
+| 0e. | Technical Article | - Deep dive into ICAP design philosophy<br>- ZK proof system architecture for Substrate<br>- Comparison with existing bridge solutions |
+| 1a. | Core ICAP Implementation | - Complete `ChainAdapter` trait definition<br>- Substrate adapter with GRANDPA finality<br>- Event listening and message extraction<br>- Robust error handling and async support |
+| 1b. | ZK Proof Foundation | - `ZkBackend` trait with clean interface<br>- SP1 backend implementation<br>- Basic circuit for Substrate state validation<br>- Proof generation pipeline |
+| 1c. | SDK Core Types | - `FrostMessage` with proper serialization<br>- `ChainId` enum for Substrate chains<br>- Error types and result handling<br>- Message validation logic |
+| 1d. | Basic CLI Tools | - `frost-cli` foundation<br>- Configuration management<br>- Proof generation commands<br>- Debug utilities |
+
+### Success Criteria for Milestone 1
+- All core traits and types implemented
+- Unit tests passing with >85% coverage  
+- Proof generation working locally
+- Clean, documented codebase ready for integration
+
+---
+
+### 🎯 Milestone 2: Integration & Testnet Demo
+
+**Duration:** 1 month  
+**Cost:** $12,000  
+**Focus:** Complete integration, pallet development, and working testnet demo
+
+| Number | Deliverable | Specification |
+|--------|-------------|---------------|
+| 0a. | License | Apache 2.0 |
+| 0b. | Documentation | - Complete integration guide<br>- Testnet deployment instructions<br>- Troubleshooting guide<br>- API reference documentation |
+| 0c. | Testing Guide | - Integration test suite<br>- End-to-end test scenarios<br>- Testnet testing procedures<br>- Performance benchmarking |
+| 0d. | Technical Article | - Real-world testnet deployment walkthrough<br>- Performance analysis and optimization<br>- Lessons learned and future roadmap |
+| 2a. | Substrate Pallet | - Finalize and optimize `frostgate-pallet-verifier`<br>- SP1 proof verification on-chain<br>- Message routing and execution<br>- Event emission and indexing |
+| 2b. | Enhanced SDK | - High-level API for developers<br>- Configuration builders<br>- Connection management<br>- TypeScript type definitions |
+| 2c. | Advanced CLI Features | - Interactive mode<br>- Network status monitoring<br>- Message inspection tools<br>- Batch operations support |
+| 2d. | Testnet Integration | - Rococo testnet deployment<br>- Parachain-to-parachain messaging<br>- Complete message lifecycle demo<br>- Performance metrics collection |
+| 2e. | Developer Experience | - Example applications<br>- Integration templates<br>- Video tutorials<br>- Community documentation |
+
+### Success Criteria for Milestone 2
+- **Functional Demo**: Working parachain-to-parachain messaging on Rococo
+- **Performance**: Proof generation under 45 seconds
+- **Reliability**: >95% success rate in testnet operations  
+- **Documentation**: Complete developer onboarding experience
+- **Community**: Ready for external developers to integrate
+
+
+## Economic Considerations
+
+### Cost Analysis
+- **Proof Generation**: Estimated $0.05-0.10 per message (SP1 compute costs)
+- **On-chain Verification**: ~300k gas on Substrate parachains (~$0.01-0.02)
+- **Total Cost**: ~$0.07-0.12 per cross-chain message
+- **Comparison**: 50-100x cheaper than existing multisig bridge transaction fees
+
+### Sustainability Model
+- **Phase 1**: Open source core protocol (always free)
+- **Phase 2**: Revenue from enterprise adapter development and integration support
+- **Phase 3**: Premium developer tooling and hosted infrastructure services
+- **Long-term**: Fee-sharing partnerships with high-volume parachain integrators
+
+## Technical Architecture Deep Dive
+
+### Circuit Design Overview
+The SP1 circuit validates three core components:
+1. **Block Finality**: GRANDPA signature aggregation and threshold verification
+2. **Event Inclusion**: Merkle tree proofs for event inclusion in finalized blocks  
+3. **Message Integrity**: Format compliance, nonce verification, and replay protection
+
+### Security Properties
+- **Soundness**: Cryptographically impossible to create valid proof for invalid state transition
+- **Completeness**: All valid state transitions produce verifiable, accepted proofs
+- **Succinctness**: Proof size constant regardless of underlying chain state size
+- **Verifiability**: Fast verification enables cost-effective on-chain validation
+
+### Performance Targets
+- **Proof Generation**: Target <45s, Minimum viable <60s for basic messages
+- **Verification Cost**: Target <300k gas, Maximum acceptable 500k gas
+- **Message Throughput**: Target 100+ messages/hour, scaling with parallelization
+- **Reliability**: 99%+ uptime during testnet operations
+
+governance mechanisms
+
+## Success Metrics & KPIs
+
+### Technical Metrics
+- **Code Quality**: Minimum 75% test coverage, target 80%
+- **Performance**: Proof generation <45s target, <60s acceptable
+- **Cost Efficiency**: <300k gas verification target, <500k maximum
+- **Reliability**: 88.5% uptime target during testnet phase
+
+### Adoption Metrics
+- **Developer Interest**: 5+ GitHub stars and 3+ external contributors by project end
+- **Integration Pipeline**: At least 2 parachain teams testing integration by the end of Month 2
+- **Documentation Usage**: Technical guides accessed by developers (atleast 50)
+
+### Ecosystem Impact
+- **Technical Standards**: Contribute to 1+ Substrate RFC or XCM improvement proposal
+- **Knowledge Sharing**: Publish 4+ technical articles during development period  
+- **Open Source Growth**: Enable 2+ derivative projects building on Frostgate foundation
+
+---
+
+## Future Plans & Grant Pipeline
+
+### Development Roadmap
+This MVP establishes the foundation for a comprehensive interoperability ecosystem:
+
+**Phase 2 (6 months post-MVP)**: Multi-chain Expansion
+- Ethereum integration with EVM adapter ($55k grant target)
+- Solana support with native program integration  
+- Additional ZK backends (Halo2, RiscZero) for optimization
+
+**Phase 3 (12 months post-MVP)**: Advanced Features  
+- Message batching and aggregation for cost efficiency ($70k grant target)
+- Recursive proof systems for scalability
+- Production monitoring and alerting infrastructure
+
+**Phase 4 (18 months post-MVP)**: Ecosystem Maturity
+- Governance-free protocol upgrades via ZK-verified consensus
+- Cross-chain smart contract execution environment
+- Enterprise-grade tooling and hosted services
+
+### Self-Sustainability Timeline
+- **Month 6**: First paid enterprise integration and custom adapter development
+- **Month 12**: Revenue-positive operations from developer services
+- **Month 18**: Full team funding from protocol revenue and partnerships
+- **Month 24**: Decentralized protocol governance and community-driven development
+
+### Long-term Vision
+Frostgate aims to become the foundational interoperability layer for the Polkadot ecosystem, enabling seamless, trustless communication between all parachains and external blockchains while maintaining the sovereignty and security properties that make Substrate unique.
+
+## Additional Information
+
+This is our first application to the Web3 Foundation grants program. We are committed to open-source development and ecosystem contribution, with plans to expand the team based on grant funding and project traction.

From 6d3ca8860521916251bc4e739f3d7e1793bf513f Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Blessed Tosin-Oyinbo <121986463+techninja8@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2025 02:34:27 +0100
Subject: [PATCH 08/13] Update frostgate.md

---
 applications/frostgate.md | 2 +-
 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/applications/frostgate.md b/applications/frostgate.md
index 26ab617b6b4..3aa4eab1260 100644
--- a/applications/frostgate.md
+++ b/applications/frostgate.md
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ Documentation includes architectural overview, basic integration guides, and pre
 ### 🎯 Milestone 2: Integration & Testnet Demo
 
 **Duration:** 1 month  
-**Cost:** $12,000  
+**Cost:** $12,000 
 **Focus:** Complete integration, pallet development, and working testnet demo
 
 | Number | Deliverable | Specification |

From 2b9eec3f82c035d4641e180fcf0a10f4a1d2ec78 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Blessed Tosin-Oyinbo <121986463+techninja8@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Wed, 18 Jun 2025 20:12:26 +0100
Subject: [PATCH 09/13] update:changed-website-url

---
 applications/frostgate.md | 14 +++++++++++---
 1 file changed, 11 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)

diff --git a/applications/frostgate.md b/applications/frostgate.md
index 3aa4eab1260..548be9d2690 100644
--- a/applications/frostgate.md
+++ b/applications/frostgate.md
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 
 ### Overview
 
-Frostgate is a modular interoperability protocol designed to enable secure, trust-minimized message transmission across heterogeneous blockchains. Rooted in our research of Succinct State Validation (SSV), Frostgate employs succinct cryptographic proofs to establish verifiable claims about state transitions on external chains. This design minimizes dependency on centralized relayers, multi-signature committees, or heavyweight consensus replication.
+Frostgate is a modular interoperability protocol designed to enable secure, trust-minimized message transmission across heterogeneous blockchains. Rooted in our research of [Succinct State Validation (SSV)](https://axialabsresearch.github.io/article/succinct-state-validation), Frostgate employs succinct cryptographic proofs to establish verifiable claims about state transitions on external chains. This design minimizes dependency on centralized relayers, multi-signature committees, or heavyweight consensus replication.
 
 By treating each chain as an isolated context with its own finality semantics, Frostgate introduces Interoperability Chain Abstraction via its ChainAdapter interface, a canonical boundary for cryptographic externalization. This allows sovereign chains to interoperate via standardized proof systems, introducing modularity at the consensus and proof backends.
 
@@ -114,7 +114,8 @@ The initial implementation focuses on Substrate-to-Substrate message passing wit
 
 - **Contact Name:** Blessed Tosin-Oyinbo Olamide
 - **Contact Email:** [Reach out via email](tosinoyinboblessed@gmail.com)
-- **Website:** [Frostgate Research](https://medium.com/@frostgate/)
+- **Website:** [Axia Labs](https://axialabsresearch.github.io/)
+- **Medium** [Frostgate Medium](https://medium.com/@frostgate)
 - **Social Media:** [Frostgate Twitter](https://x.com/devfrostgate)
 
 ### Legal Structure
@@ -123,8 +124,15 @@ The initial implementation focuses on Substrate-to-Substrate message passing wit
 
 ### Team's Experience
 
-**Blessed Tosin-Oyinbo** - Founder, Lead Engineer at Axia Labs. Previously Marketing/DevRel Lead at Payscribe. Worked on Vault (Verifiable distributed storage infrastructure) and independent Solana research focusing on succinct cryptographic proofs for validator-side deterministic settlement in high-throughput systems. Over 4 years of industry and open-source experience.
+**Blessed Tosin-Oyinbo** - [Founder, Lead Engineer at Axia Labs](https://axialabsresearch.github.io/author/blessed-tosin-oyinbo). Previously Marketing/DevRel Lead at Payscribe. Worked on Vault (Verifiable distributed storage infrastructure) and independent Solana research focusing on succinct cryptographic proofs for validator-side deterministic settlement in high-throughput systems. Over 4 years of industry and open-source experience.
 
+### Research Publications
+You can find our research on blockchain interoperability on our website @ [Axia Labs Research](https://axialabsresearch.github.io)
+
+#### Primitive Research
+[Succinct State Validation](https://axialabsresearch.github.io/article/succinct-state-validation)
+[Frostproofs](https://axialabsresearch.github.io/article/frostproof)
+[Researching the cross-chain problem](https://axialabsresearch.github.io/article/the-cross-chain-trust-problem)
 
 ### Team Code Repos
 - [frostgate-sdk](https://github.com/frostgate/frostgate-sdk)

From e8a6e1e257ec4477b1d278933d692b18dcad64b8 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Blessed Tosin-Oyinbo <121986463+techninja8@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Wed, 18 Jun 2025 20:16:51 +0100
Subject: [PATCH 10/13] minor-update:corrected-order

---
 applications/frostgate.md | 6 +++---
 1 file changed, 3 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)

diff --git a/applications/frostgate.md b/applications/frostgate.md
index 548be9d2690..02061e466a7 100644
--- a/applications/frostgate.md
+++ b/applications/frostgate.md
@@ -130,9 +130,9 @@ The initial implementation focuses on Substrate-to-Substrate message passing wit
 You can find our research on blockchain interoperability on our website @ [Axia Labs Research](https://axialabsresearch.github.io)
 
 #### Primitive Research
-[Succinct State Validation](https://axialabsresearch.github.io/article/succinct-state-validation)
-[Frostproofs](https://axialabsresearch.github.io/article/frostproof)
-[Researching the cross-chain problem](https://axialabsresearch.github.io/article/the-cross-chain-trust-problem)
+- [The Cross-Chain Problem](https://axialabsresearch.github.io/article/the-cross-chain-trust-problem)
+- [Succinct State Validation](https://axialabsresearch.github.io/article/succinct-state-validation)
+- [Frostproofs](https://axialabsresearch.github.io/article/frostproof)
 
 ### Team Code Repos
 - [frostgate-sdk](https://github.com/frostgate/frostgate-sdk)

From 2549f2405599540007b967f0d1ea729f68d1b79d Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Blessed Tosin-Oyinbo <121986463+techninja8@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Thu, 19 Jun 2025 12:56:36 +0100
Subject: [PATCH 11/13] dev:update-frostagate.md

---
 applications/frostgate.md | 6 ++++--
 1 file changed, 4 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/applications/frostgate.md b/applications/frostgate.md
index 02061e466a7..b9868756ebb 100644
--- a/applications/frostgate.md
+++ b/applications/frostgate.md
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ Unlike existing interoperability solutions, Frostgate eliminates trust assumptio
 | Governance Dependencies | No core dependecies | Oracle Selection | Validator Governance | Client Updates |
 
 **Key Differentiators:**
-- **Pure Cryptographic Verification**: No validator sets, no oracles, no committees
+- **Pure Cryptographic Verification**: Which replaces need for cenatralized relayer, validator sets, multi-signature committees
 - **Modular ZK Backends**: Support for SP1, Halo2, RiscZero without vendor lock-in  
 - **Native Substrate Integration**: Built specifically for Polkadot ecosystem requirements
 - **Chain Sovereignty**: No shared security assumptions or governance dependencies
@@ -129,10 +129,12 @@ The initial implementation focuses on Substrate-to-Substrate message passing wit
 ### Research Publications
 You can find our research on blockchain interoperability on our website @ [Axia Labs Research](https://axialabsresearch.github.io)
 
-#### Primitive Research
+#### Primitive Research and Articles
 - [The Cross-Chain Problem](https://axialabsresearch.github.io/article/the-cross-chain-trust-problem)
 - [Succinct State Validation](https://axialabsresearch.github.io/article/succinct-state-validation)
 - [Frostproofs](https://axialabsresearch.github.io/article/frostproof)
+- [Thinking Beyond Bridges](https://axialabsresearch.github.io/article/beyond-bridges)
+- [How Zero-Knowledge Proofs Enable Trustless Interoperability](https://axialabsresearch.github.io/article/inside-frostgate)
 
 ### Team Code Repos
 - [frostgate-sdk](https://github.com/frostgate/frostgate-sdk)

From 8ad0b555a9d82c8fa474a1e9af96c869f19cad00 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Blessed Tosin-Oyinbo <121986463+techninja8@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Tue, 8 Jul 2025 20:11:19 +0100
Subject: [PATCH 12/13] Update and rename frostgate.md to frost-substrate.md

---
 applications/frost-substrate.md | 524 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 applications/frostgate.md       | 325 --------------------
 2 files changed, 524 insertions(+), 325 deletions(-)
 create mode 100644 applications/frost-substrate.md
 delete mode 100644 applications/frostgate.md

diff --git a/applications/frost-substrate.md b/applications/frost-substrate.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..8a5db565d0a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/applications/frost-substrate.md
@@ -0,0 +1,524 @@
+# Substrate-Native Implementation of FROST (Finality-Reliant Optimised State Transition) Protocol 
+
+- **Team Name:** Axia Labs Research
+- **Payment Address:** (DOT & USDT (Polkadot Asset Hub)) 13zkusUEfqSXYomjHroNTXygY878hJAoEAkTtoc6DDrbaB5q
+- **[Level](https://github.com/w3f/Grants-Program/tree/master#level_slider-levels):** 2
+
+## Project Overview :page_facing_up:
+
+### Overview
+
+FROST (Finality-Reliant Optimised State Transition) Protocol is a chain-agnostic interoperability protocol that enables direct, trustless cross-chain communication. FROST is designed to act as a foundational layer for `frost-substrate`, a Substrate-native implementation that facilitates interoperability without relay chain dependency. Building on our foundational research in [cross-chain trust](https://axialabsresearch.github.io/article/the-cross-chain-trust-problem), [succinct state validation](https://axialabsresearch.github.io/article/succinct-state-validation), and [FROST proofs](https://axialabsresearch.github.io/article/frostproofs), along with our earlier approaches with Frostgate, particularly its ICAP component [`frostgate-icap`](https://github.com/axialabsreasearch/frostgate-icap), FROST represents a significant evolution from our original Frostgate application towards a more efficient and production-ready solution.
+
+**Evolution from Frostgate:**
+During our development of Frostgate, we identified critical limitations in existing zero-knowledge-only approaches. FROST takes a pragmatic approach to interoperability, prioritizing cryptographic security over social consensus while enabling more flexible proofs and optimized performance for real-world parachain deployment. While Frostgate was our experimental prototype, FROST is the production-ready evolution.
+
+### Problem Statement
+
+Current parachain interoperability faces significant bottlenecks:
+
+1. **Relay Chain Dependency**: All parachain-to-parachain communication must route through the relay chain, creating throughput limitations and increased latency
+2. **HRMP Channel Constraints**: Limited bandwidth and high setup costs for cross-chain messaging
+3. **Inflexible Proof Systems**: Existing solutions like BEEFY use fixed signature schemes that may not be optimized for target chain requirements
+4. **External Chain Isolation**: No direct path for parachains to communicate with external blockchains (EVM-compatible chains, Cosmos, Bitcoin etc.)
+5. **High Gas Costs**: Inefficient proof verification leads to expensive cross-chain operations
+
+**Impact**: These limitations prevent parachains from achieving their full potential, forcing complex workarounds and limiting adoption of cross-chain applications.
+
+### Project Details
+
+FROST addresses these challenges through a parachain-optimized architecture:
+
+#### Core Components
+
+1. `frost-protocol` - The core crate provides fundamental infrastructure for chain-agnostic finality-reliant state verification and message routing
+2. `frost-substrate` - Native Substrate pallet for seamless parachain integration. `frost-substrate` uses FROST's finality predicates to abstract over GRANDPA (using key crates like `sp-consensus-grandpa`, `sp-core`, `sp-runtime`, `sp-api`, `sp-io`, `sp-blockchain`, `pallet-grandpa`, `frame-support`, `frame-system` etc.). `frost-substrate` uses finality confirmation as a trigger for generation of cryptographic witnesses to state attestation. These cryptographic witnesses (proofs) can be verified by the receiving parachain or external target chain. `frost-substrate` adopts FROST's native message routing and networking modules to handle message passing.
+
+#### Technical Architecture
+
+**FROST Protocol Core:**
+- **Flexible Proof System**: FROST provides support for multiple verification methods, optimized per use case
+- **State Transition Verification**: Efficient proofs for specific state changes rather than full block verification
+- **Network Protocol**: Optimized peer-to-peer communication for message routing
+- **Chain Abstraction Layer**: Universal interface supporting different blockchain architectures
+- **Finality Predicates**: Efficient finality verification mechanisms
+
+**frost-substrate Integration:**
+- **Native Pallet**: Direct integration with Substrate runtime for minimal overhead
+- **GRANDPA Finality**: Leverages Substrate's finality gadget for secure verification
+- **Direct External Communication**: Parachain-to-external chain communication bypassing relay chain
+- **Storage Efficiency**: Optimized storage for state transitions and proof data
+
+#### Key Technical Innovations
+
+1. **Signature Scheme Flexibility**: Adapts to target chain requirements (ECDSA for Ethereum, Ed25519 for Substrate)
+2. **Granular State Proofs**: Generates cryptographic proofs for specific state changes rather than entire blocks, reducing proof size by 70-90%
+3. **Parachain-First Design**: Enables direct external chain communication without BEEFY or relay chain dependency
+4. **Proof Size Optimization**: Minimal proof sizes reduce on-chain verification complexity
+5. **Extensible Architecture**: Support for custom proof types and message formats through an `extension` module
+
+### Technical Comparison
+
+| Feature | FROST Protocol | BEEFY | XCM/HRMP | Traditional Bridges |
+|---------|---------------|-------|----------|-------------------|
+| **Relay Chain Dependency** | No | Yes | Yes | No |
+| **Signature Flexibility** | Yes | ECDSA only | N/A | Limited |
+| **Proof Size** | Optimized | Standard | N/A | Large |
+| **External Chain Support** | Yes | Limited | No | Yes |
+| **Setup Complexity** | Low | Medium | High | Very High |
+| **Gas Costs** | Low | Medium | High | Very High |
+| **Trust Assumptions** | Cryptographic only | Validator set | Shared security | Multi-sig/Oracle |
+
+### Use Cases
+
+frost-substrate enables fast, secure, and efficient cross-chain operations. **For asset transfers**, a user moving DOT from Polkadot to Ethereum can initiate a burn on the Polkadot parachain; frost-substrate generates a state transition proof, which the Ethereum contract verifies before minting wrapped DOT, completing the transfer in under two minutes, compared to the 20+ minutes typical of traditional bridges. **For oracle data sharing**, a DeFi protocol on one parachain can request price data from another parachain; frost-substrate generates and routes a proof of the data's state, allowing for secure verification with costs reduced by up to 50%. **For governance**, when a proposal passes on one parachain, frost-substrate produces a verifiable proof of the outcome, enabling external chains to trustlessly execute corresponding changes, facilitating decentralized, cross-chain governance without centralized intermediaries.
+
+### Ecosystem Fit
+
+FROST Protocol addresses key limitations in the Polkadot ecosystem by enabling parachains to integrate directly with external chains, bypassing the relay chain bottleneck. It enhances the developer experience with intuitive APIs for simplified cross-chain development while reducing gas costs through optimized proof systems. By preserving strong cryptographic security without relying on trusted intermediaries, FROST delivers a scalable, secure, and cost-efficient framework for next-generation interoperability.
+
+**Target Audience:**
+- Parachain teams seeking efficient external chain integration
+- Bridge protocol developers building on Polkadot
+- Cross-chain DeFi applications requiring high throughput
+- Enterprise blockchain solutions needing compliance-friendly interoperability
+
+**Community Demand:**
+
+Based on our research into recent community engagement, several parachain teams have shown strong interest in solutions that enable direct integration with both Ethereum and non-Ethereum ecosystems, reducing complexity and cost in cross-chain operations. For example, a **January 2025 Polkadot forum update** discusses **Paraspell**, a suite of XCM tools designed to enable parachains to interact across chains "within seconds" ([source](https://forum.polkadot.network/t/paraspell-xcm-tools-go-cross-chain-within-seconds-latest-upgrades-future-upgrades-maintenance-report/11302)). Similarly, a **January 2025 RFC** on the Polkadot forum emphasized extending interoperability to "Ethereum, EVM rollups, etc. ↔ AssetHub ↔ Parachains," reinforcing demand for end-to-end cross-chain infrastructure, even beyond EVM-compatible use cases ([source](https://forum.polkadot.network/t/rfc-polkadot-bridges-explorer-cross-chain-intelligence/11182)).
+
+## Team :busts_in_silhouette:
+
+### Team Members
+
+- Lead: Blessed Tosin-Oyinbo Olamide
+- Planned: Rust Developer (to be hired with grant funding)
+
+### Contact
+
+- **Contact Name:** Blessed Tosin-Oyinbo Olamide
+- **Contact Email:** [Reach out via email](tosinoyinboblessed@gmail.com)
+- **Contact Website (Personal Portfolio):** [blessedtosinoyinbo.vzy.io](https://blessedtosinoyinbo.vzy.io)
+- **Website:** [Axia Labs](https://axialabsresearch.github.io/)
+- **Discord:** [Axia Labs discord](https://discord.gg/DKfZMcWS)
+- **Social Media:** [Axia Labs X(Twitter)](https://x.com/axialabs_)
+
+### Legal Structure
+- **Registered Address:** Will be established within 30 days of grant approval
+- **Registered Legal Entity:** Axia Labs Limited will be incorporated in Delaware upon grant acceptance, with all legal requirements completed immediately after first milestone delivery
+
+### Team's Experience
+
+**Blessed Tosin-Oyinbo** - [Founder, Lead Engineer at Axia Labs](https://axialabsresearch.github.io/author/blessed-tosin-oyinbo). Previously Marketing/DevRel Lead at [Payscribe](https://payscribe.co). Worked on Vault (Verifiable distributed storage infrastructure) and independent Solana research focusing on succinct cryptographic proofs for validator-side deterministic settlement in high-throughput systems. Over 4 years of industry and open-source experience.
+
+### Research Publications
+You can find our research on blockchain interoperability on our website @ [Axia Labs Research](https://axialabsresearch.github.io)
+
+#### Primitive Research and Articles
+- [The Cross-Chain Problem](https://axialabsresearch.github.io/article/the-cross-chain-trust-problem)
+- [Succinct State Validation](https://axialabsresearch.github.io/article/succinct-state-validation)
+- [Frostproofs](https://axialabsresearch.github.io/article/frostproof)
+- [Thinking Beyond Bridges](https://axialabsresearch.github.io/article/beyond-bridges)
+- [An overview of FROST's v0 Architecture](https://axialabsresearch.github.io/article/frost-v0)
+
+### Team Code Repos
+- [frost-protocol](https://github.com/axialabsresearch/frost-protocol)
+- [frost-substrate](https://github.com/axialabsresearch/frost-substrate)
+- [frostgate-sdk](https://github.com/axialabsreasearch/frostgate-sdk)
+- [frostgate-icap](https://github.com/axialabsresearch/frostgate-icap)
+- [frostgate-circuits](https://github.com/axialabsresearch/frostgate-circuits)
+- [frostgate-zkip](https://github.com/axialabsresearch/frostgate-zkip)
+
+### Team GitHub Profiles
+
+- [Blessed Tosin-Oyinbo](https://github.com/techninja8/)
+
+### Team LinkedIn Profiles
+
+- [Blessed Tosin-Oyinbo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tosin-oyinbo-blessed-tnxl/)
+
+## Development Status :open_book:
+
+### Current Implementation Status
+
+**FROST Protocol Core ([`frost-protocol`](https://github.com/axialabsresearch/frost-protocol)):**
+
+*frost-protocol is currently in a v0.1.0 release*
+
+1. **Core Protocol Architecture**
+
+a) **State Management System**
+- `StateTransition`: Core type for handling state changes between blocks
+- `StateProof`: Proof verification and validation system
+- `BlockId` and `ChainId` for chain-agnostic identification
+- Flexible proof system supporting multiple proof types
+
+b) **Network Layer**
+- `NetworkProtocol` trait for P2P communication
+- Peer management system with different node types (Validator, Observer, Relay, Gateway)
+- Transport layer abstraction supporting TCP, WebSocket, and QUIC
+- Circuit breaker and backpressure control for network stability
+
+c) **Message System**
+- `FrostMessage`: Core message type with comprehensive metadata
+- Priority-based message handling
+- Batch processing capabilities
+- Message validation and routing
+
+2. **Extension System**
+
+a) **Core Extension Framework**
+- `Extension` and `ProtocolExtension` traits
+- Dynamic extension loading/unloading
+- Extension lifecycle management (Initialize → Active → Suspended → Failed)
+- Extension dependency resolution
+
+b) **Extension Capabilities**
+- Message validation
+- State verification
+- Finality verification
+- Network routing
+- Custom extension types
+
+3. **Routing System**
+
+- Dynamic route discovery
+- Multi-path routing support
+- Load balancing capabilities
+- Failure recovery mechanisms
+
+4. **Proof System**
+
+a) **Supported Proof Types**
+- Zero-knowledge proofs
+- Signature-based proofs
+- Light client proofs
+- Basic finality proofs
+- Custom proof types
+
+b) **Proof Management**
+- Proof generation and verification
+- Caching system
+- Batch operations
+- Extension hooks
+
+5. **Network Coordination**
+
+- Session management for distributed operations
+- Reputation-based participant selection
+- Threshold signature support
+- Failure handling and recovery
+
+6. **Security Features**
+
+- Encryption support in transport layer
+- Authentication system
+- Ban management for malicious peers
+- Security configuration options
+
+7. **Monitoring and Metrics**
+
+- Network metrics
+- Peer statistics
+- Routing metrics
+- Extension performance tracking
+
+The current implementation provides a solid foundation for:
+
+1. **Chain Agnosticism**: The protocol is designed to work with any blockchain system through its abstracted interfaces.
+
+2. **Extensibility**: The extension system allows for custom functionality without modifying core protocol code.
+
+3. **Reliability**: Built-in circuit breakers, backpressure control, and failure recovery mechanisms.
+
+4. **Security**: Comprehensive security features including encryption, authentication, and ban management.
+
+5. **Performance**: Support for batch operations, caching, and optimized routing.
+
+**frost-substrate Pallet**
+1. **Core Pallet Structure**
+```rust
+#[pallet::pallet]
+pub struct Pallet<T>(_);
+
+#[pallet::config]
+pub trait Config: frame_system::Config {
+    type RuntimeEvent: From<Event<Self>>;
+    type FrostHash: Hash;
+    type MinConfirmations: Get<u32>;
+    type MaxProofSize: Get<u32>;
+}
+```
+
+2. **Key Components Implemented**:
+
+a) **Wrapper Types** (`wrapper_types.rs`):
+- `SubstrateStateTransition`
+- `SubstrateStateProof` 
+- `SubstrateFrostMessage`
+These provide Substrate compatibility for FROST protocol types.
+
+b) **Finality Integration** (`finality/mod.rs`):
+- `GrandpaFinality`: GRANDPA-based finality implementation
+- `SubstrateVerificationClient`: Substrate-specific verification client
+- Finality verification and chain rules enforcement
+
+c) **Proof System** (`proof/generator.rs`):
+- `ProofGenerator` trait
+- `MerkleProofGenerator`: Merkle tree based proofs
+- `BLSProofGenerator`: BLS signature based proofs
+- Configurable proof generation and validation
+
+d) **Verification System** (`verification/mod.rs`):
+- `ProofVerifier` trait
+- `MerkleVerifier` and `BLSVerifier` implementations
+- `VerificationRegistry` for managing multiple verifiers
+
+3. **Storage Items**:
+```rust
+#[pallet::storage]
+pub type Transitions<T: Config> = StorageMap<_, Blake2_128Concat, T::FrostHash, SubstrateStateTransition>;
+#[pallet::storage]
+pub type Proofs<T: Config> = StorageMap<_, Blake2_128Concat, T::FrostHash, SubstrateStateProof>;
+#[pallet::storage]
+pub type Messages<T: Config> = StorageMap<_, Blake2_128Concat, T::FrostHash, SubstrateFrostMessage>;
+```
+
+4. **Core Functionality**:
+
+a) **State Transition Handling**:
+```rust
+pub fn submit_transition(
+    origin: OriginFor<T>,
+    transition: StateTransition,
+) -> DispatchResult
+```
+
+b) **Proof Generation and Verification**:
+```rust
+pub fn submit_proof(
+    origin: OriginFor<T>,
+    proof: StateProof,
+) -> DispatchResult
+```
+
+c) **Message Processing**:
+```rust
+pub fn submit_message(
+    origin: OriginFor<T>,
+    message: FrostMessage,
+) -> DispatchResult
+```
+
+5. **Testing Infrastructure**:
+- Mock runtime setup in `mock.rs`
+- Basic test framework in place
+
+## Development Roadmap :nut_and_bolt:
+
+### Overview
+
+- **Total Estimated Duration:** 3 months
+- **Team:**
+  - 1 Core Developer (Full-time)
+  - 1 Contract Developer (Part-time)
+  - 1 Community Manager (Part-time)
+  - **Full-Time Equivalent (FTE):** 1.5 FTE
+- **Total Costs:** $30,000 USDC
+- **DOT Share:** 50%
+- **USDC Share:** 50%
+
+### Milestone 1 — Core FROST Integration (Month 1)
+- **Costs:** $10,000 USDC
+
+| Number | Deliverable | Specification |
+| -----: | ----------- | ------------- |
+| 0a. | License | Apache 2.0 |
+| 0b. | Documentation | Initial integration guide and API documentation |
+| 0c. | Testing | Unit tests for core components with 80%+ coverage |
+| 0d. | Article | We will publish an article that would clearly explains what was achieved. |
+| 1. | Core Pallet Structure | - Basic pallet configuration and types<br>- Storage items and events<br>- Error handling<br>- Runtime API definitions |
+| 2. | State Management | - Implementation of `SubstrateStateTransition`<br>- State proof verification<br>- Basic state storage patterns<br>- State transition validation |
+| 3. | Basic Network Layer | - Message type definitions<br>- Basic peer management<br>- Connection handling<br>- Initial network protocol implementation |
+
+### Milestone 2 — GRANDPA Integration & Testing (Month 2)
+- **Costs:** $10,000 USDC
+
+| Number | Deliverable | Specification |
+| -----: | ----------- | ------------- |
+| 0a. | Documentation | Technical documentation and integration examples |
+| 0b. | Testing | - Integration tests<br>- Local testnet setup guide<br>- Performance benchmarks |
+| 0d. | Article | We will publish an article that would clearly explains what was achieved. |
+| 1. | GRANDPA Integration | - GRANDPA finality verification<br>- Block import pipeline<br>- Finality proof generation<br>- Verification gadget implementation |
+| 2. | Message Routing | - Basic cross-chain message format<br>- Message validation<br>- Timeout handling<br>- Basic retry mechanism |
+| 3. | Local Testing Environment | - Docker setup for local testing<br>- Basic monitoring tools<br>- Test network configuration<br>- Performance testing framework |
+
+### Milestone 3 — MVP Completion & Testing (Month 3)
+- **Costs:** $10,000 USDC
+
+| Number | Deliverable | Specification |
+| -----: | ----------- | ------------- |
+| 0a. | Documentation | - Comprehensive documentation<br>- Deployment guides<br>- Troubleshooting guide |
+| 0b. | Testing | - End-to-end testing<br>- Security testing<br>- Stress testing<br>- Test coverage report |
+| 0d. | Article | We will publish an article that would clearly explains what was achieved. |
+| 1. | Ethereum Testnet Bridge | - Basic Ethereum testnet integration<br>- Simple state proof verification<br>- Basic asset transfer example |
+| 2. | Performance Optimization | - Gas optimization<br>- State storage optimization<br>- Proof size reduction<br>- Basic caching implementation |
+| 3. | Developer Tools | - Basic CLI for interaction<br>- Simple monitoring dashboard<br>- Integration examples<br>- Local development tools |
+
+### Key Focus Areas Per Month
+
+**Month 1: Foundation**
+- Core pallet implementation
+- Basic state management
+- Essential network layer
+- Focus on getting the basic infrastructure right
+
+**Month 2: Integration**
+- GRANDPA integration
+- Message routing system
+- Local testing environment
+- Focus on making components work together
+
+**Month 3: Refinement**
+- Single external chain support (Ethereum testnet)
+- Performance improvements
+- Developer tooling
+- Focus on usability and testing
+
+### Development Strategy
+
+1. **Iterative Development**
+   - Weekly development cycles
+   - Regular testing and integration
+   - Continuous documentation updates
+
+2. **Testing Priority**
+   - Unit tests from day one
+   - Integration tests as components are completed
+   - End-to-end testing in final month
+
+3. **Documentation**
+   - Inline code documentation
+   - API documentation
+   - Integration guides
+   - Example code
+
+4. **Community Engagement**
+   - Regular development updates
+   - Technical blog posts
+   - Community calls
+   - Developer documentation
+
+Our goal is to focus solely on essential MVP features, maintain high quality through thorough testing, provide useful developer tools, and create a solid foundation for future development. Additionally, we'll apply for a W3F-funded audit upon MVP completion.
+
+## Future Plans
+
+### Short-term (6-12 months)
+- **Ecosystem Integration**
+  - Successfully integrate with 2-3 parachains as early adopters
+  - Focus on one primary use case (e.g., asset transfer or data verification)
+  - Build basic monitoring and support infrastructure
+  - Develop comprehensive integration documentation
+
+- **Core Improvements**
+  - Optimize gas costs and proof sizes based on MVP feedback
+  - Add support for one additional proof type based on user needs
+  - Enhance error handling and recovery mechanisms
+  - Improve testing and deployment tooling
+
+- **Developer Tools**
+  - Create basic SDK for common integration patterns
+  - Build essential CLI tools for chain interaction
+  - Provide example implementations and templates
+  - Establish developer documentation portal
+
+### Medium-term (1-2 years)
+- **Protocol Enhancement**
+  - Add support for 2-3 more proof types based on adoption
+  - Implement basic privacy features (not full ZK initially)
+  - Optimize cross-chain message routing
+  - Develop basic governance mechanisms
+
+- **Ecosystem Growth**
+  - Expand to 5-7 parachain integrations
+  - Build partnerships with other Substrate projects
+  - Create a grant program for developers
+  - Establish regular community events and workshops
+
+- **Security & Stability**
+  - Complete comprehensive security audit
+  - Implement advanced monitoring systems
+  - Enhance fault tolerance and recovery
+  - Add performance benchmarking tools
+
+### Long-term (2+ years)
+- **Advanced Features**
+  - Implement full ZK proof support
+  - Add post-quantum cryptographic options
+  - Develop cross-chain governance capabilities
+  - Create enterprise-grade tooling
+
+- **Ecosystem Expansion**
+  - Support major non-Substrate chains
+  - Establish interoperability standards
+  - Build advanced use case templates
+  - Create enterprise partnership program
+
+## Additional Information :heavy_plus_sign:
+
+### W3F Alignment
+
+FROST Protocol directly supports key Web3 Foundation priorities:
+
+- **Interoperability**: Core focus on seamless cross-chain communication
+- **Parachain Ecosystem**: Specifically designed for parachain optimization and growth
+- **Developer Experience**: Simplified APIs and comprehensive tooling reduce development friction
+- **Security**: Maintains cryptographic security without trusted intermediaries
+- **Scalability**: Removes relay chain bottlenecks for improved ecosystem throughput
+- **Decentralization**: Enables parachain autonomy in cross-chain operations
+
+### Technical Differentiators
+
+1. **Parachain-First Architecture**: Unlike generic bridge solutions, FROST is optimized specifically for parachain needs and constraints
+2. **Flexible Proof Systems**: Support for multiple verification methods allows optimization per use case and target chain
+3. **Direct External Chain Access**: Eliminates relay chain dependency for external blockchain communication
+4. **Optimized Performance**: Significant improvements in proof size (70-90% reduction) and verification speed
+5. **Extensible Design**: Architecture supports future proof types and blockchain integrations
+
+### Risk Mitigation
+
+**Technical Risks:**
+- Mitigation: Comprehensive testing, security audits, and gradual rollout
+- Fallback: Extensible design allows component-wise updates and fixes
+
+**Adoption Risks:**
+- Mitigation: Early parachain partnerships and developer-friendly tooling
+- Fallback: Backward compatibility with existing bridge solutions
+
+**Competition Risks:**
+- Mitigation: Focus on unique parachain-optimized features and superior performance
+- Fallback: Open-source approach encourages collaboration over competition
+
+### Success Metrics
+
+**Technical Metrics:**
+- Proof size reduction: Target 70-90% vs traditional bridges
+- Verification time: Under 100ms for typical operations
+- Gas cost reduction: 50%+ for cross-chain operations
+- Developer adoption: 10+ parachain integrations within 12 months
+
+**Ecosystem Metrics:**
+- Community engagement: Active developer community and regular contributions
+- Research impact: Citations and adoption of FROST research
+- Industry recognition: Speaking opportunities and partnership requests
+
+### Commitment to Open Source
+
+FROST Protocol will be fully open-source under Apache-2.0 license, encouraging community contribution and ecosystem growth. We commit to:
+
+- Transparent development process with regular updates
+- Community-driven feature development and roadmap
+- Comprehensive documentation and developer resources
+- Long-term maintenance and support
+
+We believe FROST Protocol represents a significant step forward in parachain interoperability, offering the performance, security, and developer experience needed to unlock the full potential of the Polkadot ecosystem.
diff --git a/applications/frostgate.md b/applications/frostgate.md
deleted file mode 100644
index b9868756ebb..00000000000
--- a/applications/frostgate.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,325 +0,0 @@
-# Frostgate - A Modular, ZK-Agnostic Protocol for Trustless Interoperability
-
-* **Team Name:** Axia Labs
-* **Payment Details:**
-  * **DOT:** 13zkusUEfqSXYomjHroNTXygY878hJAoEAkTtoc6DDrbaB5q
-  * **USDC (Polkadot Asset Hub):** 13zkusUEfqSXYomjHroNTXygY878hJAoEAkTtoc6DDrbaB5q
-* **Level:** 2
-
----
-
-## Project Overview
-
-### Overview
-
-Frostgate is a modular interoperability protocol designed to enable secure, trust-minimized message transmission across heterogeneous blockchains. Rooted in our research of [Succinct State Validation (SSV)](https://axialabsresearch.github.io/article/succinct-state-validation), Frostgate employs succinct cryptographic proofs to establish verifiable claims about state transitions on external chains. This design minimizes dependency on centralized relayers, multi-signature committees, or heavyweight consensus replication.
-
-By treating each chain as an isolated context with its own finality semantics, Frostgate introduces Interoperability Chain Abstraction via its ChainAdapter interface, a canonical boundary for cryptographic externalization. This allows sovereign chains to interoperate via standardized proof systems, introducing modularity at the consensus and proof backends.
-
-Rather than function as a traditional bridge, Frostgate acts as a protocol-level coprocessor, a foundational layer for interoperable applications, enabling cross-chain messaging, asset flows and shared state logic while preserving the integrity and sovereignty of participating chains.
-
-### Motivation
-
-Most existing interoperability protocols introduce additional trust assumptions. These are brittle and often the weakest link in cross-chain design.
-
-Frostgate is built around a simple but powerful premise: **trust cryptography, not governance**. By using cryptographic proofs to verify cross-chain states and messages, we avoid replication, consensus simulation, and multisig centralization. It offers a verifiable-first approach that aligns with Web3 core principles: open, decentralized, and trustless. We believe that this approach is the end-game of interoperability for heterogeneous chains, regardless of underlying architecture.
-
-### How Frostgate Differs from Existing Solutions
-
-Unlike existing interoperability solutions, Frostgate eliminates trust assumptions through pure cryptographic verification:
-
-| Feature | Frostgate | LayerZero | Axelar | IBC |
-|---------|-----------|-----------|--------|-----|
-| Trust Model | ZK Proofs Only | Oracle + Relayer | Validator Set | Light Client |
-| Substrate Native | ✅ | ❌ | Partial | ❌ |
-| ZK Backend Agnostic | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
-| Verification Method | On-chain ZK | Off-chain Oracle | Validator Consensus | Light Client Sync |
-| Governance Dependencies | No core dependecies | Oracle Selection | Validator Governance | Client Updates |
-
-**Key Differentiators:**
-- **Pure Cryptographic Verification**: Which replaces need for cenatralized relayer, validator sets, multi-signature committees
-- **Modular ZK Backends**: Support for SP1, Halo2, RiscZero without vendor lock-in  
-- **Native Substrate Integration**: Built specifically for Polkadot ecosystem requirements
-- **Chain Sovereignty**: No shared security assumptions or governance dependencies
-
-## Project Details
-
-#### **Interoperability as Verifiable Message-Passing**
-
-Let each chain $C$ be a deterministic state machine with transition function $\delta$. Frostgate encodes cross-chain state transitions as authenticated messages $M: \{C_i \rightarrow C_j\}$, each accompanied by a succinct cryptographic witness $\pi_M$ attesting to the finality and validity of the originating event.
-
-Acceptance on the destination chain is reduced to a single predicate:
-
-$$
-\text{Accept}_{C_j}(M) \iff V_j(\pi_M) = 1
-$$
-
-where $V_j$ is a backend-agnostic verifier.
-
-#### **Finality as a Security Primitive**
-
-Finality is formalized as a predicate $F$, mapping blocks to their consensus status:
-
-$$
-F(b_i) = 1 \iff \text{Consensus}_{C_i}(b_i) = \text{final}
-$$
-
-Frostgate's adapters abstract over both BFT and probabilistic finality, ensuring only finalized events are eligible for cross-chain export.
-
-#### **Chain Abstraction via ICAP**
-
-Every chain implements a **ChainAdapter**, an interface contract, not a binding dependency. This adapter is responsible for:
-- Extracting finalized events
-- Encoding messages under the Frostgate specification
-- Exposing finality and proof-generation hooks
-
-This abstraction empowers any chain community to author their own adapters, fostering a truly open, permissionless ecosystem.
-
-### Core Components (MVP Scope)
-
-#### `frostgate-icap`
-
-Implements the Interoperable Chain Abstraction Protocol (ICAP), defining a trait-based abstraction over blockchain behaviors. Initial focus on Substrate chains only.
-
-- `ChainAdapter` composed of subtraits:
-  - `FinalityProvider`
-  - `MessageSubmitter` 
-  - `MessageProver`
-  - `EventListener`
-  - `CapabilityProvider`
-
-#### `frostgate-zkip`
-
-Defines the ZK backend plugin interface (`ZkBackend` trait) with initial SP1 implementation only. Other backends (Halo2, RiscZero) will be added in future iterations.
-
-#### `frostgate-sdk`
-
-Developer SDK providing core types and utilities:
-- `FrostMessage` (canonical cross-chain message format)
-- `ChainId` (Substrate-focused initially)
-- `MessageVerifier<B: ZkBackend>`
-
-### Use Case (MVP)
-
-The initial implementation focuses on Substrate-to-Substrate message passing within the Polkadot ecosystem. A parachain emits an outbound message event, the Substrate ChainAdapter verifies finality via GRANDPA, generates a ZK proof using SP1, and transmits it to the destination parachain where it's verified via the Frostgate pallet.
-
-## Team
-
-### Team Members
-
-- Lead: Blessed Tosin-Oyinbo Olamide
-- Planned: Rust Developer (to be hired with grant funding)
-
-### Contact
-
-- **Contact Name:** Blessed Tosin-Oyinbo Olamide
-- **Contact Email:** [Reach out via email](tosinoyinboblessed@gmail.com)
-- **Website:** [Axia Labs](https://axialabsresearch.github.io/)
-- **Medium** [Frostgate Medium](https://medium.com/@frostgate)
-- **Social Media:** [Frostgate Twitter](https://x.com/devfrostgate)
-
-### Legal Structure
-- **Registered Address:** Will be established within 30 days of grant approval
-- **Registered Legal Entity:** Axia Labs Limited will be incorporated in [Delaware] upon grant acceptance, with all legal requirements completed immediately after first milestone delivery
-
-### Team's Experience
-
-**Blessed Tosin-Oyinbo** - [Founder, Lead Engineer at Axia Labs](https://axialabsresearch.github.io/author/blessed-tosin-oyinbo). Previously Marketing/DevRel Lead at Payscribe. Worked on Vault (Verifiable distributed storage infrastructure) and independent Solana research focusing on succinct cryptographic proofs for validator-side deterministic settlement in high-throughput systems. Over 4 years of industry and open-source experience.
-
-### Research Publications
-You can find our research on blockchain interoperability on our website @ [Axia Labs Research](https://axialabsresearch.github.io)
-
-#### Primitive Research and Articles
-- [The Cross-Chain Problem](https://axialabsresearch.github.io/article/the-cross-chain-trust-problem)
-- [Succinct State Validation](https://axialabsresearch.github.io/article/succinct-state-validation)
-- [Frostproofs](https://axialabsresearch.github.io/article/frostproof)
-- [Thinking Beyond Bridges](https://axialabsresearch.github.io/article/beyond-bridges)
-- [How Zero-Knowledge Proofs Enable Trustless Interoperability](https://axialabsresearch.github.io/article/inside-frostgate)
-
-### Team Code Repos
-- [frostgate-sdk](https://github.com/frostgate/frostgate-sdk)
-- [frostgate-pallet-verifier](https://github.com/frostgate/frostgate-pallet-verifier)
-- [frostgate-icap](https://github.com/frostgate/frostgate-icap)
-- [frostgate-circuits](https://github.com/frostgate/frostgate-circuits)
-- [frost-cli](https://github.com/frostgate/frost-cli)
-- [frostgate-node](https://github.com/frostgate/frostgate-node)
-- [frostgate-relayer](https://github.com/frostgate/frostgate-relayer)
-- [frostgate-docs](https://github.com/frostgate/frostgate-docs)
-- [frostgate-zkip](https://github.com/frostgate/frostgate-zkip)
-
-### Team GitHub Profiles
-
-- [Blessed Tosin-Oyinbo](https://github.com/techninja8/)
-
-### Team LinkedIn Profiles
-
-- [Blessed Tosin-Oyinbo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tosin-oyinbo-blessed-tnxl/)
-
-## Development Status
-
-### Current Implementation Status
-
-Frostgate's codebase is approximately 40% complete, comprising foundational components including early versions of `frostgate-icap`, `frostgate-zkip`, and `frostgate-sdk`. Key progress includes:
-
-- Basic `ChainAdapter` trait defined with core Substrate integration patterns
-- SP1 backend integration foundation with proof-of-concept circuit compilation
-- Message serialization working with `scale-codec` for Substrate compatibility  
-- GRANDPA finality verification logic implemented for testnet integration
-- Core error handling and async patterns established
-
-
-### Documentation Status
-
-Documentation includes architectural overview, basic integration guides, and preliminary API specifications. Current focus is on technical implementation with comprehensive documentation planned for milestone deliverables.
-
-## Roadmap
-
-### Total Duration: 2 months
-
-**FTE:** 1 (Month 1), 1.5 (Month 2 with additional developer (contract/part-time))
-**Total Requested Grant:** $22,000
-**DOT Share:** 50%
-**USDC Share:** 50%
-
----
-
-### 🎯 Milestone 1: Core Protocol Foundation
-
-**Duration:** 1 month  
-**Cost:** $10,000  
-**Focus:** Build and test the foundational components
-
-| Number | Deliverable | Specification |
-|--------|-------------|---------------|
-| 0a. | License | Apache 2.0 |
-| 0b. | Documentation | - Architecture overview<br>- Core API specifications<br>- Setup and installation guide<br>- Inline code documentation |
-| 0c. | Testing Guide | - Unit tests (>85% coverage)<br>- CI/CD pipeline setup<br>- Test execution guide<br>- Code quality checks |
-| 0d. | Docker Configuration | - Development environment setup<br>- Test environment containers<br>- Docker-compose for local development |
-| 0e. | Technical Article | - Deep dive into ICAP design philosophy<br>- ZK proof system architecture for Substrate<br>- Comparison with existing bridge solutions |
-| 1a. | Core ICAP Implementation | - Complete `ChainAdapter` trait definition<br>- Substrate adapter with GRANDPA finality<br>- Event listening and message extraction<br>- Robust error handling and async support |
-| 1b. | ZK Proof Foundation | - `ZkBackend` trait with clean interface<br>- SP1 backend implementation<br>- Basic circuit for Substrate state validation<br>- Proof generation pipeline |
-| 1c. | SDK Core Types | - `FrostMessage` with proper serialization<br>- `ChainId` enum for Substrate chains<br>- Error types and result handling<br>- Message validation logic |
-| 1d. | Basic CLI Tools | - `frost-cli` foundation<br>- Configuration management<br>- Proof generation commands<br>- Debug utilities |
-
-### Success Criteria for Milestone 1
-- All core traits and types implemented
-- Unit tests passing with >85% coverage  
-- Proof generation working locally
-- Clean, documented codebase ready for integration
-
----
-
-### 🎯 Milestone 2: Integration & Testnet Demo
-
-**Duration:** 1 month  
-**Cost:** $12,000 
-**Focus:** Complete integration, pallet development, and working testnet demo
-
-| Number | Deliverable | Specification |
-|--------|-------------|---------------|
-| 0a. | License | Apache 2.0 |
-| 0b. | Documentation | - Complete integration guide<br>- Testnet deployment instructions<br>- Troubleshooting guide<br>- API reference documentation |
-| 0c. | Testing Guide | - Integration test suite<br>- End-to-end test scenarios<br>- Testnet testing procedures<br>- Performance benchmarking |
-| 0d. | Technical Article | - Real-world testnet deployment walkthrough<br>- Performance analysis and optimization<br>- Lessons learned and future roadmap |
-| 2a. | Substrate Pallet | - Finalize and optimize `frostgate-pallet-verifier`<br>- SP1 proof verification on-chain<br>- Message routing and execution<br>- Event emission and indexing |
-| 2b. | Enhanced SDK | - High-level API for developers<br>- Configuration builders<br>- Connection management<br>- TypeScript type definitions |
-| 2c. | Advanced CLI Features | - Interactive mode<br>- Network status monitoring<br>- Message inspection tools<br>- Batch operations support |
-| 2d. | Testnet Integration | - Rococo testnet deployment<br>- Parachain-to-parachain messaging<br>- Complete message lifecycle demo<br>- Performance metrics collection |
-| 2e. | Developer Experience | - Example applications<br>- Integration templates<br>- Video tutorials<br>- Community documentation |
-
-### Success Criteria for Milestone 2
-- **Functional Demo**: Working parachain-to-parachain messaging on Rococo
-- **Performance**: Proof generation under 45 seconds
-- **Reliability**: >95% success rate in testnet operations  
-- **Documentation**: Complete developer onboarding experience
-- **Community**: Ready for external developers to integrate
-
-
-## Economic Considerations
-
-### Cost Analysis
-- **Proof Generation**: Estimated $0.05-0.10 per message (SP1 compute costs)
-- **On-chain Verification**: ~300k gas on Substrate parachains (~$0.01-0.02)
-- **Total Cost**: ~$0.07-0.12 per cross-chain message
-- **Comparison**: 50-100x cheaper than existing multisig bridge transaction fees
-
-### Sustainability Model
-- **Phase 1**: Open source core protocol (always free)
-- **Phase 2**: Revenue from enterprise adapter development and integration support
-- **Phase 3**: Premium developer tooling and hosted infrastructure services
-- **Long-term**: Fee-sharing partnerships with high-volume parachain integrators
-
-## Technical Architecture Deep Dive
-
-### Circuit Design Overview
-The SP1 circuit validates three core components:
-1. **Block Finality**: GRANDPA signature aggregation and threshold verification
-2. **Event Inclusion**: Merkle tree proofs for event inclusion in finalized blocks  
-3. **Message Integrity**: Format compliance, nonce verification, and replay protection
-
-### Security Properties
-- **Soundness**: Cryptographically impossible to create valid proof for invalid state transition
-- **Completeness**: All valid state transitions produce verifiable, accepted proofs
-- **Succinctness**: Proof size constant regardless of underlying chain state size
-- **Verifiability**: Fast verification enables cost-effective on-chain validation
-
-### Performance Targets
-- **Proof Generation**: Target <45s, Minimum viable <60s for basic messages
-- **Verification Cost**: Target <300k gas, Maximum acceptable 500k gas
-- **Message Throughput**: Target 100+ messages/hour, scaling with parallelization
-- **Reliability**: 99%+ uptime during testnet operations
-
-governance mechanisms
-
-## Success Metrics & KPIs
-
-### Technical Metrics
-- **Code Quality**: Minimum 75% test coverage, target 80%
-- **Performance**: Proof generation <45s target, <60s acceptable
-- **Cost Efficiency**: <300k gas verification target, <500k maximum
-- **Reliability**: 88.5% uptime target during testnet phase
-
-### Adoption Metrics
-- **Developer Interest**: 5+ GitHub stars and 3+ external contributors by project end
-- **Integration Pipeline**: At least 2 parachain teams testing integration by the end of Month 2
-- **Documentation Usage**: Technical guides accessed by developers (atleast 50)
-
-### Ecosystem Impact
-- **Technical Standards**: Contribute to 1+ Substrate RFC or XCM improvement proposal
-- **Knowledge Sharing**: Publish 4+ technical articles during development period  
-- **Open Source Growth**: Enable 2+ derivative projects building on Frostgate foundation
-
----
-
-## Future Plans & Grant Pipeline
-
-### Development Roadmap
-This MVP establishes the foundation for a comprehensive interoperability ecosystem:
-
-**Phase 2 (6 months post-MVP)**: Multi-chain Expansion
-- Ethereum integration with EVM adapter ($55k grant target)
-- Solana support with native program integration  
-- Additional ZK backends (Halo2, RiscZero) for optimization
-
-**Phase 3 (12 months post-MVP)**: Advanced Features  
-- Message batching and aggregation for cost efficiency ($70k grant target)
-- Recursive proof systems for scalability
-- Production monitoring and alerting infrastructure
-
-**Phase 4 (18 months post-MVP)**: Ecosystem Maturity
-- Governance-free protocol upgrades via ZK-verified consensus
-- Cross-chain smart contract execution environment
-- Enterprise-grade tooling and hosted services
-
-### Self-Sustainability Timeline
-- **Month 6**: First paid enterprise integration and custom adapter development
-- **Month 12**: Revenue-positive operations from developer services
-- **Month 18**: Full team funding from protocol revenue and partnerships
-- **Month 24**: Decentralized protocol governance and community-driven development
-
-### Long-term Vision
-Frostgate aims to become the foundational interoperability layer for the Polkadot ecosystem, enabling seamless, trustless communication between all parachains and external blockchains while maintaining the sovereignty and security properties that make Substrate unique.
-
-## Additional Information
-
-This is our first application to the Web3 Foundation grants program. We are committed to open-source development and ecosystem contribution, with plans to expand the team based on grant funding and project traction.

From 86b20fe4115e5766cb1d0974e1920124d734e69d Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Blessed Tosin-Oyinbo <121986463+techninja8@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Wed, 9 Jul 2025 12:05:56 +0100
Subject: [PATCH 13/13] Update frost-substrate.md

---
 applications/frost-substrate.md | 4 ++--
 1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/applications/frost-substrate.md b/applications/frost-substrate.md
index 8a5db565d0a..515ab960b46 100644
--- a/applications/frost-substrate.md
+++ b/applications/frost-substrate.md
@@ -514,11 +514,11 @@ FROST Protocol directly supports key Web3 Foundation priorities:
 
 ### Commitment to Open Source
 
-FROST Protocol will be fully open-source under Apache-2.0 license, encouraging community contribution and ecosystem growth. We commit to:
+FROST Protocol and `frost-substrate` will be fully open-source under Apache-2.0 license, encouraging community contribution and ecosystem growth. We commit to:
 
 - Transparent development process with regular updates
 - Community-driven feature development and roadmap
 - Comprehensive documentation and developer resources
 - Long-term maintenance and support
 
-We believe FROST Protocol represents a significant step forward in parachain interoperability, offering the performance, security, and developer experience needed to unlock the full potential of the Polkadot ecosystem.
+We believe `frost-substrate` represents a significant step forward in parachain interoperability, offering the performance, security, and developer experience needed to unlock the full potential of the Polkadot ecosystem.