Challengers

The larger the challenger group, the more secure the bridge becomes. The challenger role is permissionless—anyone can become a challenger by running the designated challenger program.

Challengers interact with the bridge’s funds in two ways:

1. Staking

2. Rewards

1. Staking (Self-Custodied & Time-Locked)

• Challengers stake their own BTC in a self-custodied manner.

• The staked funds are locked in a timelocked UTXO, which can only be withdrawn after the timelock expires (typically 3–12 months, matching the challenger’s tenure).

• Once the timelock ends, challengers can permissionlessly reclaim their BTC without relying on any third party.

2. Rewards (Distributed by the Committee)

• When a challenge succeeds:

  • The operator’s slashed collateral is transferred to a committee-controlled address.

  • The committee then distributes rewards to participating challengers based on their contribution.