Frostgate Application - Modular Interoperability Protocol

[techninja8]

Project Abstract

Frostgate is a modular interoperability protocol that enables trustless cross-chain communication for the Polkadot ecosystem using zero-knowledge proofs. Unlike existing bridge solutions that rely on validator sets, oracles, or multi-signature committees, Frostgate eliminates all trust assumptions through pure cryptographic verification.

The protocol uses Succinct State Validation (SSV) to verify cross-chain state transitions via ZK proofs, treating each blockchain as an isolated state machine with verifiable finality claims. The modular architecture supports multiple ZK backends (SP1, Halo2, RiscZero) through a zk-agnostic design, while the Interoperability Chain Abstraction Protocol (ICAP) provides standardized integration interfaces.

Grant level

• Level 1: Up to $10,000, 2 approvals
• Level 2: Up to $30,000, 3 approvals
• Level 3: Unlimited, 5 approvals (for >$100k: Web3 Foundation Council approval)

Application Checklist

• The application template has been copied and aptly renamed (frostgate.md).
• I have read the application guidelines.
• Payment details have been provided (Polkadot AssetHub (USDC & DOT) address in the application and bank details via email, if applicable).
• I understand that an agreed upon percentage of each milestone will be paid in vested DOT, to the Polkadot address listed in the application.
• I am aware that, in order to receive a grant, I (and the entity I represent) have to successfully complete a KYC/KYB check.
• The software delivered for this grant will be released under an open-source license specified in the application.
• The initial PR contains only one commit (squash and force-push if needed).
• The grant will only be announced once the first milestone has been accepted (see the announcement guidelines).
• I prefer the discussion of this application to take place in a private Element/Matrix channel. My username is: @_______:matrix.org (change the homeserver if you use a different one)

[techninja8]

recheck

[techninja8]

Hello team,

It's been about two weeks since we submitted this grant application. We wanted to check in on the status and see if there's any additional information or clarification needed from our side to move the review process forward.
We are happy to provide any supplementary details if required.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

[PieWol]

Hey @techninja8 ,
Thank you for applying to our grants program!
As you can see by the amount of open PRs, we are currently a little behind in our reviewing process. I'll start taking a look and get back to you in case of any questions or updates. Thanks for your patience.

[techninja8]

Hello team,

Thank you for getting back to us! We're excited to move forward with the review process.

During the wait period, we continued development work and made some architectural changes that we wanted to bring to your attention. We want to be completely transparent and get your guidance on how to proceed.

What's changed:
We've evolved the original design into a more modular structure with primitive components:

• FROST: Handles the core finality and message passing, state management and networking
• RYMAXIS: An enhanced version of what was originally frostgate-zkip
• SNOWFORGE: Circuit management functionality

Frostgate now builds on top of these primitives to deliver the same core goal: trustless Substrate-to-Substrate messaging.

Our situation:
We've made good progress during this time and learned a lot about the technical challenges and potential improvements. However, we realize the modular approach we've taken might be more complex than what we originally scoped.

Question for you:
Should we proceed with the review based on our original application, or would it be better to submit an updated proposal that reflects the current architecture? We're happy to work within the original scope if that's preferred, or we can provide more details about the enhanced approach.

We want to deliver the best possible result for the Polkadot ecosystem and appreciate your guidance on the most appropriate path forward.

Thank you.