Key Features
🔮 Native Message Layer
Obsidian is the first EVM chain with built-in support for on-chain messages. No smart contracts, no token standards — just sign and send.
// It's this simple
await provider.send("eth_sendMessageBlob", [
{
from: myAddress,
data: "0x" + Buffer.from("Hello, Obsidian!").toString("hex"),
signature: signature,
nonce: "0x" + Date.now().toString(16),
chainId: "0x1a5",
},
]);⚡ Dual-Lane Queue System
Two separate queues ensure fair access for everyone:
Priority (PMQ)
Bid ≥ 0.001 OBS
Time-sensitive data, guaranteed fast inclusion
Standard (SMQ)
Free
Regular messages, FIFO ordering
Each lane has reserved block space — priority messages can't crowd out free messages, and vice versa.
🛡️ VDF Anti-Spam Protection
Instead of paying gas, standard messages require a small Verifiable Delay Function proof. This:
Prevents spam (bots can't flood the network)
Keeps messages free for real users
Scales with message size (bigger = more work)
Runs in any browser (~1-2 seconds for typical messages)
🏛️ Permanent, Immutable Storage
Messages are stored in the blockchain itself — not in a separate layer, not in a database, not pinned somewhere. They're:
Replicated by every full node
Verified by consensus
Immutable once included
Queryable via standard RPC
🔧 Full EVM Compatibility
Obsidian runs standard Ethereum tooling:
✅ MetaMask, Rainbow, and all EVM wallets
✅ ethers.js, web3.js, viem
✅ Hardhat, Foundry, Remix
✅ The Graph, Alchemy, Infura (when integrated)
✅ All existing Solidity contracts
Your Ethereum skills transfer directly.
💰 Sustainable Archive Economics
70% of all priority message fees go to Archive Node operators who store and serve historical data. This creates:
Sustainable incentives for data preservation
More messages → more fees → more archive nodes
Decentralized historical data availability
🗄️ Sharded Archive Support
Traditional archive nodes store everything. Obsidian supports sharded archives where nodes store specific epoch ranges:
Lower hardware requirements. Same complete history. More operators.
🔐 Cryptographic Security
Every message includes:
Signature — Proves sender authenticity
Chain ID — Prevents cross-chain replay
Nonce — Prevents same-chain replay
Timestamp — Establishes ordering
All verified at multiple layers (RPC, P2P, consensus).
⚡ Per-Message Committee Validation
Scalable verification without sacrificing security:
Edge nodes fully validate every message on arrival (signature + VDF)
Each message gets a unique ~10% validator committee (via
SHA256(message_hash || randao))Committee members sign the message_hash with BLS, aggregated at edge node
4-second aggregation window to collect attestations before block inclusion
Attestations are embedded in messages (self-contained, no external dependencies)
When 2/3 of message's committee attests, validators skip sig/VDF re-verification
Messages are always validated at least once. The embedded attestation allows validators to trust that validation without repeating it. If attestation is missing or invalid, validators fall back to full verification.
These features combine to create a blockchain purpose-built for permanent, accessible, decentralized data.
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