Plasma: who orders transactions?

Who controls it

Transaction ordering

PlasmaBFT validator committee launched as a small, trusted set; the documentation says broader consensus-node access and permissionless validation are future phases.

Escape hatch

n/a: L1. Non-validator nodes are configured to trust a validator endpoint.

Upgrade authority

Core consensus, committee formation and the proof-of-stake design are still under active development. Plasma documents no independent on-chain upgrade authority and no window to withdraw before an upgrade.

Halts and outages

Fast HotStuff-style finality reduces normal confirmation time, but the launch architecture keeps the validator set small on purpose. Slashing applies to rewards but not to validator collateral, and the current documentation sets no separate liveness penalty.

Ketju assessment

Ketju does not approve Plasma at its current phase: a selected validator committee runs consensus, and Plasma has set no date for public validator participation. Plasma publishes a credible technical path toward a proof-of-stake L1, but it has not yet built it. Its documentation still describes committee formation as under development. A non-validator can verify data but still follows a trusted validator for consensus. The launch group controls the chain until permissionless entry and upgrade authority are live and measurable.

Review triggers

• Revisit after permissionless consensus-node participation is live
• Revisit after validator identities, stake concentration, and upgrade authority are publicly measurable
• Revisit after twelve months of production under the decentralized validator design

Each trigger names a fact anyone can observe. If one occurs, Ketju will review the assessment again. None is a forecast.

Questions before use

1. Does the client’s thesis require censorship resistance, or primarily low-cost settlement?
2. Can the client withdraw without help from the party that normally orders transactions?
3. Who can upgrade bridges or contracts, and what delay applies?
4. Does the asset introduce an issuer weaker than the chain grade?
5. What evidence will show a halt, censorship event, or governance change?