Abstract

This PIP defines the parsd node architecture - a lightweight wrapper around luxd that automatically configures and loads EVM + SessionVM plugins for the Pars network.

Motivation

The Pars network requires two distinct virtual machines:

1. EVM - For smart contracts, DeFi, tokens with post-quantum precompiles
2. SessionVM - For secure messaging, session management, private communications

Running these as separate plugins on luxd allows:

• Independent scaling
• Separate upgrade paths
• Clean separation of concerns
• Validator flexibility

Problem

Manually configuring luxd with both plugins and Pars-specific settings is complex and error-prone.

Solution

parsd is a thin wrapper that:

• Auto-discovers and symlinks plugin binaries
• Configures PQ precompile addresses
• Sets Pars network defaults
• Passes through to luxd

Specification

parsd Architecture

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                           PARSD NODE ARCHITECTURE                                     │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                                      │
│  parsd (wrapper)                                                                    │
│  ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐  │
│  │  1. Configure plugin directory                                                 │  │
│  │  2. Symlink EVM + SessionVM plugins                                           │  │
│  │  3. Set Pars defaults (network ID, precompiles)                               │  │
│  │  4. Execute luxd with configuration                                           │  │
│  └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘  │
│                                      │                                               │
│                                      ▼                                               │
│  luxd (Lux node)                                                                    │
│  ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐  │
│  │  - Consensus (Quasar)                                                          │  │
│  │  - P2P networking                                                              │  │
│  │  - State management                                                            │  │
│  │  - Plugin loader                                                               │  │
│  └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘  │
│                                      │                                               │
│              ┌───────────────────────┴───────────────────────┐                      │
│              ▼                                               ▼                      │
│  ┌───────────────────────────┐           ┌───────────────────────────┐              │
│  │       EVM Plugin          │           │     SessionVM Plugin      │              │
│  │                           │           │                           │              │
│  │  - Smart contracts        │           │  - Session management     │              │
│  │  - PQ precompiles:        │           │  - Encrypted messaging    │              │
│  │    - ML-DSA (0x0601)     │           │  - Channel management     │              │
│  │    - ML-KEM (0x0603)     │◄─────────►│  - PQ key exchange        │              │
│  │    - BLS    (0x0B00)     │   Warp    │  - Message storage        │              │
│  │    - Ringtail (0x0700)   │           │                           │              │
│  │    - FHE    (0x0800)     │           │                           │              │
│  └───────────────────────────┘           └───────────────────────────┘              │
│                                                                                      │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Plugin IDs

Plugin	VMID	Source
EVM	srEXiWaHuhNyGwPUi444Tu47ZEDwxTWrbQiuD7FmgSAQ6X7Dy	github.com/luxfi/evm
SessionVM	speKUgLBX6WRD5cfGeEfLa43LxTXUBckvtv4td6F3eTXvRP48	github.com/luxfi/session

Configuration

parsd sets the following defaults:

const (
    ParsNetworkID = 7070

    EVMID       = "srEXiWaHuhNyGwPUi444Tu47ZEDwxTWrbQiuD7FmgSAQ6X7Dy"
    SessionVMID = "speKUgLBX6WRD5cfGeEfLa43LxTXUBckvtv4td6F3eTXvRP48"
)

func buildLuxdArgs(dataDir, pluginDir string) []string {
    return []string{
        fmt.Sprintf("--network-id=%d", ParsNetworkID),
        fmt.Sprintf("--data-dir=%s", dataDir),
        fmt.Sprintf("--plugin-dir=%s", pluginDir),
        "--warp-api-enabled=true",
        "--chain-config-content=" + getParsChainConfig(),
    }
}

PQ Precompile Addresses

Precompile	Address	Standard
ML-DSA-65	0x0601	FIPS 204
ML-KEM-768	0x0603	FIPS 203
BLS12-381	0x0B00	-
Ringtail	0x0700	Threshold signatures
FHE	0x0800	Fully homomorphic

Installation

From Source

# Clone parsd
git clone https://github.com/parsdao/node
cd node

# Build
go build -o parsd ./cmd/parsd/

# Install
cp parsd /usr/local/bin/

Run

# Start with defaults
parsd

# Custom network ID
parsd --network-id=7071

# Custom ports (run alongside luxd)
parsd --http-port=9660 --staking-port=9659

# Custom data directory
parsd --data-dir=/data/pars

For Existing luxd Validators

Validators already running luxd can add Pars support:

# Option 1: Build and install SessionVM plugin
cd ~/work/lux/session
go build -o sessionvm ./plugin/
cp sessionvm ~/.lux/plugins/speKUgLBX6WRD5cfGeEfLa43LxTXUBckvtv4td6F3eTXvRP48

# Option 2: Use parsd (recommended)
# parsd auto-configures everything
parsd --http-port=9660  # Run on different port

Chain Creation

Create a Pars chain using lux CLI:

# Create chain with Pars VM (auto-includes EVM + SessionVM)
lux chain create mychain --pars

# Or create with just SessionVM
lux chain create mychain --session

Interoperability

EVM and SessionVM communicate via Warp messaging:

// EVM contract triggering session action
interface ISessionVM {
    function createSession(address[] memory participants) external returns (bytes32);
    function sendMessage(bytes32 sessionId, bytes memory encrypted) external;
}

contract SessionBridge {
    function createEncryptedChannel(address[] memory participants) external {
        // Call SessionVM via Warp
        ISessionVM(SESSIONVM_ADDRESS).createSession(participants);
    }
}

Directory Structure

~/.pars/
├── plugins/
│   ├── srEXiWaH...  -> ~/.lux/plugins/srEXiWaH... (EVM symlink)
│   └── speKUgLB...  (SessionVM binary)
├── db/
│   ├── evm/
│   └── session/
├── staking/
│   └── signer.key
└── config.json

Rationale

Why a Wrapper?

1. Simplicity: One command to run Pars node
2. Consistency: Same defaults for all validators
3. Maintenance: Single place to update configurations
4. Compatibility: Still uses luxd under the hood

Why Two VMs?

1. Separation: Messaging and smart contracts have different needs
2. Scaling: Can scale each VM independently
3. Security: Isolate attack surfaces
4. Upgrades: Update VMs without affecting each other

Security Considerations

1. Plugin Verification: Validate plugin binaries before symlinking
2. Key Storage: Store staking keys securely
3. Network Isolation: Consider running on separate network from main luxd
4. Updates: Keep both plugins updated for security patches

Backwards Compatibility

parsd is a new component and has no backwards compatibility concerns. It is compatible with any luxd version that supports the plugin architecture.

Reference Implementation

• parsd: https://github.com/parsdao/node
• SessionVM: https://github.com/luxfi/session
• EVM: https://github.com/luxfi/evm

Copyright

Copyright and related rights waived via CC0.