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PERMAFROST Multisig

PERMAFROST is the account-level threshold multisig system used to govern the Orange Dollar protocol. After bootstrap, ownership of all three contracts (OD, ORC, ODReserve) is transferred to a PERMAFROST threshold key.

How It Works

PERMAFROST uses ML-DSA (Module-Lattice Digital Signature Algorithm), a post-quantum signature scheme standardised by NIST. The threshold variant requires 3 of 5 signers to produce a valid signature.

ParameterValue
Signature schemeML-DSA-44 (NIST Level 2)
Threshold3 of 5
Security128-bit (post-quantum)
Signature size2,420 bytes
On-chain appearanceIndistinguishable from single-signer ML-DSA

What PERMAFROST Controls

After ownership transfer, the PERMAFROST key is the owner of OD, ORC, and ODReserve. This means 3 of 5 signers must agree to:

  • Transfer ownership to a new key (key rotation)
  • Execute any future owner-only functions

No single signer can act alone. The signing process requires multiple rounds of interaction between signers.

Signers

#NameRoleContact
1TBD
2TBD
3TBD
4TBD
5TBD

INFO

Signer identities will be published here once the DKG ceremony is complete and the key is generated.

Key Generation

The PERMAFROST key is generated via a Distributed Key Generation (DKG) ceremony using a dedicated ceremony app. Each signer receives an encrypted key share file that only they can decrypt with their password.

  • Key shares never leave the signers' browsers
  • Share files are encrypted with AES-256-GCM (PBKDF2 100k iterations)
  • The public key is published; individual shares are never revealed

Signing Process

When an admin action is needed, the signing flow works as follows:

  1. Propose: One signer proposes the transaction on the cabal page. The transaction details (target contract, method, parameters) are displayed for all signers to verify.
  2. Round 1 — Commitments: Each participating signer generates a commitment and shares it with the group.
  3. Round 2 — Responses: Each signer generates a response using the collected commitments.
  4. Round 3 — Partial Signatures: Each signer generates a partial signature. Once 3 partials are collected, they combine into a standard ML-DSA signature.
  5. Broadcast: The combined signature is attached to the transaction and broadcast to the network.

The entire process uses copy-paste blob exchange — no server or real-time connection required.