Native → Bitcoin relayer is a key component for the interactions between Native and Bitcoin networks, abstracting away the complexity of it from the user for a better and easier experience.

Flow

The relayer flow can be broken down into three stages:

1. Listening: It monitors the Native blockchain for new sign requests. These sign requests are partially signed by the users. Now, they need to be signed by the IKA network.
2. Signing: It forwards these requests to the IKA network, waits for the signature, and extracts the final signature from the event emitted by the IKA MPC.
3. Broadcasting: It broadcasts the fully signed transactions to the Bitcoin network and monitors their confirmation status.

Features

1. Abstraction: The relayer simplifies the user experience by handling the relaying part.
2. Efficiency: It automates the process, reducing potential user errors.
3. Reliability: The relayer has retry mechanisms to handle network issues or broadcasting failures. 
   
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NOTE: While the relayer improves the user experience, it's not necessary. Users can choose to handle the relaying of the signature requests manually, and broadcast signed transactions if needed.

The relayer acts as an automation mechanism, handling communication between the Native blockchain, the IKA signing network, and Bitcoin. This means neither users nor protocols built on Native have to interact with different systems directly, enabling a smooth experience.

Watch the demo from our lead developer to know more about the Bitcoin relayer.

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