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Lumens connects an origin chain such as Ethereum with Canton through a common issuance flow. At a high level, the system follows the same pattern for each supported asset:
  1. an asset is deposited or locked on its origin chain
  2. the deposit is observed and verified
  3. the backing asset is secured in custody
  4. a Canton-native representation is issued
  5. the issued asset can move across Canton applications
  6. the asset can later be redeemed back to the origin chain

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System Layers

Lumens has four core layers.

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Origin-chain deposit and custody

Users begin by depositing an asset on its origin chain. That asset is then moved into secure custody and serves as the backing for the issued representation on Canton.

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Watcher network

Independent watchers observe deposits on the origin chain and redemption-related events on Canton. Their role is to verify that a valid state transition has happened and report it to the system.

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Attestor network

Attestors independently verify relevant events and authorize issuance or redemption-related actions. They act as an execution and control layer rather than a passive observer layer.

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Canton issuance layer

On Canton, Lumens issues the asset representation that users and applications interact with.

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Why the Architecture Is Structured This Way

The Lumens architecture separates observation from execution.
  • watchers observe and report
  • attestors verify and authorize
  • custody holds the backing asset
  • Canton records issued asset state
This structure is designed to reduce single-operator risk and create a clearer trust model for issuance and redemption.

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Minting Flow

The minting flow is straightforward from the user’s perspective.
  1. request a deposit address
  2. deposit the origin-chain asset
  3. wait for finality and verification
  4. receive the Canton-issued asset
Behind the scenes, Lumens performs deposit attribution, confirmation checks, custody movement, event verification, and issuance authorization.

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Redemption Flow

Redemption follows the reverse path.
  1. initiate redemption on Canton
  2. burn or surrender the issued asset
  3. verify the redemption event
  4. authorize release from custody
  5. receive the origin-chain asset
This keeps the product model simple: assets come into Canton through issuance and leave Canton through redemption.

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Trust Model

Lumens uses a layered trust model.

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Watchers

Watchers monitor chain activity and report valid events.

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Attestors

Attestors independently verify relevant state before authorizing actions.

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Custody

Backing assets are held in controlled custody with release gated by quorum rules.

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Canton state

Issued supply and transfers are represented on Canton. For the current uETH deployment, the initial architecture uses a watcher quorum, an attestor quorum, and confirmation thresholds before minting proceeds. The design also assumes attestors independently verify state rather than relying blindly on watcher outputs.

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What Stays Constant Across Assets

As Lumens expands to additional assets, the following principles remain constant:
  • verify deposits before issuance
  • secure the backing asset
  • issue a Canton-native representation
  • support redemption back to the origin environment
  • separate monitoring, authorization, and custody roles
That is what makes Lumens a tokenisation layer rather than a single-purpose bridge.