Asset and Handle

In the Zentra ecosystem, Asset and Handle are fundamental concepts designed to provide more intuitive, readable, and secure abstractions compared to traditional blockchain primitives like smart contract addresses.

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Asset

An Asset is a core, versatile on-chain entity in Zentra. It can represent a wide range of items, such as a brand, a company, a decentralized application, or a token. Think of it as a multi-purpose digital container or identity on the blockchain.

Key Characteristics of an Asset

• Unique Identifier (Tick): Every Asset is identified by a unique "tick," which serves as its human-readable on-chain address.

  • Naming Convention: An Asset tick must start with an uppercase letter. It can contain uppercase letters (A-Z), digits (0-9), and the underscore character (_).

  • Examples: MY_APP, GOLD_RESERVE, DEFI_PROTOCOL_V2.

• Asset as a Container: An Asset can own other Assets. This allows for the creation of complex and meaningful on-chain relationships. For example, an Asset representing a company (THE_ACME_CORP) could own other Assets representing its liquid cash (USD_CASH) and its equity in another project (INVESTMENT_IN_XYZ).

• Decoupled from Tokens: The creation of an Asset does not automatically mean a token is created. An Asset is an identity and a container first. It can be programmed to behave as a token (fungible or non-fungible) by associating it with specific Functions, but it does not have to be.

• Controlled Interaction via Functions: An Asset's behavior is defined by the Functions it is associated with. When an Asset is created, its owner explicitly chooses which Functions are permitted to operate on it. This opt-in mechanism enhances security by ensuring that only audited and approved code can modify the Asset's state, moving away from a model where any contract can interact with another by default.

• Readable Address: In practice, an Asset serves as a human-readable and programmable replacement for the cryptic hexadecimal addresses used for smart contracts on other blockchains.

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Handle

A Handle is a human-readable alias for an Externally Owned Account (EOA), which is controlled by a user's private key. It makes user accounts recognizable and easier to interact with.

Key Characteristics of a Handle

• EOA Control: A Handle is directly controlled by an EOA. Any action performed by the Handle must be authorized and signed by the EOA's corresponding private key.

• Ownership Capability: Both raw EOA addresses and Handles can own Assets. This means you can send an Asset directly to a Handle like alice instead of a long, error-prone address, making transactions safer and more user-friendly.

• Naming Convention: A Handle must consist of lowercase letters (a-z), digits (0-9), and the underscore character (_).

  • Examples: alice, trader_joe, wallet_123.