code: Prototype an application using a staking module to discover requirements for MVP and inform specs

[adizere]

Requirements

We would like to prototype an application on top of Malachite that uses a staking module. By building this prototype we expect to gain clarity on a few areas of unknowns and give us confidence to build a production-ready -- i.e., and MVP v0 -- version later on.

Acceptance criteria

Writing this prototype should help us answer a few specific questions that are within scope, in rough order of priority:

1. What is the right level of abstraction for a staking module MVP? As an actor? As a module assuming a specific architecture, eg channel-based?
2. Which of Malachite crates would the staking module depend on, and does it introduce new requirements on existing Malachite crates?
3. What is the minimal set of methods that an MVP should include?

Nice to have:

• How do we test the new module?
• Are there specific applications (actor-based, channel-based, core libs, Madara, Pathfinder) that are more amenable than others to integration with Malachite with a staking module? (related to question (1) above).

Additionally, we'd like to confirm whether:

• Are there any modifications needed to the core libraries of Malachite to support a staking module?

Constraints

The prototype itself has no constraints, feel free to make any assumption!

The prototype should inform an MVP and it should provide more clarity on production-ready specifications for staking, however. For the specs, see #784. The constraints of the MVP we'd like to build after this prototype is that it should be:

• reusable across different Malachite-based applications
• flexible
• easily tested
• minimal in functionality to reduce maintenance burden

Possible assumptions to constrain the scope of the prototype

• We may use one of the test apps in Malachite repo
• Focus on the mapping of stake <> voting power and validator updates with every block
• No need to focus on the "forced staking update" in the initial prototype
• May build the prototype in the context of an existing Starknet full node, eg Madara or Pathfinder

Estimate & timeboxing

Since this is a prototype and we are free to make many assumptions, we should constrain the work to 5-10 days.

Related material

• spec: Staking module #784
• Other staking implementations:
  • Starknet staking contracts
  • x/staking of Cosmos SDK
  • Omni EVM interface to staking contracts/core/src/octane/Staking.sol