> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](/llms.txt) # Glossary This glossary defines key terms used throughout the Aztec network documentation. Terms are organized alphabetically with cross-references to related concepts. ## A ### Agent See [Prover Agent](#prover-agent). ### Archiver A component that monitors Ethereum L1 for rollup events and synchronizes L2 state. The archiver retrieves block data, contract deployments, and L1-to-L2 messages from the data availability layer. ### Attestation A cryptographic signature from a sequencer committee member confirming the validity of a proposed block. Blocks require attestations from two-thirds of the committee plus one before submission to L1. ### Attester The identity of a sequencer node in the network. The Ethereum address derived from the attester private key uniquely identifies the sequencer and is used to sign block proposals and attestations. ## B ### BIP44 Bitcoin Improvement Proposal 44 defines a standard derivation path for hierarchical deterministic wallets. Aztec uses BIP44 to derive multiple Ethereum addresses from a single mnemonic seed phrase. ### Block Proposal A candidate block assembled by a sequencer containing ordered transactions. Proposals must be validated by the sequencer committee before submission to L1. ### Bootnode A network node that facilitates peer discovery by maintaining lists of active peers. New nodes connect to bootnodes to discover and join the P2P network. ### Broker See [Prover Broker](#prover-broker). ## C ### Coinbase The Ethereum address that receives L1 rewards and fees for a sequencer. If not specified in the keystore, defaults to the attester address. ### Committee See [Sequencer Committee](#sequencer-committee). ### Consensus The process by which sequencer nodes agree on the validity of proposed blocks through attestations and signatures. ### Contract Class A published smart contract definition containing bytecode and function signatures. Multiple contract instances can be deployed from a single contract class. ### Contract Instance A deployed instance of a contract class with a unique address and storage state. ## D ### Data Availability The guarantee that block data is accessible to network participants. Aztec publishes data to Ethereum L1 to ensure data availability for state reconstruction. ### Derivation Path A hierarchical path used to derive cryptographic keys from a master seed. Follows the BIP44 standard for deterministic key generation. ## E ### EIP-1559 Ethereum Improvement Proposal 1559 introduces a base fee mechanism for transaction pricing. Aztec nodes use EIP-1559 gas pricing when submitting transactions to L1. ### ENR (Ethereum Node Record) A signed record containing information about a network node, used for peer discovery in the P2P network. Bootnodes share their ENR for other nodes to connect. ### Epoch A period of multiple L2 blocks that are proven together. Prover nodes generate a single validity proof for an entire epoch and submit it to the rollup contract. ### Execution Layer The Ethereum L1 execution client (e.g., Geth, Nethermind) that processes transactions. Aztec nodes require access to an execution layer RPC endpoint. ## F ### Fee Recipient The Aztec address that receives unburnt transaction fees from blocks produced by a sequencer. Must be a deployed Aztec account. ### Full Node A node that maintains a complete copy of the Aztec blockchain state and provides RPC interfaces for users to interact with the network without relying on third parties. ## G ### Gas Estimation The process of calculating the expected gas cost for an Ethereum transaction before submission. Aztec nodes estimate gas for L1 transactions like block proposals and proof submissions. ## I ### Inbox The L1 contract that receives messages sent from Ethereum to Aztec L2. The archiver monitors the Inbox for new L1-to-L2 messages. ## J ### JSON V3 Keystore An Ethereum standard for encrypted key storage using AES-128-CTR encryption and scrypt key derivation. Aztec supports JSON V3 keystores for secure key management. ## K ### Keystore A configuration file or encrypted store containing private keys for sequencer operations. Keystores define attester keys, publisher keys, coinbase addresses, and fee recipients. ## L ### L1 (Layer 1) Ethereum mainnet, serving as the base layer for Aztec's rollup. L1 provides data availability, settlement, and consensus for the L2. ### L2 (Layer 2) The Aztec network, a rollup scaling solution built on top of Ethereum L1. L2 processes transactions offchain and submits validity proofs to L1. ### L1 Sync A synchronization mode where nodes reconstruct state by querying the rollup contract and data availability layer on Ethereum L1 directly. ## M ### Mempool The pool of unprocessed transactions waiting to be included in a block. Sequencers select transactions from the mempool when proposing blocks. ### Merkle Tree A cryptographic data structure that enables efficient verification of data integrity and membership. Aztec uses Merkle trees for state commitments, note storage, and nullifier tracking. ### Mnemonic A human-readable seed phrase (typically 12 or 24 words) used to generate deterministic cryptographic keys. Follows BIP39 standard for encoding. ## N ### Node A participant in the Aztec network. See [Full Node](#full-node), [Sequencer Node](#sequencer-node), [Prover Node](#prover-node), or [Bootnode](#bootnode). ### Nonce A sequential number used to order transactions from an Ethereum account. Aztec nodes manage nonces when submitting transactions to L1. ### Note Tree A Merkle tree containing encrypted notes representing private state in Aztec contracts. ### Nullifier A unique value that marks a note as consumed, preventing double-spending. Nullifiers are published to L1 and tracked in the nullifier tree. ## O ### Outbox The L1 contract that receives messages sent from Aztec L2 to Ethereum. Used for withdrawals and cross-chain communication. ## P ### P2P (Peer-to-Peer) The network protocol used by Aztec nodes to discover peers, exchange transactions, and propagate blocks without central coordination. ### Proof-of-Stake The consensus mechanism where sequencers lock collateral (stake) to participate in block production. Misbehavior results in stake slashing. ### Prover Agent A stateless worker that executes proof generation jobs. Multiple agents can run in parallel to distribute proving workload. ### Prover Broker A coordinator that manages the prover job queue, distributing work to agents and collecting results. ### Prover Node Infrastructure that generates validity proofs for epochs of L2 blocks. Consists of a prover node coordinator, broker, and one or more agents. ### Publisher The Ethereum account used by a sequencer to submit block proposals to L1. Must be funded with ETH to pay gas fees. If not specified, the attester key is used. ### PXE (Private Execution Environment) The client-side component that executes private functions, manages user keys, and constructs privacy-preserving transactions. ## R ### Release line A major version of the Aztec software and the name it ships under. The v6 line is called **Tierra**, so every `6.x` release is Tierra. Networks (Alpha and Testnet) run a release line, while node configuration pins an exact version and keeps `NETWORK_NAME` as `mainnet` or `testnet`. See the [Networks page](/networks.md) for the version each network runs. ### Registry The L1 contract that tracks deployed contract classes and instances. The archiver monitors Registry events to maintain a database of available contracts. ### Remote Signer An external service (e.g., Web3Signer) that stores private keys and signs transactions remotely. Used for enhanced security in production deployments. ### Rollup A scaling solution that processes transactions offchain and submits compressed data and validity proofs to L1. Aztec is a decentralized zkRollup with programmable privacy. ### RPC (Remote Procedure Call) A protocol for remote communication. Aztec nodes expose JSON-RPC interfaces for client interaction and use RPC to communicate with Ethereum L1. ## S ### Sequencer Committee A rotating group of validators responsible for validating proposed blocks through attestations during a specific time period. ### Sequencer Node A validator that assembles transactions into blocks, executes public functions, and participates in consensus through attestations. ### Slashing The penalty mechanism that reduces or confiscates a sequencer's stake for provable misbehavior such as double-signing or prolonged downtime. ### Slasher Node Infrastructure that monitors for validator misbehavior and submits slashing payloads to L1 when violations are detected. ### Snapshot A pre-built database containing blockchain state at a specific block height. Nodes can download snapshots for faster synchronization. ### Snapshot Sync A synchronization mode where nodes download pre-built state snapshots instead of reconstructing state from L1. Significantly faster than L1 sync. ### Stake Collateral locked by a sequencer to participate in block production. Higher stake increases selection probability as block proposer. ### State Tree A Merkle tree representing the current world state of all Aztec contracts and accounts. ## T ### Tierra The name of the v6 release line. See [Release line](#release-line). ### Transaction Receipt A record of a transaction's execution on Ethereum, including status, gas used, and emitted events. Aztec nodes poll for receipts to confirm L1 transaction inclusion. ## V ### Validator See [Sequencer Node](#sequencer-node). The terms are used interchangeably in Aztec documentation. ### Viem A TypeScript library providing type-safe interfaces to Ethereum JSON-RPC methods. Aztec nodes use viem for all L1 interactions. ## W ### Web3Signer An open-source remote signing service that stores keys securely and provides signing APIs. Commonly used for production sequencer deployments. ### World State The complete state of the Aztec network at a given block height, including all contract storage, notes, and nullifiers. ## Related Resources * [Node API Reference](/operate/operators/reference/node_api_reference.md) - Complete API documentation for node JSON-RPC methods * [Ethereum RPC Reference](/operate/operators/reference/ethereum_rpc_reference.md) - L1 RPC calls used by Aztec components * [Advanced Keystore Guide](/operate/operators/keystore.md) - Detailed keystore configuration options * [CLI Reference](/operate/operators/reference/cli-reference.md) - Complete command-line interface documentation