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ZEVM Internal Support: Runtime Modes And Boundaries

ZEVM Internal Support: Runtime Modes And Boundaries

Section titled “ZEVM Internal Support: Runtime Modes And Boundaries”

This page is non-normative support for:

  • docs/specs/prd.md
  • docs/specs/json-rpc-contract.md

If this summary differs from normative wording, precedence is explicit:

  1. docs/specs/prd.md defines product scope and runtime behavior boundaries.
  2. docs/specs/json-rpc-contract.md defines exact JSON-RPC tuples, selectors, objects, aliases, and error mapping.

ZEVM exposes exactly two runtime modes:

  • trusted mode: writable local dev chain
  • light mode: read-only proof-backed client

Forking is trusted-mode configuration, not a third runtime mode.

Canonical references: PRD sections 4.1 and 4.2; JSON-RPC contract section 6.

Surface familyTrusted modeLight modeCanonical source
Standard method inventorysupportedlimited phase-1 subsetJSON-RPC contract sections 8 and 13; PRD section 3.1
Nonstandard zevm_* controls + accepted aliasessupportedunsupported (-32010) except zevm_lightSyncStatusJSON-RPC contract sections 9.1, 9.3, 13; PRD section 11
Simulation/submission/query expansionsupportedphase-1 limited/deferredPRD sections 3.1 and 3.2; JSON-RPC contract sections 13 and 14
  • Trusted and light selector rules are canonical in JSON-RPC contract sections 6.1 and 6.2 (with PRD sections 4.2 and 10).
  • Light readiness gating behavior is canonical in PRD sections 4.2 and 10 and JSON-RPC contract sections 5.2 and 13.
  • zevm_lightSyncStatus object fields/invariants are canonical in JSON-RPC contract section 7.10 and PRD section 10.
  • Startup checkpoint source precedence is canonical in PRD section 5.5.
  • Persisted checkpoint input contract is canonical in PRD section 5.6.
  • Startup checkpoint-age derivation and policy is canonical in PRD section 5.7.
  • Startup failure behavior for selected-source checkpoint failures is canonical in PRD section 5.8.

This support page intentionally avoids duplicating full method inventories and exact payload/error tuples. Use JSON-RPC contract sections 8, 9.3, 13, and 14 for canonical inventories.