diff --git a/tip-XXXX.md b/tip-XXXX.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..766f9fb --- /dev/null +++ b/tip-XXXX.md @@ -0,0 +1,162 @@ +TIP: XXXX +Title: Native Account Inheritance Mechanism +Authors: Ali (@alichatme), ChatGPT +Status: Draft +Type: Core +Category: Account +Created: 2025-12-29 +Discussions-To: https://github.com/tronprotocol/tips/issues/810 + +Abstract +This TIP introduces a native, optional, protocol-level inheritance mechanism for all TRON network accounts. +This mechanism allows account owners to define a time-based Inheritance Key for their account, which provides operational access to the account’s assets only if cryptographic inactivity of the Owner Key is detected and after a predefined delay period explicitly set by the owner has elapsed. +The Inheritance Key operates: +Without exposing or compromising the Owner Key +Without relying on smart contracts +Without additional gas or fee requirements +Without dependency on any specific wallet or off-chain service +and is implemented natively at the protocol level as an intrinsic part of TRON accounts. +In addition to inheritance use cases, this mechanism also serves as a secure access recovery path, even for the owner themselves, in situations such as permanent loss of the Seed Phrase, cognitive diseases (e.g., Alzheimer’s), coma, long-term incapacity, or unexpected incidents that prevent access to the primary account key. +Motivation +In current blockchain architectures, ownership and access to assets are entirely dependent on possession of a private key or Seed Phrase. +If any of the following conditions occur: +Death of the owner +Long-term unconsciousness or coma +Memory-related illnesses such as Alzheimer’s +Permanent loss, theft, or destruction of the private key or Seed Phrase +the associated digital assets become permanently and irreversibly inaccessible. +Existing solutions suffer from significant drawbacks: +Sharing a Seed Phrase severely weakens security +Smart contract–based inheritance mechanisms are vulnerable to bugs and exploits +Wallet-based solutions are often centralized, non-standard, and unreliable +Entrusting recovery phrases even to close relatives carries substantial risk +Therefore, the network requires a native protocol-level solution that: +Fully preserves owner security during their lifetime while guaranteeing asset availability for beneficiaries +Prevents irreversible loss of assets +Avoids legal complexity, technical fragility, and poor user experience +Does not rely on smart contracts or trust in third parties +Specification +Account Roles +Every TRON account has an Owner Key that: +Acts as the primary authority of the account +Is always valid and active +This TIP introduces an additional key role: +Inheritance Key +Can only be enabled, disabled, or replaced by the Owner Key +Exists by default for all accounts, but is initially disabled +Has an independent Seed Phrase distinct from the Owner Key +Structurally functions as a time-based Active Permission +The existence of the Inheritance Key at the protocol level is mandatory, while enabling it is entirely optional and requires explicit Owner Key authorization. +Merely configuring the delay and enabling the Inheritance Key does not grant transaction authority until the inactivity condition is fulfilled. +Inheritance Key States +The protocol defines three explicit and auditable states: +1. Disabled +No delay configured +The key is completely inactive at the protocol level +2. Configured +Delay period is defined and signed by the Owner Key +Owner inactivity countdown has started +The key is not yet authorized to sign transactions +3. Active +Owner inactivity condition for the configured delay is satisfied +The Inheritance Key is authorized to sign transactions with Active Permission scope +Activation of the Inheritance Key never disables or restricts the Owner Key. +Explicit Responsibility Separation +Protocol / Network Responsibilities +Maintain the Inheritance Key state and parameters +Enforce activation logic during transaction validation +Apply protocol-level permission restrictions +Record the signer role for each transaction +Wallet Responsibilities +Display Inheritance Key status in read-only mode +Display configured delay period +Display remaining time until activation +Avoid implementing any security logic outside the protocol +User (Owner) Responsibilities +Decide whether to enable or disable inheritance +Configure the delay period +Securely store or distribute the Inheritance Key Seed Phrase to trusted parties +Inheritance Delay +A native account parameter: + + +inheritance_delay +Minimum: 1 month +Maximum: 240 months (20 years) +Owner Activity Definition +A new native field: + + +last_owner_activity_timestamp +This value is updated only when: +A transaction is signed by the Owner Key +The transaction causes a verifiable on-chain state change +Including (but not limited to): +Asset transfers +Voting +Freeze / unfreeze operations +Stake / unstake +Reward withdrawal +Voting actions requiring owner authorization +Smart contract interactions +Note: Receiving assets or any activity not signed by the Owner Key does not update this timestamp. +Inheritance Activation Logic +During transaction validation: + + +(current_time - last_owner_activity_timestamp) >= inheritance_delay +If the condition is satisfied, the Inheritance Key is considered valid for authorization. +Behavior After Activation +The Owner Key retains full control +The Owner may at any time: +Disable the Inheritance Key +Reconfigure the delay and re-enable it +Permanently delete the existing Inheritance Key and replace it with a completely new one +Note: Activation of the Inheritance Key never creates an irreversible or point-of-no-return state. +Permission Model Integration +The Inheritance Key is authorized to: +Transfer assets +Stake, unstake, and manage resources +Vote and claim rewards +Interact with smart contracts +Perform swaps +The Inheritance Key is not authorized to: +Modify Owner permissions +Change the account permission structure +Replace or revoke the Owner Key +Access or recover any Seed Phrase +Security Considerations +There is no shared material between the Owner Key and the Inheritance Key or their Seed Phrases +If an account is accessed via the Inheritance Key, it remains bound to all Owner-defined account settings +No smart contracts are involved +All logic is enforced at the consensus / protocol layer +Delayed Security Layer +Even if the Inheritance Key Seed Phrase is compromised: +No operational access is possible before the Owner inactivity delay expires +This protocol-level delay: +Prevents immediate asset theft +Gives the Owner sufficient time to react and replace the Inheritance Key +This security model is not natively implemented in any existing blockchain. +Transparency +Each transaction may include a non-sensitive signer role identifier: + + +signature_role: owner +signature_role: inheritance +Wallet UX Considerations +Wallets should support: +Enabling, disabling, configuring delay +Deleting and replacing the Inheritance Key +And display: +Inheritance Key status (Disabled / Configured / Active) +Configured delay period +Remaining time until activation +Automatic timer reset after each Owner Key activity +Backwards Compatibility +Fully optional +No behavior changes for existing accounts +No smart contract dependency +Fully compatible with TRON’s existing permission architecture +Conclusion +This TIP introduces a foundational protocol-level capability that prevents permanent loss of digital assets on the TRON network. +By combining security, predictability, and user sovereignty, native account inheritance can become a strategic and distinguishing advantage for the TRON ecosystem.