🔸️Plasma chains are typically managed by "operators" (or a group of operators).
These operators are responsible for creating new blocks, validating transactions, and submitting periodic commitments (summaries of the Plasma chain's state) back to the main Ethereum chain.
🔸️Each block on a Plasma chain uses a cryptographic structure called a Merkle tree.
This allows for efficient verification of transactions. When an operator commits a new block's root hash to the mainnet, it essentially provides a compact proof of all the transactions within that block.
🔸️This is where Plasma truly shines in terms of security. If a user wants to withdraw their funds from the Plasma chain back to the mainnet, they initiate an "exit." During a challenge period, anyone can dispute the validity of this exit by providing a "fraud proof." If fraud is proven, the malicious operator is penalized, and the honest user's funds are returned.
This mechanism ensures that even if an operator tries to cheat, users can always safely withdraw their assets.
