Trust minimized vs. trustless. What’s the difference? (I think the kids call this an "effort post") In my opinion the distinction between "trust-minimized" and "trustless" isn't semantic: it's fundamental to how we approach system design. Most bridge projects claim to be trust-minimized without ever proving what the theoretical minimum trust actually is under given constraints. This bothers me as someone trained in information theory, where we establish fundamental limits and then demonstrate systems that achieve or approach those limits. In cryptographic bridge design, no one provides such proofs. They just reduce some trust assumptions and declare victory. We can make a stronger claim: we can reach the same level of trustlessness as though a user is using Eth on a smart contract on Ethereum. If you return the loan, you can always get your collateral back. This isn't contingent on committee behavior, custodian honesty, or governance decisions. It's enforced by the same cryptographic assumptions that secure digital signatures—the bedrock of all cryptocurrency security. The practical implications are enormous. When FTX collapsed, users who trusted centralized custodians lost everything. When various lending protocols failed, Bitcoin collateral disappeared.