作者：Jam, CloudY
编辑：Vincero, YL
审核：Yasmine
As the Cancun upgrade approaches, market attention has gradually shifted from LSD and LSDFi to the Layer 2 sector after the Shanghai upgrade. The launch of the ARB token has also attracted a large number of users to enter the Arbitrum ecosystem and join other Layer 2 ecosystems that have not yet issued coins.
background
Layer2 is the recent market focus
The ZK series Rollups also wisely launched their own ZKEVM and test network to capture real users and funds through airdrops, resulting in too many Layer 2 public chains that Rollup users need to interact with every day. But this also means that this track is very crowded. In particular, Arbitrum has brought a lot of attention to itself with the help of airdrops. It has also issued ecological subsidies to its own ecological projects to encourage ecological development and motivate users. This makes Arbitrum The TVL and Tx are more than twice those of Optimism all year round. ZKSync has also achieved rapid growth in TVL and Tx through era and airdrop expectations.
In addition to being suppressed in terms of data, Optimism, which was the first to issue coins, also faced a large number of token unlocks every month. In order to regain the situation, Optimism used the OP Stack strategy to fight back. When OP Stack was first launched, the market did not react much until Coinbase announced that it would use OP Stack to develop its own Layer2BASE, and A16Z would also use OP Stack to release its own Layer2 Magi. After this, the release of Layer 2 seems to have become a consensus, and projects in various fields have successively announced to join the Layer 2 War. The price of OP tokens also continued to rise until the BASE chain went online.
Other established Layer 2 companies couldn't help themselves and chose to release their own Stacks to compete with Optimism, such as: Arbitrum Orbit, Polygon 2.0, ZKSync's Hyperchain and Starware's Starknet.
Layer2 achieved stage victory
The market has different views on whether the future Blockchain will be multi-chain or Layer 2. For now, Layer 2 and multi-chain (especially functional chains) have indeed made new progress.
At the beginning of 2022, we were still discussing whether the future of Blockchian would be multi-chain or ETH+Layer2. Now Cosmos has been relegated to the second line. It has been robbed of attention by Layer2 such as Optimism/Arbitrum/Polygon/ZKSync, and funds and developers are also using their hands. People voted to invest and settle in Layer2.
After converting to POS and undergoing Shanghai upgrade, ETH carries the largest number of on-chain assets and is on the road to expansion and deflation. Instead of developing a new public chain without innovation and building a new ecosystem to capture ETH traffic, it is better to directly ensure security based on the computing power and status provided by Ethereum, use ETH as the GAS Token, and attract developers and liquidity through EVM and incentives. This will help create a flywheel effect. From the data point of view, Layer 2 currently dominates TVL/number of projects/number of independent users. At the same time, many project parties have announced the release of Layer 2 and are waiting to enter. I believe that the multi-chain era of Layer 2 has arrived.
However, although after the Terra incident, Cosmos ecosystems such as Terra chain/Juno chain have almost withdrawn from the market, Cosmos ecosystems such as Injective/Canto/Berachain/Sei/DYDX v4 are about to launch or have already launched the mainnet, and they are trying to use more radical methods. way to solve the current problems of Blockchain and build your own ecology. Cosmos also has Evmos using evm to ride on the ETH express train and suck blood from the ETH ecosystem to obtain ETH liquidity. Cosmos itself has also released Cosmos 2.0, hoping to empower ATOM and enhance its importance in the ecosystem through inter-chain security and block auctions. However, judging from the current secondary trends and TVL, the Cosmos ecosystem has not successfully recovered from the decline after Terra. This is also limited by the Cosmos ecosystem's independent state.
OP Stack replicates Cosmos play style
The multi-chain era of Layer 2 is very similar to the multi-chain narrative told by Cosmos and Polkadot in the past, except that it is not the Cosmos hub or the relay chain that connects the multi-chains, but Ethereum. But in fact, Ethereum only provides security as the DA layer and does not really connect with Layer2s, so this gives Stack an opportunity. Layer2, as the intermediate Rollup layer, can not only provide public chain custom development services to make money, but also serve as a hub to capture other Layer2 value or charge to Layer3 as DA layer.
In fact, Layer 2 itself is a step in the modularization of Ethereum. By modularizing Layer 2, you can build a Layer 2 simply and efficiently, and then connect each Layer 2 through a central hub to achieve atomic level cross-chain. On this basis, the central hub can also serve as the DA layer, and then build a Layer 3 application chain on top of it to unleash the innovation of the public chain.
Like Cosmos, you can make your core features into universal components and provide them to other chains to build your own ecosystem. This kind of competitive advantage is unmatched by a single public chain. Optimism has chosen low-threshold development similar to Cosmos, with no permission required to launch a chain, high compatibility, cross-chain interoperability and other features to build its own ecosystem.
The beginning of multi-chain narrative: Cosmos
The design of Cosmos encourages collaboration between various blockchain networks to achieve ecosystem interoperability by sharing value and data. It is the first player to explore multi-chain interoperability.
Cosmos is a highly modular and interoperable blockchain ecosystem consisting of three core components:
Tendermint consensus mechanism, Cosmos SDK and IBC (Inter-Blockchain Communication) cross-chain communication protocol.
1.Tendermint consensus mechanism
Tendermint is the network consensus engine of Cosmos Hub, which consists of Tendermint Core and ABCI. It uses PBFT+Bonded PoS hybrid consensus to ensure that more than 2/3 of the validators reach a consensus. Tendermint separates the blockchain application from the underlying consensus, controls the application logic with a state machine, and provides an ABCI interface to interact with the application layer. This architecture supports consensus and access to other chains.
2.Cosmos SDK
The Cosmos SDK is a developer toolkit that allows building modular state machines on top of Tendermint. Developers can use the SDK to build new blockchains, and can also connect to Cosmos through the Peg Zone bridge. The SDK provides the concept of multiple storage, dividing the application state into different isolated areas, and each module manages its own state. The modules of the SDK mainly include Bank, Auth and Staking&Slashing, etc., which are used to build complex state machines.
3.IBC cross-chain communication protocol
IBC is a protocol that implements communication between different blockchains in Cosmos and is used for cross-chain interaction between Zones. By establishing an IBC connection on the Hub, a Zone can communicate with other Zones connected to the Hub. Through IBC, Zone can send tokens and data packets to realize the transmission of cross-chain assets and information. PG Zone serves as a bridge to connect external blockchains (such as Bitcoin) that cannot be directly accessed through IBC, making them interoperable with blockchains in Cosmos.
The combination of these components enables developers to build secure and flexible applications and realize cross-chain interoperability and asset transfer between blockchains.
Cosmos’ Hub and Zone architecture and cross-chain interoperability
Cosmos adopts the Hub and Zone model architecture, where the Hub is the central hub of the network and the Zone is a public chain independently connected to the network. The Hub will track and record the status of each Zone, and each Zone needs to feed back the new blocks it generates to the Hub and synchronize the status of the Hub. Different zones do not directly synchronize status, but communicate indirectly through data packets sent to the Hub.
Technically, Cosmos’ Hub and Zone models enable interoperability between different blockchains. Zones communicate through the Hub, which synchronizes the global status in real time. By separating the blockchain application from the underlying consensus and providing an ABCI interface to interact with the application layer, developers can write application logic in any language. This architecture can not only achieve consensus but also facilitate the access of other blockchains.
Cosmos’ core token $ATOM is mainly used in the Hub ecosystem to pay transaction fees and governance voting. Its token demand is directly related to the development of the Cosmos ecosystem. Cosmos aims to build a universal blockchain development framework and solve cross-chain issues to realize the vision of a multi-chain universe.
In terms of cross-chain mechanism, Cosmos’ Hub acts as a relay chain, and Zone is a parallel chain. Each chain has its own verifier.
Cosmos Hub serves as the core of the network and allows different blockchains to be interconnected through the IBC protocol. Zone needs to communicate with other Zones through the Hub, and the management method between different Zones is decentralized. Therefore, if a Zone is attacked or misbehaved, other Zones will not be affected.
Overall, Cosmos plays a pioneering role in the field of multi-chain interoperability. It achieves seamless communication and cross-chain asset transfer between different blockchains through the Hub and Zone architecture and the introduction of the IBC protocol. Additionally, Cosmos’ modular architecture provides developers with flexibility. Using the Cosmos SDK, developers can build customized blockchain applications with various functional modules. At the same time, the Tendermint consensus mechanism plays a key role in Cosmos. It uses PBFT+Bonded PoS hybrid consensus to ensure high security and scalability. By separating consensus from applications, Tendermint achieves a higher degree of modularity and scalability, while providing an ABCI interface for the interaction of application logic.
New multi-chain narrative: Superchain
“The core goal of Cosmos is to achieve interoperability and interoperability between different blockchains, and the current competitive focus of Layer 2 War seems to be moving closer to this goal step by step.”
Layer 2 solutions share the goal of increasing the throughput and scalability of the Ethereum network to meet growing transaction demand. However, the focus of competition among these Layer 2s has gradually shifted from pure performance improvement to broader interoperability, interoperability, and even ecology.
Interoperability: With the emergence of more and more blockchain projects and Layer 2 solutions, users and developers hope to be able to seamlessly transfer assets and data between different blockchains. The implementation of interoperability will provide users with greater flexibility, allowing them to move freely among different blockchain networks.
Interoperability: Competition among Layer 2 solutions drives developers to create more common technical standards to achieve interoperability between different Layer 2 solutions. This interoperability will facilitate collaboration and data exchange between different Layer 2 networks, creating a richer ecosystem.
Synergy: Similar to Cosmos’ Hub-and-Zone architecture, interoperability between Layer 2 solutions can create synergy. Interoperability between different Layer 2 solutions will enhance the value of the entire ecosystem and attract more users and developers to participate.
Reduce friction costs: Achieving interoperability between different blockchains and Layer 2 will reduce friction costs for users. Users no longer need to make tedious exchanges and transfers between different networks, thus improving user experience and engagement.
The following is a comparison of Layer2s solutions and paths:
Optimism
"OP Stack is like arranging more seats for a big family gathering so that everyone can participate without having to find new seats."
Optimism Rollup和OP Stack
Optimism Rollup (ORU) is a Layer 2 (L2) expansion solution based on Ethereum (L1). Its design concept is to use the consensus mechanism of L1 to ensure the security and scalability of L2 and avoid introducing additional Independent consensus mechanism. As part of the parent chain-child chain model, ORU positions the parent chain as L1, with Ethereum playing the role of this parent chain.
In the operating mechanism of ORU, there are three main steps.
First is the data storage (Blockstorage), where transactions on L2 are organized and written into blocks, and then these blocks are written into L1 in a compressed format. This practice maintains data availability, ensuring that transaction data can be retrieved whenever needed.
Secondly, the block production phase involves the operation of the sequencer, which is responsible for building and executing L2 blocks. This process includes the confirmation of transactions, the construction of new blocks, and passing relevant information to L1 for transaction submission.
Finally, the block execution phase ensures the receipt of new blocks and maintains the stable operation of the L2 network.
On the other hand, OP Stack serves as a standardized development stack that supports Optimism technology. From a concrete perspective, looking from bottom to top in terms of levels, the first is the data availability layer (DALayer), which defines the original data source of L2.
Currently, the Ethereum main chain plays a major role at this level.
The second is the sequencing layer (SequencingLayer). The functions of this layer are assumed by the sequencer, which is responsible for transaction confirmation, status update and the construction of L2 blocks.
Then comes the derivation layer: the derivation layer defines how raw data in the data availability layer is processed to form processed inputs that are sent to the execution layer via the standard Ethereum Engine API.
The execution layer (ExecutionLayer) defines the state structure of the L2 system, supports the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) or other virtual machines, and adds some L1 data fees to transactions.
The Settlement Layer is responsible for sending transaction data confirmed by L2 to the target blockchain for final settlement. Finally, there is the Governance Layer. The current solution [1] is for multiple OP Stack-based chains to share the same set of governance standards.
*注【1】：optimism.mirror.xyz
Superchain
Superchain enables different Layer 2 (L2) to work together by sharing security, communication layers and development kits (OP Stack). In traditional L1 designs, scalability and performance often become limiting factors, while Superchain provides stronger scalability and performance by integrating multiple L2 networks together. This horizontal expansion not only allows the system to have higher capacity, but also provides developers and users with a better experience.
Superchain based on OP Stack will become the connection point for different L2 solutions, providing support for the large-scale operation of various blockchains and decentralized applications (dApps). As a standardized development stack supporting Optimism technology, OP Stack integrates different L2 networks and promotes interoperability between these networks. By integrating multiple L2s into the super chain, more efficient and flexible cross-chain communication can be achieved, allowing users to seamlessly transfer assets and information between different L2s, thereby realizing more possibilities.
One of the key attributes of Superchain is modularity. By using OP Stack as the development foundation, each L2 network can select hierarchical modules as needed and flexibly combine different technical components to meet specific needs. This modular design not only improves the customizability of the system, but also provides convenient access to new technologies and innovations. In addition, Superchain also emphasizes interoperability, enabling different L2 solutions to achieve more efficient resource sharing and information transfer. Superchain based on OP Stack can provide lower-cost deployment options, allowing more developers and projects to participate. This helps drive the development and adoption of broader L2 networks.
In fact, using OP Stack to issue more Layer 2 is only the first step in the establishment of Superchain. The formed OP Stack requires Layer 2 to be able to share the sequencer exchange economy and information, and establish a unified security governance mechanism and inter-chain ecology. Taking BASE as an example, the cooperation between Optimism and BASE has two main components. The first is protocol management. BASE complies with the Law of Chains and joins op-geth and op-node client operations. At the same time, it adopts the op-reth failure designed by paradiagm. Prove the client and set up a Pessimism pessimistic monitoring system; the second is economy and governance. BASE will use 2.5% of its sorter income or 15% of the public chain profit after deducting L1 Gas (whichever is higher) as the cost of using OP Stack. Optimisim will also provide BASE with up to 2.75% of the total OP supply in return for participating in governance. BASE and Optimism will jointly establish a Security Council to manage multi-signatures that control contract upgrades and develop a challenger key management plan to prevent team members from committing evil unilaterally.
Generally speaking, any blockchain network built based on OP Stack can flexibly combine different levels of OP Stack modules according to needs to build L2s. As its first L2, Optimism (now known as: OP Mainnet) jointly builds the ecological chain of the Super chain. This makes the entire ecosystem more resilient and able to meet a variety of different needs and innovations.
Decision
Different from Optimism's Superchain strategy (building L2s based on OP Stack), Arbitrum's Orbitchain strategy allows the creation and deployment of Layer3 on the Arbitrum mainnet (including: Arbitrum One, Nova and Goerli) based on Arbitrum Nitro (technology stack, similar to OP Stack) , also known as application chain.
Unlike Optimism’s Superchain, Arbitrum takes a more flexible and customizable approach. Orbit is a development framework that allows any developer to build L3 (application chain) based on ARB, and its final architecture is Orbit chain. Orbit chain is designed to be compatible with upcoming Arbitrum Stylus upgrades. This compatibility makes it easier for developers to build decentralized applications (dApps) using programming languages such as C, C++, and Rust. By leveraging these programming languages, developers can more freely build feature-rich dApps without having to migrate to a new technology stack. This creates greater flexibility and choice for dApp developers, allowing them to better meet the needs of different projects.
However, Arbitrum Orbit is still in the test network stage and has not yet reached the module completeness of OP Stack.
ZKSync Era
"Sovereignty and seamless connectivity" are the core narrative of ZK Stack.
Developers have full autonomy to customize Hyperchain. Hyperchain operates independently and only relies on Ethereum Layer 1 to ensure security and activity. The Hyperbridge network enables Hyperchains to connect to each other. ZK Stack was launched in 20230623 and is designed to build customized ZK-supported L2 and L3 based on the code of the ZKSync Era. This is a framework for building modular, sovereign, ZK Hyperchains. Therefore, its technical architecture is no different from OP Stack.
ZK Stack is a framework for building modular, sovereign, zero-knowledge technology-based Hyperchains. It focuses on solving the challenges raised in "ZK Credo" and aims to provide the foundation for a decentralized blockchain network. The core features of ZK Stack include free open source, composability, modular customization, proven security, and future scalability.
The framework is developed by Matter Labs under the MIT/Apache open source license. Hyperchains built with ZK Stack connect seamlessly in trustless networks with low latency and shared liquidity. Developers can customize Hyperchains to their needs while ensuring security and reliability. ZK Stack is based on the code of ZKSync Era and uses Hyperbridge to achieve interconnection and interoperability between super chains, achieving fast and low-cost interoperability. Developers can customize hyperchains as needed and implement interconnection through Hyperbridge, thereby achieving trustless, fast, and low-cost interoperability.
ZK Stack is suitable for scenarios that require customized Hyperchains or asynchronous connections in a broader ecosystem, because the L1-L2 bridge is asynchronous. From an architectural point of view, ZKSync Era has two application scenarios:
1) As one of the Hyperchains of L2s, it is interconnected with L2s of the same level to share liquidity and other ecological resources.
2) As the DA Layer of L3s.
Hyperchain solves the trust problem by verifying off-chain calculations, using zero-knowledge proofs to ensure security.
Hyperbridge connects hyperchains to achieve data transfer and interoperability. Hyperchain is bridged through Hyperbridge and has features such as verified bridging, local bridging, and data availability to build a unified liquidity network. From a user perspective, Hyperchain achieves seamless interoperability and cross-chain wallet management to ensure user experience. Technically, Hyperchains based on verification bridges, shared validators and data availability form the basis of Hyperbridges.
Generally speaking, Hyperchain’s scalability and combinability are the core of its design. Hyperchain's L3 can not only interconnect with L3 of the same level, but also directly use Ethereum as the DAlayer. In this case, the L3 is essentially an L2. In the picture below, the second Hyperchain L3 on the upper left is the most direct case proof.
However, as the public chain of ZK Rollup, Layer2s not only needs to solve the gap with the Solidity programming language, but also needs to have a certain ability to independently develop the ZK circuit system. Otherwise, it can only share ZKPorter to run it. However, ZKSync currently does not have a complete component sharing mechanism. It can be seen that Hyperchain restricts the entry of a large number of developers in terms of programming language and technology. In addition, although ZK Rollup can technically achieve million-level PTS transaction volume while being decentralized, the cost of ZK Proof is also higher, coupled with the centralization of the sequencer, and the gas fee of complex smart contracts is higher. Higher is also prone to failure due to poor compatibility, which makes it difficult for ZKSync to develop rapidly in a short period of time, so coins will not be issued to promote development.
In response to this, ZK Sync has made certain optimizations in its Hyperchain architecture - the system's LLVM compiler supports Solidity and any other modern programming languages, adding support for developers who specialize in languages such as Rust, C++ and Swift. Accessibility. But overall, Hyperchain is the most difficult to develop.
However, ZK Stack is still in the development stage and has not been launched on the test network.
StarkNet
"Fractional Extension—Fractional Scaling": StarkWare believes that multiple Layer3 will be built on Layer2, just like multiple Layer2 is built on Layer1. L2 is used for general extensions, and L3 is used for customized extensions.
Fractal expansion is achieved through layer-by-layer recursion. Introducing L3, which provides higher scalability, better technology stack control and privacy protection for specific applications by building recursively on the basis of L2. L3 can achieve ultra-large scale, better performance control, privacy protection and other advantages while maintaining the security of L1. This will enable StarkEx (currently used as an L2 solution) to migrate to L3, and StarkNet for Standalone instances will also be available as L3.
At the Ethereum Community Conference EthCC in Paris, StarkWare co-founder Eli Ben-Sasson announced the upcoming launch of the Starknet Appchain. Appchains are application blockchains designed specifically to meet specific application needs. The Starknet application chain is designed to provide developers with a customized environment in which they can create customized Starknet instances for better regulatory control, lower costs, greater scale and optional privacy. By establishing a Starknet application chain, developers can provide users with higher throughput and a better user experience. The Starknet Stack is built using modules such as STARK proofs, the Cairo programming language, and native account abstraction.
Overall, Starknet Stack is still in the early stages of development, and the development of the on-chain ecosystem is still in its very early stages.
Polygon2.0
In the entire design idea, Polygon2.0 hopes that its Polygon's PoS Mainnet and ZKEVM will become the pillars of Polygon, and at the same time introduce the Supernets application chain to strengthen Polygon's ecology, and the real profit from it is the POL token, because the Supernets of Polygon2.0 POL tokens need to be pledged to run nodes to ensure the security of the public chain. In order to achieve this goal, Polygon provides three options for users to choose: PoS node/ZKEVM node/Miden VM. In order to expand its appeal, Polygon also supports Polygon DID based on zero-knowledge proof and a Web3 game development guide called "Blueprint". It can be seen that Polygon2.0 chooses to gain a richer ecology for itself from the perspective of incubation. In addition, the concept of enterprise blockchain has been mentioned many times in the introduction of Polygon 2.0’s Supernets. From Polygon’s cooperation with Starbucks/Nike/Warner Music, etc., we can see that another moat is the enterprise version of the low-threshold and highly customized application chain. .
Structurally, Polygon2.0 is similar to OP Stack. It also divides itself into several layers, namely:
Staking Layer
Interop Layer
Execution Layer
Proving Layer
Its layered form is:
Link
Network
Transport
Application Layer
These are borrowed from Internet protocol components, and each protocol layer is responsible for a specific sub-process, which is the technology stack.
Staking Layer
This pledge layer function is basically the same as Ethereum’s PoS (Proof of Stake), but it is not only used by the Polygon main network:
In addition to the original Polygon mainnet, Polygon also has ZKEVM, Supernets, etc. Therefore, Validators will provide services for many chains, using a model similar to restaking and managed through Validator Manager.
The Chain Manager contract is used to manage the Validators to which each chain belongs. Each chain has its own Chain Manager contract to determine the number of validators and additional requirements for the validators, such as regulations or regulations to be followed. Tokens that must be additionally staked, which means that the validator may need to additionally stake the chain’s own tokens to participate in its verification.
In fact, this pledge layer is the focus of Polygon 2.0. Different from Optimism and Arbitrum, if Supernets want to run, they must be supported by Validators that pledge $POL. The more Polygon chains, the more Validators are needed, and POL The value of the token will be higher. However, the Restaking model also helps the Supernets team focus on Utility and community rather than infrastructure, lowering the entry barrier to public chains.
Interop Layer
Interop Layer uses ZK Proof to implement native cross-chain like Cosmos. By extending the LxLy protocol used by Polygon ZKEVM rolllup, Polygon introduces an Aggregator to achieve atomic-level cross-chain interoperability. First, it can receive ZK proofs and Message Queues. In addition, it can aggregate multiple ZK proofs into a single ZK proof and submit it to Ethereum for verification. So it's a middleware between Polygon and Ethereum.
Therefore, when the Message Queue and ZK certificate sent by the A chain are received by the Aggregator, the B chain as the target chain can directly receive the message from the A chain, thereby achieving seamless cross-chain interaction. Of course, Polygon also tries to decentralize Aggregator in the form of PoS Validator.
Execution Layer
Its execution layer plays a relatively similar role in each chain.
Then, among these are P2P/Consensus/Memepool/Database, and the Witness generator unique to ZK proof.
Proving Layer
The proof layer is a layer unique to ZK-Rollup. It is essentially a protocol that produces ZK proofs for all transactions on the Polygon chain.
It mainly consists of a general prover and a state machine. The general prover inherits Plonky2 using recursive SNARK technology, while the state machine has ZKEVM and MidenVM provided by the Polygon team, or built by the public chain team itself, such as ZKWASM.
summary
Technology open source perspective
OP Stack is welcomed by many projects. More than ten projects including Base/Magi/opBNB/Worldcoin have successively announced the use of OP Stack. There is a reason.
The first is the openness of the license. From the picture we can see that Optimism uses the MIT License, while Arbitrum/ZKSync/Starknet/Polygon uses the Apache License 2.0. Although they are all open source, the two licenses There are different levels of openness. The MIT License only requires that the original license statement and copyright statement be retained, and allows commercial use, distribution, modification, private use, additional agreements, and even the sale of MIT-licensed code. The Apache License 2.0 requires that the modified source code be documented in the modified file. Derived projects need to contain the Apache-2.0 protocol in the original project code, as well as trademarks, patent statements, and other instructions that the original author stipulates. In a derived project, if a Notice file is included, the Apache-2.0 protocol must also be included in the Notice file.
Simply put, the MIT License is the most lenient, while the Apache License is more strict.
Compatibility perspective
1) Optimism is highly compatible with the Ethereum EVM. Optimism’s code has 12,745 commits and 2.3k forks, which means a large number of code updates and a very high developer adoption rate.
2) In addition, from a technical perspective, the ZK system makes full use of the security and consensus mechanism of Ethereum and directly relies on its security. Compared with the OP system, the ZK system can directly verify status changes without waiting for underlying status updates, simplifying the design and improving cross-chain efficiency. The OP is limited in asynchronous cross-chain calls and needs to wait for underlying verification and confirmation.
Technical architecture perspective
1) At present, Optimism and Polygon focus on expanding L2s, while Arbitrum, ZK Sync and Starknet focus on expanding L3s. Layer 3 application chains have a higher degree of freedom/scalability and autonomy, but the market is still developing on Layer 2, and Layer 3 is still in the relatively distant future. And the most critical thing is that Layer 3 cross-chain interoperability has not been fully realized technically. Currently, no one can advertise that it can achieve Layer 3 cross-chain interoperability. In this case, dApps that focus on composability will inevitably choose Layer 2 to build DeFi Lego.
2) Modularization and SDK components are the unified path of the current blockchain. Whether it is public chain for dApp or Stack for Layer2/Layer3, they all use the minimum programming threshold and maximum customization to reduce the time for developers to build projects. cost, allowing it to focus on product design and community operations. There are also projects like AltLayer that specialize in Rollup As A Service as their core business, so codeless chain development and development projects will definitely become more common as the infrastructure improves.
Development progress perspective
Currently, only OP Stack and Polygon 2.0 are developing rapidly, but OP’s ecosystem has developed the fastest and has been implemented on public chains, while Arbirtum, ZKSync and Starknet are still in the very early stages of development. Especially when the ZKSync and Starknet mainnet ecosystems are not well-established, it can be inferred that they may be more development strategies to cope with competition from OP Superchain. But in terms of the degree of decentralization, Starkware's ZK proof generator STARK Prove-Stone was open sourced under the Apache2.0 license on August 31, and OP Stack has no schedule for a decentralized sorter with the help of Base. , it can be seen that Starkware may be in a leading position in the decentralization process.
Comparison between multi-chain narrative and super-chain narrative
Layer2 cross-chain with IBC and Keplr wallet
A major narrative of Layer2 multi-chain is atomic-level cross-chain transactions. OP Stack achieves the same inter-chain communication effect as IBC through a shared sequencer. Polygon2.0 uses a public validator set and heavy-staking shared security to become a "Polygon Hub" ".
But currently Layer 2 cross-chain is still in the narrative stage, and only EVM cross-chain (wormhole/layerzero/axelar) based on the cross-chain bridge mode can be used. The gap between this and IBC is still very obvious.
SEI’s cross-chain airdrop some time ago demonstrated this gap well:
USDC that uses Wormhole to cross-chain from Ethereum/Arbitrum/Polygon/BSC has to wait 24 hours to cross the SEI chain because it exceeds Wormhole's cross-chain quota in SEI. ATOM and OSMO that cross from Osmosis to SEI through IBC can cross back to the original chain the moment they cross. Axelar USDC, which also belongs to the IBC ecosystem, is also favored for this reason. However, it is limited by the Axelar cross-chain mechanism of the SEI official bridge. There is a waiting time of about half an hour when crossing into and out of the SEI. However, if you use the direct crossing to the IBC public chain, It also arrives instantly. 24 hours and instant payment, which one is better is clear at a glance.
The inter-chain switching experience of Layer 2 on MetaMask also has a significant gap compared with Keplr. With the increase of Layer 2 public chains, the demand for conversion between different chains has gradually increased. However, the assets and interactions of each chain are independent of each other on MetaMask. Third-party tools must be used for unified management, but this also increases Financial risk. However, the Keplr wallet can display the amount and status of funds in the entire ecosystem. Layer 2's Stack strategy may require a Super Wallet similar to Keplr to unify its own ecological assets.
Shared sequencer with ISC and block auction
The sequencer is the key to Rollup's revenue and security. Sharing the sorter allows the new Layer 2 to skip the construction and maintenance of the sorter, and can also obtain the MEV income of all chains, strengthening the value of the Superchain. But sharing the sorter also means sharing the underlying security. The current sorters of Layer 2 Stacks are too centralized. Only the PoS sorter and multi-organization multi-signature implementation can be regarded as a step towards Vitalik's Stage2, so the future shared sorters Working with a decentralized sorter is the only way to expand revenue and ensure security.
As one of the keys to Cosmos’ self-rescue, ICS lowers the entry threshold for the Cosmos ecological public chain and provides more value capture for the Cosmos hub to empower ATOM tokens. In the past, the Cosmos ecosystem each used PoS to ensure its own security, and ATOM was only used to ensure the security of the Cosmos hub, making staking ATOM airdrops and receiving basic PoS benefits the only things ATOM can do. This is different from the current Layer 2 The current situation is very similar, except that OP Stack chose Layered Security using Superchain, while Polygon2.0 chose Mesh Security using Restaking. The block auction prices MEV and resolves MEV from the business model, that is, quantification of the value of the sequencer. With the establishment of the shared sequencer, the MEV value will naturally increase exponentially. Superchain's MEV income cannot simply be collected by the sequencer, so Stacks' block auction will definitely go online soon after the shared sequencer is launched.
Conclusion: Becoming Cosmos is the final form of Layer 2
In view of Layer2 Stacks’ recognition of the Cosmos model, the unique mechanisms in the current ecosystem of Cosmos will surely be optimized and adopted soon, such as drawing on public chains such as Berachain/Injective/Sei/Canto and introducing public chain-level underlying liquidity/Terra Establish Layer 2 with native stable currency/public chain-level native lending/Gas sharing mechanism/modular deployment contract/block auction, etc. Or, as mentioned above, develop a Stack ecological wallet similar to the Keplr wallet to integrate ecological assets.
But the most important thing, and one of the Cosmos mechanisms that Stacks currently lacks, is actually the complete version of inter-chain security. Different Layer2 Stacks can share sorters with each other, that is, the decentralization of the sorter layer, not just the sorting of each company. Decentralize the sequencer and avoid the risks of a single sequencer. At the same time, PoS-based sequencers can also implement multiple sequencers to provide services for the same chain through methods similar to heavy staking. That is, Layered Security and Mesh Security of Cosmos ICS.
There will definitely be a role for Cosmos or OP superchain in the market.
The market is indeed looking for a role similar to Cosmos or OP superchain, which will act as a hub connecting different blockchain networks to achieve the growth of the entire ecosystem by creating synergies and sharing ecological resources. If OP Stack's approach proves unfeasible, a new solution may emerge to fill the gap in the future.
Regardless of whether a role similar to ARB Orbit or OP Superchain or ZK Stacks finally emerges, they will play an important role in the path of Layer 2 expansion. As ZK technology matures and becomes de-thresholded, it is likely that ZK series or OP series Stacks that have introduced ZK technology will take over the banner of Layer 2 multi-chains. ZK technology comes with high TPS and decentralization, which is exactly what it means. In addition to compatibility, the two most critical attributes of capacity expansion are also technical guarantees in the case of high sharing security. Although the development progress of ZKSync and Starknet is slow, their TVL and user volume growth are obvious to all, so we can look forward to whether OP Stack's first-mover advantage and compatibility performance will quickly occupy the Stack market, or ZK Stack's high TPS and decentralization Chemical energy will take advantage of the situation after the technology matures.
Reference
[1] "The reasons behind the four kings of Layer2 competing to deploy Stack" https://haotiancryptoinsight.substack.com/p/layer2stack
[2] "The Coming of Super Chain: An In-depth Interpretation of the OP Stack Jointly Created by Coinbase and Optimism" https://www.8btc.com/article/6806138
[3]《Crazy Multichain Universe, Crazy OP Stack》https://medium.com/ybbcapital/crazy-multichain-universe-crazy-op-stack-acb63be8d515
[4]《Introduction to Hyperchains》
https://medium.com/matter-labs/introduction-to-hyperchains-fdb33414ead7
[5]《Introducing the ZK Stack》
https://medium.com/matter-labs/introducing-the-ZK-stack-c24240c2532a
[6] "Variables of ZKSync ecological process and decentralization process" https://twitter.com/tmel0211/status/1663034763832344576
[7]《A gentle introduction: Orbit chains》
https://docs.arbitrum.io/launch-orbit-chain/orbit-gentle-introduction
[8]《The Starknet Stack’s Growth Spurt》
https://starkware.co/resource/the-starknet-stacks-growth-spurt/
[9] "The Difference between Open Source Licenses"
https://www.geek-workshop.com/thread-1860-1-1.html
[10]《The Appchain Universe: The Risks and Opportunities》https://medium.com/alliancedao/the-appchain-universe-the-risks-and-opportunities-9a22530e2a0c
[11]《Application-Specific Blockchains: The Past, Present, and Future》https://medium.com/1kxnetwork/application-specific-blockchains-9a36511c832
[12]《The Inevitability of UNIchain》
https://medium.com/nascent-xyz/the-inevitability-of-unichain-bc600c92c5c4
Data Sources:
[13]https://defillama.com/chains
[14]https://dune.com/Marcov/Optimism-Ethereum
[15] https://dune.com/gopimanchurian/arbitrum
[16]https://dune.com/gm365/L2
