Vitalik wrote that the existing Layer 2-centered design is actually very similar to the Ethereum sharding that he wanted to pursue in the past, and many aspects can be done better. For example, more autonomy can be reserved for Layer 2 developers. Let the ecosystem have more innovation and flexibility.
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Vitalik: Sharding is technically similar to Layer2
Vitalik believes that Layer 2 and sharding are often described as two strategies for blockchain expansion technology, but in fact, the underlying technology for both expansions is exactly the same.
Lyaer2-centric design is similar to the sharding technology architecture
The user has some kind of data sharding, which can be imagined as the user having a fraud proof or a zero-knowledge proof; the user interacts between different shards, and the corresponding user can interact between different rollups.
The main difference between Layer2 and sharding is: how much autonomy do different chains and shards have? How much room can be left for developers to play.
Diversity in execution environments
In the past, Ethereum briefly tried to improve the diversification of the sharded execution environment in 2019. For example, different sharded areas could use completely different virtual machines and account models, etc., but it was ultimately abandoned because the technology was difficult to implement. But Layer2 can easily do more.
Compared with sharding, Layer2 has more flexibility and room for innovation in the execution environment.
Vitalik said that Ethereum Layer 2 includes rollups, valdium and Plasmas, which today play the role of ecological execution environment. While the Ethereum community usually focuses on the L2 equivalent of EVM, there are actually many more innovative and diverse Layer 2s being developed:
Arbitrum Stylus: Provides an execution environment for the Ethereum ecological WASM virtual machine, which can attract more diverse developers and applications.
Fuel: Use an architecture similar to Bitcoin UTXO to reduce the growth rate of the state ledger.
Aztec: Introducing new programming language and design, designed based on ZK-SNARK's privacy-preserving smart contract.
Such a specialized platform will be more efficient than trying to build an EVM into a super virtual machine that covers every possible design.
Recommended reading: Introduction to the execution layer network Fuel Network, how to provide an efficient computing environment through parallel computing and reduced state? Reason for recommendation: This article describes the product design concept and architecture of Fuel Network, and introduces how FuelVM solves the problem of blockchain state expansion through the UTXO model.
Speed vs. security trade-off
Sharding can bring users higher security, and the current transfer fee on the Ethereum main network is less than one dollar. It does have a certain degree of competitiveness, but not all applications require the security fully protected by Ethereum, such as communities. media or gaming, even $0.01 per transaction is still too high,
Various applications have different levels of security requirements
These apps don't have to pay the same security costs. L2-centric design can achieve this, creating environments corresponding to different needs.
Recommended reading: Introduction Vitalik | Different orientations of Ethereum L2, what are the trade-offs and advantages (Layer2 standard) Recommended reason: This article Vitalik discusses the various trade-offs of different L2 systems including Rollup, Validium, and Disconnected, such as security, cost and Technical characteristics can give you a better understanding of the above "Various applications have different levels of security requirements".
Another security-related trade-off is cross-chain between Layer2. The current Ethereum ecosystem has optimistic rollups and ZK rollups, as well as complex combinations of various proof time windows. Currently, optimistic proofs must manage the complex fraud proof logic of the system on the chain, and the proposed assets are subject to a one-week withdrawal challenge, which compromises the security of Layer 2 cross-chain performance.
However, Vitalik believes that in the next 5 to 10 years, it is expected that all Rollups will be ZK Rollups, and ultra-efficient proof systems such as Binius and Circle STARKs with search functions, coupled with the technological maturity of the proof aggregation layer, will enable L2 to efficiently provide each The final state root in blocks. Therefore, Layer 2 cross-chain transactions will basically not be a problem in the future.
Recommended reading: Introduction to the shared proof layer. Why has it become an important cornerstone of modular development? Recommended reading: This article clearly introduces the importance and market opportunities of the shared proof layer (proof aggregation layer), and explains its concept using existing major projects in the market including Nebra, Avail Nexus, and AggLayer as cases.
Finally, let’s talk about transaction speed. Ethereum produces a block every 12 seconds and is unwilling to go too fast because it will lead to over-centralization of the network. On average, users who submit a transaction have to wait about 6 to 7 seconds for it to be included in a block, which Vitalik believes is comparable to the time he would have to wait to pay with a credit card.
But many applications require higher speeds, and L2 can meet this requirement, and many L2s are already exploring block times of hundreds of milliseconds. For example, Layer 2 can provide higher speed through preconfirmation, that is, the validator signs the transaction after it is submitted, announcing that the transaction will be included at a specific time, and if the transaction is not included, the validator will Penalized to achieve higher performance soft validation.
Pre-confirmation does not need to be subject to mainnet settlement performance intervention
Of course, the above designs can all be attempted on Layer1, and different shards with different security levels can be merged. However, this will increase the complexity of the protocol and may bring the risk of consensus overload. Because many larger scale or faster throughput methods have higher centralization risks or require stronger governance designs, these effects will spread. to other parts of the agreement. By providing these trade-offs through Layer 2, Ethereum can basically avoid these risks.
Vitalik believes that Rollups-centered design can bring better expansion design using sharding to Ethereum.
Vitalik: Layer2 brings a freer environment
In addition to technical comparisons, Vitalik believes that Layer2 also creates an incentive space that not only encourages developers to build and maintain Layer2, but also encourages the community to support Layer2.
Each L2 is independent, meaning developers can deploy new methods on it without permission. There is no need to spend effort convincing all core developers that the new method is safe for the rest of the chain, and new features can be added freely. In Layer2. Anyone can work on completely weird ideas, even if they are completely ignored by the core Ethereum developers.
(Detailed explanation of Blur’s revenue-generating L2 network Blast: on-chain native interest rate, NFT perpetual contract, etc.)
If a developer tries a new approach to Layer 2 and fails, that is the developer's own responsibility and limited scope of influence. Relatively speaking, the functions and precompiled design of Layer 1 are not like this. The impact of any new updates and methods on the network needs to be fully evaluated, because there may be unexpected consequences and impacts.
As a result, much of the EIP discussion, and the ultimate success or failure of its rollout, often hinges on politics to a greater extent than Vitalik would have liked, regardless of what can be theoretically constructed.
The author believes that although it is for the sake of overall network security, it also leads to many Ethereum protocol proposals to a large extent, only moving towards the imagination of the core developer circle.
Recommended reading: Account abstraction EIP-3074 has become a point of contention in the Ethereum community, and Vitalik throws out a new improvement plan EIP-7702 Recommended reason: This article can see more about the political color and color of the Ethereum proposal from the controversy of EIP-3074 wrestling.
In short, the unique incentives generated by L1-centered ecosystems and L2-centered ecosystems will ultimately greatly affect the content, quality level, and order of construction.
Compared with sharding based on the specific political stance of the Ethereum ecosystem, Layer 2 can give developers higher autonomy and any innovation, even if it is not added to the EIP by Ethereum core developers.
Vitalik seems to be turning his attention to Layer2
Vitalik believes that the Layer 2-centric ecosystem is sharding in the true technical sense. In this kind of sharding, users can create their own networks using their own rules, which is very powerful for ecological development and can stimulate a lot of innovation.
Vitalik began to think more optimistic about what Rollups-centered design could bring to Ethereum than sharding.
This article Vitalik: Layer2 has implemented sharding and can do better first appeared on Chain News ABMedia.
