Key Takeaways
- Ethereum creator Vitalik Buterin has printed a weblog publish outlining how Layer 3 scaling options may work.
- He acknowledged that Layer 3 options can’t include stacked rollups, as this may not lead to environment friendly knowledge compression.
- Buterin outlined two prospects: Layer 3 platforms with specialised features and batch verifier contracts.
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Ethereum creator Vitalik Buterin believes that stacking rollups is not going to successfully scale Ethereum—however he nonetheless has some concepts about the way forward for Layer 3 scaling.
Buterin Questions Rollup Stacking
Layer 2 platforms are nonetheless of their infancy, however Vitalik Buterin is already eager about Layer 3 scaling.
In a blog post titled “What sort of layer 3s make sense?”, Buterin mused on methods through which Layer 3 scaling options may assist Ethereum course of transactions extra effectively.
Ethereum’s mainnet at present has a throughput of about 15 transactions per second. In periods of excessive exercise, customers face community congestion and intensely excessive gasoline costs as their transactions can’t match into out there block house. In November 2021, customers paid as a lot as $62.11 for a token swap—an operation that at present prices about $1.36.
Layer 2 scaling options referred to as “rollups” have been designed to alleviate this drawback. Rollups outsource a transaction’s computational knowledge to a different chain, then publish an simply verifiable cryptographic transaction proof to Ethereum’s mainnet. This enables transactions to be bundled collectively, saving a big quantity of block house.
Buterin beforehand acknowledged that rollups may assist Ethereum attain a throughput of 100,000 transactions per second. Arbitrum, Optimism, Starknet, and zkSync are all examples of rollups.
Nevertheless, rollups have limitations. Buterin mentioned in his newest weblog publish that rollups of their present kind can’t merely be stacked on prime of each other due to knowledge compression points.
Buterin argued that “knowledge might be compressed as soon as, however it can’t be compressed once more.” If a second compressor gives a bonus, the logic of a second compressor often might be put into the primary compressor, he mentioned.
Layer 3 Supplies Options
As an alternative of stacking rollups, Buterin urged assigning completely different functions to Layer 2 and its potential Layer 3s.
On this case, Layer 2 can be used for scaling. In the meantime, Layer 3 would help different features akin to privacy-focused chains, non-EVM platforms, custom-made scaling options for particular functions, or validiums (that are one other type of rollup).
Buterin additionally urged that Layer 3 methods might be created by modifying the best way that rollups at present operate. Some rollups, referred to as ZK-Rollups must confirm their state root proofs (a type of cryptographic key) themselves.
As an alternative, Buterin argues for a brand new strategy involving a “batch verifier contract” that makes a speciality of verifying these proofs. This may considerably convey down gasoline costs for these scaling options without having to ascertain a full EVM system as a center layer. In impact, ZK-Rollups would change into Layer 3; there can be no must construct Layer 3 on prime of them.
Buterin additionally mentioned that, no matter how Layer 3 options are constructed, they may enable sub-ecosystems to evolve inside Layer 2s.
Certainly, cross-domain operations may occur with out essentially having to go via Ethereum’s mainnet—which implies transactions would change into less expensive. That would definitely be excellent news for Ethereum customers.
Disclaimer: On the time of writing, the creator of this piece owned BTC, ETH, and several other different cryptocurrencies.
