L2 node client diversity and Starknet's Papyrus full node
Quote369 words
Argues client diversity prevents single points of failure and censorship in rollup networks. Starknet has Pathfinder (Rust), Juno (Go) and the new Papyrus, whose flat key/value storage should speed up the still centralized sequencer.
Key claims
Starknet has three node client teams
Papyrus stores flat key/value state rather than Merkle-Patricia paths
The Starknet sequencer was still centralized
0/ aside sequencer/prover decentralization, node client diversity is another key feature of healthy & decentralized #rollup networks
a 🧵 on #L2 node clients, #StarkNet 🐺 ✨ and #Papyrus 👇
x.com/StarkWareLtd/status/1613154088866160641
1/ having multiple node client implementations is important because it helps to ensure that there is no single point of failure and that no single entity or group has too much control over the network
2/ if there were only one node client implementation of a node, any bugs or vulnerabilities present in that implementation would be present in all nodes on the network, making it easier for an attacker to exploit them and potentially gain control over the network
3/ additionally, having a single point of control over the network's nodes would make it easier for actors to censor or manipulate the network's state
4/ by contrast, having multiple independent implementations of the node software allows for greater distribution of power & control over the network. If for example a bug or vulnerability is discovered in one implementation, other implementations may not be affected
5/ overall, client diversity leads to a more robust network
#StarkNet is strong on that with three teams working on node client solutions
#Papyrus will join #Pathfinder (Rust) and #Juno (Golang) to complete a healthy mix of clients, adding both decentralization & redundancy
6/ but let's have a quick look at #Papyrus
The #Papyrus full node will track StarkNet’s state as it evolves over time and allow users and developers to query this state via StarkNet’s JSON-RPC. #Papyrus is also open source under the Apache 2.0 license
7/ #Papyrus will provide the foundations for the new #StarkNet Sequencer, which will dramatically enhance #StarkNet’s throughput (currently sequencer is still centralized!)
8/ it does so by providing a more efficient storage layer
firstly, this means that the sequencer will maintain a local DB rather than a cloud-based DB
9/ additionally, #Papyrus will store a flat key/value storage. That means that #Papyrus interacts directly with the state, rather than reaching it through Merkle-Patricia paths, which further increases sequencer performance
10/ I will take a closer look at sequencer decentralization in an upcoming thread 👀
stay tuned for more on the world of #zk, #rollups & #StarkNet ✨
QUOTING @StarkWareLtd
We are thrilled to announce the release of Papyrus, a new open-source full node for StarkNet. This full node will play a key role in improving performance and decentralization on the network. Be sure to check out the full blog post for all the details. starkware.medium
We are thrilled to announce the release of Papyrus, a new open-source full node for StarkNet. This full node will play a key role in improving performance and decentralization on the network. Be sure to check out the full blog post for all the details. starkware.medium
What came next · since 14 Jan 2023
Since then
Zero has written 3 more pieces on Starknet since this one.