AltLayer deep dive: rollup-as-a-service, flash layers and tiered finality
Thread1,076 words
Breaks down AltLayer's no-code RaaS framework, its disposable Flash Layers, implemented fraud proofs open to any participant, a staked Beacon Layer sequencer network and three-tier finality (execution, verification, rollup level).
Key claims
AltLayer rollups are fraud-proof based with zk validation planned
Sequencers are selected from the Beacon Layer by stake and randomness
Finality has three tiers: execution, verification, rollup
0/ Well-funded & backed by some of the biggest names in the space, @alt_layer is set to become one of the leading Rollup-as-a-Service (RaaS) providers! 馃殌
@altlayer provides a no-code interface for scalable, decentralization & fully customizable infrastructure!鈿欙笍
Giga-馃У (0/58)
1/ In this thread we will cover:
馃敼 The AltLayer RaaS Framework
馃敼 Why AltLayer?
馃敼 The Benefits of AltLayer
馃敼 The AltLayer Tech Stack
馃敼 The Role of the Beacon Layer
馃敼 Conclusion
2/ Before we dive in, let's quickly define the term "Rollup-as-a-Service Provider (RaaS)":
RaaS refers to a type of L2 service provider that enables users to easily create and manage customized rollups based on their specific needs.
3/ @alt_layer's RaaS framework offers:
馃敼 SDK for developers to manage their rollups themselves.
馃敼 No-code dashboard to spin up customized execution layers with a few simple clicks.
4/ What makes @alt_layer so exciting is the high degree of customizability the framework offers.
Builders can choose:
馃敼 Sequencer
馃敼 Rollup SDK (execution)
馃敼 Data Availability Solution
馃敼 Interoperability Solution
馃敼 Settlement Layer (Proof Verification / Dispute Layer)
5/ @alt_layer can save significant capital and years of development work for application teams while supporting a broad array of execution layer types.
6/ But why do we need @alt_layer?
Application builders currently face a dilemma when choosing blockchain infrastructure. 馃憞
7/ 鈿欙笍 General Purpose L1/L2
Deploy on a general-purpose Layer 1 or 2 chain like Ethereum or Arbitrum One, which is straightforward but imposes limitations and lacks customization.
8/ 鈿欙笍 App-Chain
Build their own application-specific chain using frameworks like Cosmos SDK, which is resource-intensive and may not be practical for developers with limited expertise.
9/ Let's have a closer look at these limitations. 馃憞
General-purpose chains share compute and bandwidth among all applications, leading to problems like surging gas prices when one application dominates resources.
10/ Conversely, building an application-specific chain is costly, time-consuming.
It requires bootstrapping hundreds of validators to operate and secure the chain and may result in wasted resources if the application fails to attract enough usage.
11/ @alt_layer solves this problem by offering builders a solution that gives developers the best of both worlds! 馃憞
12/ 馃専 Fast Deployment
@alt_layer's Rollup-as-a-Service platform enables developers to swiftly launch application-specific rollups. This allows for quick deployment of applications on a custom L2, mimicking the experience of deploying on a general-purpose blockchain.
13/ 馃専 Secure & Decentralized
AltLayer rollups are secured by an underlying chain, removing the need for developers to bootstrap their own network of validators.
@alt_layer also lets builders select multiple sequencers for transaction execution, mitigating centralization risks.
14/ 馃専 No-code Framework
@alt_layer offers a user-friendly dashboard that simplifies the rollup creation process.
It caters to both seasoned developers and those with limited coding experience, making it easier than ever to launch a customized rollup.
15/ You can try the rollup launchpad here 馃憞
dashboard.alt.technology/
16/ 馃専 Focus on Core Competency
By streamlining the rollup launch process, @alt_layer allows development teams to concentrate on what they do best.
A game studio can for example allocate resources to creating engaging content rather than worrying about chain development.
17/ 馃専 Flexibility
As already discussed above, @alt_layer offers extensive customization options, all manageable via a simple dashboard.
Tweak network-level parameters like the number of sequencers or chain-level settings like smart contract size limits, without any coding.
18/ 馃専 Elastic Scaling
@alt_layer rollups are elastic in the sense that they can scale with the application.
If an application hits the capacity of a rollup so that a single rollup supporting an application may not provide the best UX, one can easily spin up more rollups.
19/ These disposable execution layers are also called Flash Layers and are a truly unique feature of the @alt_layer framework.
They can be quickly spun up to handle spikes in demand & then settled back to L1 when no longer needed. This results in an optimized use of resources.
20/ 馃専 Multi-chain Support
Designed for multi-chain and multi-VM environments, @alt_layer supports both EVM & WASM.
It includes a range of application-specific tooling and add-ons, aiming to offer a more tailored experience compared to existing one-size-fits-all solutions.
21/ In general, the @alt_layer stack is a highly modular solution, decoupling execution runtimes (such as EVM, WASM and others) from the data availability layer (e.g. L1, Celestia, etc.) and settlement (e.g. Ethereum, Arbitrum One, etc.).
22/ But let's dive into the @alt_layer tech stack in a bit more depth.
@alt_layer rollups are currently fraud proof based and hence optimistic rollups.
However, support for state validation through zk proofs will be added in the future.
23/ But unlike many of the existing rollup implementations that do not have fraud proofs implemented (e.g. OP-Stack based chains) or have it implemented but can only be triggerred by a whitelisted set of nodes (Arbitrum)...
24/ ...@alt_layer has already implemented fraud proofs and any network participant can identify an incorrect state transition execution and challenge the sequencer that committed the block data on the L1.
25/ Additionally, rollups launched via @alt_layer's RaaS are operated by a decentralized sequencer network.
These sequencers are selected from a shared sequencer network called the Beacon Layer based on their stake and some randomness (more on the Beacon Layer shortly).
26/ The @alt_layer framework also takes a novel approach with regards to finality.
While blockchains typically only differentiate between blocks that have been finalized and blocks that have not.
AltLayer on the other hand, uses a tiered methodology for block finalization.
27/ The tiered methodology allows an end user to decide on the finality status of a transaction give her security budget.
Finalization consists of three different tiers:
馃敼 Execution-level (low budget)
馃敼 Verification-level (medium budget)
馃敼 Rollup-level (high budget)
28/ As the block progresses through the different tiers of finalization, there is an increasing level of confidence on the finality of the block.
The level of confidence is lowest at the execution-level and is the highest at the rollup-level.
But let's have a closer look! 馃憞
29/ 1锔忊儯 Execution-level Finality:
Transactions get collected from the mempool and packed into blocks by block producers (sequencers) and accepted by the consensus protocol run among the sequencers.
Blocks accepted by consensus are said to be finalized at the execution-level.
30/ 2锔忊儯 Verification-level Finalization:
After blocks have been produced by block producers and have undergone the consensus protocol, they are then verified by the verifiers.
Blocks verified via this verification process are considered to be finalized at the verification-level.
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