Shared sequencers: why rollups need them and who leads the field
Quote222 words
Explains the sequencer role and the risks of today's centralized sequencers (single point of failure, censorship, liveness, MEV). Argues shared sequencers deliver decentralization-as-a-service, pooled security and composability for the long tail of app-specific rollups.
Key claims
All major rollups run centralized sequencers today
Shared sequencers are the next catalyst for the modular thesis after DA layers
Shared sequencers will be game-changers for the rollup space and be the next big catalyst for the modular thesis after DA layers like @CelestiaOrg. 🧱✨
They provide rollups:
✦ Decentralization-as-a-Service
✦ Pooled Economic Security
✦ Interoperability & Composability
✦ MEV Resistance (depending on design)
But let's take one step back.
What is the sequencer?
The sequencer is what orders the transactions into L2 blocks. These blocks are then submitted to L1 for validation.
Today, all major rollups run on centralized sequencers. This introduces some significant risks to end users:
✦ Single-Point-of-Failure
✦ Censorhip Risks (Sequencer can censor)
✦ Liveness Risks (Sequencer can go down)
✦ MEV Exploitation (Extract value by reordering transactions)
While some rollups are working to introduce their own decentralization mechanisms for sequencing on singular chains or across rollup stacks, many smaller (potentially app-specific) rollups might not have the resources to spin up and maintain a proprietary, decentralized sequencer set.
Shared sequencers will be key infrastructure for this long tail of modular chains that will emerge and build on these maturing modular building blocks including DA layers like @CelestiaOrg, @AvailProject or @eigen_da.
The leading shared sequencing players are:
✦ @EspressoSys
✦ @nodekitorg
✦ @radius_xyz
✦ @AstriaOrg
✦ @MadaraStarknet
✦ @Fair_Block
If you want to learn more about shared sequencing, check my deep dive report I did with @0xJermo! 📚👇
twitter.com/zerokn0wledge_/status/1719682606953046130
QUOTING @zerokn0wledge_
We are entering the era of rollups! The demand for modular infrastructure components like shared sequencing layers is set to explode! 🌐 Decentralization-as-a-Service 🔒 Pooled Crypto-Economic Security 🚀 Atomic Composability This tech will reshape how we build rollups! 🤯 🧵
We are entering the era of rollups! The demand for modular infrastructure components like shared sequencing layers is set to explode! 🌐 Decentralization-as-a-Service 🔒 Pooled Crypto-Economic Security 🚀 Atomic Composability This tech will reshape how we build rollups! 🤯 🧵
What came next · since 18 Mar 2024
Since then
Zero has written 1 more piece on Espresso since this one.