Shared sequencing in the Superchain and its limits
Post247 words
Explains how a shared OP sequencer proposing blocks to many chains can guarantee atomic inclusion, but only promises L1 inclusion, so execution still depends on other rollups, complicating cases like mint and burn bridging.
Key claims
A shared sequencer guarantees inclusion, not execution
Mint and burn bridging is harder under this model
✨🔴 Shared Sequencing in the Superchain 🔴✨
In the context of the Superchain vision, it makes a lot of sense to think about OP-Stack based chains as (app-specific) shards of a monolithic chain.
Participating networks in the Superchain will share the sequencing layer. As this shared sequencer produces blocks on multiple chains simultaneously, it can guarantee atomic interactions between these networks.
It works because there is a single entity that proposes blocks to the rollup nodes of all the chains plugged into the OP sequencer. Hence, these chains don’t necessarily need to rely on other validators to include these atomic transactions.
Important to note, that this is a slightly simplified explanation and there are some limitations here. Since the sequencer doesn't execute transactions (only promise that they will be included in a L1 block), there is contingency on other rollups actually executing the atomic transactions that the shared sequencer proposes. This might make some use cases (e.g. mint & burn bridging) harder to realize.
But the possibilities this enables are BIG anon!
In conjunction with message passing protocols (and ideally some sort of execution guarantee), this will enable an interoperable and connected ecosystem of OP Stack based L2s.
The Superchain.
Even though the overall network is made up of multiple chains, the atomic cross-chain interaction functionality outlined above means that to the user it will feel like a single logical chain.
The Superchain is a game-changer for UX and it is closer than you think anon. 🔴✨
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What came next · since 25 Mar 2024
Since then
Zero has written 4 more pieces on Optimism since this one.
- Optimism Superchain explained: OP Stack, shared sequencing and RaaSOn Optimism
- Optimism Superchain thesis: OP Stack and the Stack WarsOn Optimism
- Superchain and OP Stack ecosystem summary with linked explainersOn Optimism
- OP Superchain plus RaaS: why app-specific rollups will launch on the OP StackOn Optimism