Overview
The constraint of Ethereum community efficiency has given rise to a lot of Layer 2 extension options, with the Rollup resolution main the general progress observe. Ethereum is often thought of a single blockchain community with three purposeful layers: knowledge availability and consensus layer, settlement layer, and execution layer.
Due to the restricted block house, working all purposeful layers in a single block takes a variety of chain sources, leading to community congestion and a rise in chain fuel costs.
Rollup is a modular extension resolution that splits the execution layer from the only blockchain, off-chains tough computations, after which returns the off-chain execution outcomes to the chain for verification. Taking on Ethereum’s safety On this occasion, community efficiency might be significantly enhanced.
Arbitrum TVL is $3.36 billion as of March 6, accounting for 54.39% of the full Layer 2 observe; Optimism TVL follows intently, and the mixed TVL of the 2 has topped 80% of the market share. The Layer 2 rivalry seems to be managed by Arbitrum and Optimism, however in reality, increasingly Rollup options have sprouted up like mushrooms, presenting their artistic narratives to erode a sure market share.

Essentially the most notable is a brand new tune referred to as “Rollup as a Service,” which is predicated on it. RaaS, because the title says, symbolizes the deployment of Rollup as a service, which drastically simplifies the event of Rollup from 0 to 1.
The RaaS idea could also be traced again to Celestia’s Optimint (now referred to as Rollkit) in 2021, with the aim of offering builders with a complete set of generic software program improvement package (SDK). The core of this observe is the OP Stack stack prompt by the Optimism crew. Coinbase, a typical undertaking, lately constructed its Optimistic Rollup (ORU) Foundation on OP Stack. It is a starting level and a possibility that has sparked my curiosity within the RaaS path.
Earlier than we go into the person initiatives of the RaaS observe, let’s have a look at the causes and driving forces behind the observe’s inception, ascent, or impending improvement. The primary driving issue is demand: the restrictions of Ethereum efficiency have produced the necessity for extension, so there’s Rollup; it’s tough to put in a sequence from 0 to 1, and thus there’s the rise of RaaS. The premise of the above place is, after all, that Rollup has demand. The market has now validated the necessity for general-purpose rollups; nonetheless, the market has but to validate the demand for specialised application-type Rollup.
RaaS
The RaaS observe contains quite a few further initiatives, along with the aforementioned Optimism’s OP Stack and Celestia’s Rollkit. RaaS initiatives could also be categorized into two teams primarily based on whether or not or not they require coding: SDK and No-Code (No-Code) options.
The SDK resolution offers builders with a complete set of common software program improvement kits, making Rollup deployment so simple as sensible contract deployment; the no-code strategy, because the title implies, eliminates the necessity to write a single line of code to put in Rollup (one-click launch chain).
OP Stack and Rollkit are SDK options, whereas Dymension, Sovereign, and Stackr are additionally on this class. AltLayer, Saga, Eclipse, and Caldera are among the many initiatives that use Rollup with out writing any code. It is not going to take lengthy to debate every undertaking within the RaaS observe intimately, however solely a fast overview. The paper focuses on a few of my private concepts in regards to the RaaS path, with the hope of encouraging others.
SDK
OP Stacking
The Optimism crew’s software program stack to actualize the modular blockchain structure, which separates the blockchain community into three purposeful ranges: consensus layer, settlement layer, and execution layer, is called OP Stack. The method of developing a modular blockchain is considerably simplified by decoupling distinct purposeful ranges and merging all ranges within the type of API software program stacks.
Rollup builders have extra freedom with OP Stack since they’ll swap, change, and alter completely different module ranges similar to they’ll swap APIs. The Optimist crew prompt what they think about to be the ultimate model of the blockchain “tremendous chain,” which is made up of a group of extremely interconnected OP Stack chains that work together through a normal message-passing protocol to facilitate interoperability amongst Rollup networks.
Rollkit
The Celestia group created Rollkit, a modular hair chain SDK. Rollkit is the same as Tendermint by way of Cosmos Layer 1 when in comparison with Rollup. To spice up scalability, builders can assemble Rollup atop the info availability (DA) and consensus layer supplied by Celestia. Furthermore, Rollkit has the advantage of customization, because the DA layer, sorter, execution surroundings, proof technique, and so forth might all be modified.

Dymension
Dymension’s RollApp Growth Package (RDK) capabilities equally to the Cosmos SDK in that it assists builders in deploying RollApps (Rollups primarily based on particular apps) atop the Dymension settlement layer. The settlement layer’s job is to keep up the safety of all RollApps, often known as Dymension Hub; in different phrases, all RollApps constructed on RDK share Dymension Hub’s safety. It needs to be famous that Dymension launched the RollApp Digital Machine (RVM) within the settlement layer, and RVM offers a novel dispute decision technique, permitting it to accommodate quite a lot of execution settings.
Stackr
Of of 130+ concepts, Stackr was one among 22 successful initiatives within the Layer 2 Neighborhood Grants 2022 held by the Ethereum Basis. Its aim is to make it simpler for builders to put in App-specific ORUs utilizing the Stackr SDK.
Sovereign
Sovereign is just a little “completely different” from the earlier 4 Rollup SDK functions. The above SDK options all start with the event of ORU primarily based on fraud proofs, whereas Sovereign begins with the development of zk-rollup (zkRU) primarily based on zero-knowledge proofs.
Cryptography’s most difficult department is zero-knowledge proof. The development of zk-rollup necessitates foundation in cryptography. Sovereign’s SDK permits builders with out skilled experience in cryptography to make use of zero-knowledge proof expertise to create public chains, making zk-rollup as easy to create as a dApp.
No-Code
AltLayer
AltLayer is a pattern no-code Rollup resolution that goals to alleviate the issue of a single widespread Dapp congesting the entire community. As a result of a number of Dapps on the identical blockchain community share restricted block house, when transactions on a single Dapp chain spike (for instance, NFT casting operations for a restricted interval), your complete community turns into congested, and fuel prices skyrocket. By putting in Flash Layer, AltLayer affords a one-time execution layer, a devoted block house for NFT casting occasions, is completely remoted from different initiatives on the chain, and shuts the execution layer when the casting exercise concludes, therefore boosting community scalability.
Saga
Saga is a Cosmos ecosystem undertaking with the aim of making a thousand-chain surroundings by horizontal improvement. Saga’s design is equivalent to that of the beforehand said SDK resolution Dymension, and Rollup is called Chainlet within the Saga structure.
As a result of it’s primarily based on the Saga fundamental community, all Chainlets share the Saga fundamental community’s safety. Chainlets can operate with out native tokens due to shared safety. Saga will first deal with Internet 3 infrastructure, reminiscent of video games and leisure chains, since bettering and increasing the underlying infrastructure of chain video games has turn into an essential matter to sort out.
Eclipse
Rollup is constructed on Eclipse’s settlement layer, which tries to supply a normal settlement layer for any Layer 1. Eclipse affords builders a extremely extensible Rollup structure that permits them to pick out digital machines, knowledge availability ranges, and so forth individually. Celestia, Polygon, and EigenLayer are actually supported by Eclipse, and extra Layer 1 networks will probably be supported sooner or later.

Caldera
Caldera affords “one-click ORU chain issuance,” which reduces the time it takes to construct a Rollup to minutes. The Cladera chain modular stack is made up of three elements: the Caldera Chain (execution layer), the EVM settlement layer, and the info availability layer (DA). Because the settlement layer, it might be constructed on any EVM-compatible chain, and Caldera’s execution layer is ORU primarily based on fraud-proof, which signifies that the safety of the Rollup community is maintained by working a fraud-proof mechanism.

Modular Structure in Rollup
It might be usually categorized into three classes from the standpoint of Rollup’s modular structure:
Common Sensible Contract Rollup
For instance, layer 1 (reminiscent of Ethereum/Polygon) is in command of settlement + consensus + knowledge availability, whereas the execution layer (Rollup) is unbiased of the monolithic chain. Examples are Optimism and Arbitrum.
Settlement Rollup
Layer 1 is in command of consensus and knowledge availability, whereas the settlement layer operates independently. Rollup is created atop the settlement layer, and the ensuing Rollup shares the settlement layer. In accordance with their roles, settlement Rollup could also be separated into application-specific settlement Rollup and general-purpose settlement Rollup. RollApp, for instance, is constructed on Dymesion Hub, whereas Chainlet is predicated on Saga Chain.
Sovereign Rollup
Layer 1 is in command of consensus and knowledge availability, whereas Rollup is in command of settlement and execution. We consider Rollup has “sovereignty” since it could possibly assess the legitimacy of its personal transactions. Sovereign Rollup, like settlement Rollup, could also be separated into application-specific sovereign Rollup and general-purpose sovereign Rollup primarily based on their functions. Rollup, for instance, is predicated on the Celestia Rollkit.
Rollup is assessed into 5 sorts: common Rollup, application-specific + general-purpose settlement Rollup, application-specific + general-purpose settlement sovereign Rollup, and application-specific + general-purpose settlement sovereign Rollup. When paired with the proof technique (zero-knowledge proof/fraud proof), 5 sorts (2 = 10 Rollup combos) could also be derived.
To assemble Rollup, builders can use Celestia/Eigen DA as the info availability and consensus layer and Dymension/Saga/Eclipse because the settlement layer. When the variety of modular initiatives will increase, the resultant modular Rollup mixture might even exceed.
There are a whole lot of Rollup combos, and all of them could also be readily and conveniently carried out utilizing the infrastructure supplied by RaaS-related initiatives. The RaaS observe’s potential can’t be overstated.
What are some great benefits of RaaS?
- Funds help RaaS-related initiatives;
- RaaS affords a modular blockchain-based innovation mannequin;
- The Rollup Roadmap has not absolutely explored but, and the RaaS roadmap is even in its early phases.
After all, alternatives and challenges coexist. Whether or not it’s Rollup or RaaS, there are nonetheless many unanswered questions.
Conclusion
Even earlier than the general public chain unfold on a broad scale, the subject of heated debate was whether or not the longer term public chain construction needs to be single-chain or multi-chain.
An analogous dilemma arises relating to Rollup: Would the Rollup construction be dominated within the close to future by a single Rollup or by a number of Rollups striving for fulfillment? However who will survive the extraordinary wrestle ultimately, and who will go from historical past’s Rollup stage? No one is aware of for certain; solely time will inform.
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