Unification: Solving L2 fragmentation with Avail Nexus
Summary of the Talk by Anurag Arjun, founder of Avail
📺Access Anurag Arjun’s full talk at Modular Summit 3.0 here:
Introduction
In his talk at the Modular Summit, Anurag Arjun, founder of Avail, presented a detailed overview of the implementation and progress of L2 fragmentation and data validation in the Avail infrastructure. The key takeaways from his speech are summarised below.
Anurag began by stressing that he will not focus much on data availability, but rather on the problem of L2 fragmentation and upstream components.
Description of Avail
Taking a quick tour of the Avail infrastructure, we have firstly an availDA layer, which employs data sampling and advanced validity testing, on top of this layer we have availNEXUS, a “permissionless verification hub”, which allows rollups to operate and verify proofs on top of Nexus, facilitating interoperability and asynchronous compatibility between different blockchains.
To do this they use a mix of test aggregation, ZK testing and data availability sampling. Finally there is the availFusion component, although it does not go into deep technical details.
availDA
The availDA layer implements sampling with validity tests, the difference of Avail is that they do not have fraud tests, the tests are performed with KZG commitments, this method resembles the primitives that Ethereum plans to implement in its sharding roadmap. Avail has already developed this technology and is close to launching its mainnet.
availNexus
Nexus is a permissionless verification hub that uses KZG commitments aggregation techniques. This allows different types of proofs to be combined into a single proof, which is then verified at the Avail layer. Thin clients can also verify these tests independently by sampling, providing an additional layer of security.
Anurag gave a background to the evolution of Avail, mentioning that the idea was born in 2020 in the context of Polygon’s rollup-centric roadmap. He highlighted that, for this roadmap to be effective, an infrastructure that supports large-scale rollups is needed. Avail opted for KZG commitments, which proved beneficial and allowed them to build availNexus on top of it.
availFusion
“To complete this we also have a security component called availFusion”. He noted that the creation of new L1 blockchains faces limited security challenges at the start. Because of this movement of rollups that are going to inherit the security of the base layer we have to think of ways to increase the security of that base layer when we build it. So of course we have to rely on the native token for cryptographic security but we are also looking to augment this cryptographic security by leveraging new primitives and alternative assets like BTC to complement the security of the base layer.
Vision and Future
Finally, he gave an overview of the Avail product suite and its mission. He stressed the importance of increasing cryptographic economic security and providing a robust environment for rollups, outlining fundamental principles and future goals of the Nexus platform.
Microservices in Web3 and Adaptation
Anurag Arjun, in his presentation, went on to explain how the Avail architecture resembles Web2 microservices, but applied to the Web3 context. He mentions that each rollup in the Avail system can function as an adapter that standardises information from different sources to integrate it into the test aggregation system.
The fragmentation problem and the Nexus solution
In the current landscape, the number of chains, L2 and finally rollups with low production costs, is growing all the time, generating a very messy and fragmented universe of services.
And essentially what Nexus wants to do is to simplify it, by aggregating different tests from different ecosystems, from different rollupps for example, and then aggregate them into this single unified test. In this way we can move away from this world where every chain has to verify the state transition, leaving the possibility for all chains to verify a single test.
One of the outstanding features of Nexus is the ability to execute processes conditionally and perform rollbacks based on timeouts. This is similar to how transactions work on platforms such as Amazon, where different services coordinate to complete a transaction. Argun emphasises that this capability is crucial to improve interoperability and efficiency in a multi-chain environment.
Integration and Standards
The Nexus architecture is not a separate layer, but a sovereign rollup built on top of the data availability layer, which does not execute arbitrarily, but coordinates the verification of states from different chains through data sampling tests. Avail works with the major rollup stacks to standardise the information and integrate these adapters into Nexus, enabling the creation of a unified test.
Competitiveness and Silo Development in the Ethereum Ecosystem
Anurag noted that due to the competitive and diversified nature of the Ethereum ecosystem, with multiple teams developing their own stacks of rollups, a fragmented environment has resulted. Each group is working on internal solutions, which makes interoperability difficult. For example, projects such as Optimism, Polygon and others develop their own chains and solutions.
Avail’s role as a Neutral Connector
Anurag positioned Avail as a neutral entity that facilitates the connection and unification of these diverse ecosystems. Avail seeks to enable the unification of different execution layers and ensure their interoperability, contributing to a more cohesive and efficient blockchain ecosystem.
Final Reflection
Anurag concluded by emphasising Avail’s vision of enabling the unification and interoperability of multiple blockchains through a verification layer and asynchronous messaging, and was optimistic about the future of the blockchain ecosystem thanks to these innovations.
Anurag Arjun stressed that Avail’s vision is crucial to advancing the scalability and security of blockchains, promoting an environment where multiple blockchains can operate together efficiently and securely.
