| |
 |
|
| |
|
|
| |
Modular |
| |
A modular blockchain is a blockchain that outsources at least one of three components to an external independent chain while also conceding its ability to temporarily handle that component/s – the three components being execution, consensus, and data availability. Alternatively, monolithic blockchains are blockchains that handle all three components of the modular stack.
Rollups are modular because they only handle execution, outsourcing both consensus and data availability to Ethereum, for example, while conceding the temporary ability to handle those components themselves. Data availability layers, like Celestia, and settlement layers that only provide execution and consensus are also modular because they don’t handle all three components themselves.
Modularity implies flexibility. Therefore, modular chains can outsource components to separate independent chains or handle them locally – can’t handle more than two out of three components, otherwise it implies monolithic limitations. Flexibility also allows modular chains to be created, exchanged, or replaced independently within a modular stack - a core element of the modular design principle.
Why is Modular Blockchain Important?
Scalability. Modularity allows for the separation of resources → more specialization → more efficiency.
Another important component which modular blockchain allows for technologies such as data availability fraud proofs or zk-proofs where nodes do not have to execute all transactions to check validity. This is important for scalability as it enables blockchain to increase throughput while enabling users to gain assurances about the correctness and reliability.
Basically, this allows users to be first-class citizens of the network and have almost the same level of security as a full node downloading all the transactions without needing the same resource requirements as a full node.
Flexibility. It allows for rapid experiment across the stack for developers which could lead to better and more specialized decentralized applications. Developers could upgrade different modules in the blockchain based on their needs and future technological advancement.
It allows developers to also borrow the credibility of layer 1 they are using and build a superior computation layer or data consensus layer on top of it e.g Ethereum layer 2 with zksysnc, Starkware, Optimism.
Escaping the L1 Cycle. Blockchains are running into transactions issues, high gas fees issues, and optimization issues, and the way to ensure blockchain scales is to improve the individual components quickly.
Since it is much easier to deploy sovereign rollup than to acquire a decentralized validator network, faster iteration cycles of specialized blockchains to fix different issues in the stack would be possible.
In conclusion, modular blockchains would be a important next step to ensure the scalability of blockchains while still maintaining its decentralised nature. |
| |
|
 |
| |
|
| |
| |
|
 |
Planet Koinos have received approval from Koinos Group
to use the Koinos Logo, images and text. 2022
For more information contact webmaster@planetkoinos.com |
| |
|
|
|
