The Dawn of Proto-Danksharding
In a recent exclusive interview with Cointelegraph Magazine, Consensys zkEVM Linea head Nicolas Liochon dropped a significant update on the future of Ethereum rollups, shedding light on the developments in the proto-danksharding technology. A solution that promises to be a game-changer, targeting a whopping 10x reduction in the costs of rollups, a feature integral to the Ethereum ecosystem.
A Deep Dive into Proto-Danksharding
What is Proto-Danksharding?
Defined by its Ethereum Improvement Proposal (EIP) identifier as EIP-4844, proto-danksharding is a system designed to significantly reduce the costs associated with rollups, a process involving the batching of transactions and data off-chain while presenting computational proof to the Ethereum blockchain.
Rollup Costs
As it stands, Linea offers transactions that are 15 times cheaper than those conducted on Ethereum’s primary layer. However, a significant bottleneck remains; the transactions are recorded in call data within Ethereum blocks, a process that despite being necessary for only a brief period, remains stored on-chain indefinitely.
EIP-4844: The Catalyst for Change
Liochon elucidated that the introduction of EIP-4844 is poised to revolutionize this process. The new system plans to introduce data blocks that can be sent and affixed to blocks. This data will not be accessible to the Ethereum Virtual Machine, and significantly, will be deleted after a predetermined period, a move expected to drastically slash transaction costs.
Data Availability and Security
The Linea head emphasized the role of data availability in the high cost of rollups, noting that “we are writing all the data to layer 1, which is why we have exactly the same security. But it’s expensive; it represents 95% of the cost.”
Linea: A Universal Solution
Looking forward, Linea aims to establish itself as a universal solution, with applications across a myriad of decentralized applications and solutions within the Ethereum ecosystem. As Liochon remarked, “We are a generic rollup. We don’t want to have a specific use case or specific domain. It’s quite important to support all types of applications, including DeFi, gaming, and social.”
Conclusion: The Road Ahead
With Consensys successfully launching Linea in August 2023, amassing over 150 partners and bridging upwards of $26 million in Ether, the future looks bright. The Ethereum community awaits with bated breath as proto-danksharding stands on the cusp of radically transforming Ethereum’s operational landscape. Stay tuned for more updates as the project evolves.
