Avail, a blockchain network, has announced the launch of a testnet data availability bridge to Ethereum. Once testing is complete, the bridge will enable developers to easily create “validiums,” which are low-cost layer 2 solutions that don’t store full transaction data on Ethereum.
Layer-2 rollup networks like Optimism, Arbitrum, Polygon zkEVM, and zkSync reduce transaction fees by batching transactions into compressed “rollups” and periodically adding them to the Ethereum base layer. However, because these networks must write all transactions to the base layer, they often have higher transaction fees compared to layer-1 solutions. To address this, some networks have opted to write only validation proofs to the base layer while storing full transaction data off-chain, creating “validiums.”
The Avail Bridge allows developers to create custom validiums by storing transaction data on the Avail network, eliminating the need for their own data availability committee or proof-of-stake network. When a user withdraws cryptocurrency from layer 2 back to the Ethereum base layer, the Avail Bridge transmits an attestation that the data is available on Avail, facilitating the withdrawal.
According to Avail founder Anurag Arjun, the launch of the data availability attestation bridge is a significant step towards optimizing blockchain scalability and efficiency. It enables the operation of rollup constructions in validium, optimistic chains, and volition modes, reducing costs and paving the way for a more inclusive and efficient layer-2 and layer-3 ecosystem.
Arjun has previously highlighted the importance of data availability solutions in the Web3 space as zero-knowledge proof rollups become more widely used.
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