Ethereum has made a significant progression in enhancing the scaling capabilities of Layer-2 rollups. Avail co-founder Anurag Arjun emphasized the need for a cohesive infrastructure to streamline user interactions within the rollup ecosystem. Speaking at the ETHGlobal conference in London, Arjun outlined the necessity for a singular platform to support the user experience across various rollup protocols.
Building Bridges in Ethereum’s Layer-2 Network
Polygon co-founder Sandeep Nailwal, along with Arjun, has pivoted towards developing an infrastructure to consolidate the Ethereum Layer-2 landscape. Following the initiation of Polygon’s proof-of-stake network, the team adapted its focus to align with Ethereum’s roadmap that prioritizes rollup technology. Arjun highlighted the importance of scalable data availability in this context, which led to the inception of Avail within Polygon in 2020.
In a strategic move, Arjun secured the intellectual property for Avail from Polygon in March 2023, and together with Prabal Banerjee, established an autonomous entity. They aim to serve leading rollup protocols like Starkware, zkSync, Arbitrum, and Optimism by implementing data sampling technology, which is crucial for verifying rollups efficiently.
Enhancing User Experience and Protocol Efficiency
Arjun acknowledges the multi-year timeline for Ethereum to fully integrate danksharding features, a development that rollups might not afford to await. He aims to address the scalability challenges and enhance the user experience by facilitating scalable data availability. The ultimate goal is to enable seamless communication between users across different rollups, thereby simplifying transactions and fund transfers.
This endeavor contrasts with the current fragmented experience where Ethereum users must maneuver between multiple rollups. In comparison, blockchain ecosystems like Solana offer a more consolidated network handling. Arjun’s vision is to establish a single cohesive rollup ecosystem within Ethereum, requiring a neutral, trustworthy third-party to coordinate the seamless interaction between the disparate rollup functions.