Data Availability Solutions Overview: On-chain Proto-Danksharding Compared with Four Types of Off-chain Solutions

Data Availability Solutions Overview

When discussing blockchain scalability, the data availability issue (DA) becomes an important challenge faced by Layer 2, mainly involving the trade-off between security and cost. Currently, two types of DA solutions have emerged: on-chain and off-chain solutions, which will be detailed below.

On-chain Solution: Proto-Danksharding

On-chain solutions refer to L2 still using Ethereum as the DA layer, relying on Ethereum to reduce data availability costs.

Proto-Danksharding(EIP-4844) is a solution for Ethereum to reduce DA costs. It introduces a new transaction format called Blob, where transaction data uploaded from L2 will be stored in a non-permanent manner in Blob format on the Ethereum consensus layer, providing more economical data availability for L2.

This means that Ethereum will become a real-time bulletin board in the future, and data will be deleted after a certain period of time. L2 needs to store all data backups by itself.

Proto-Danksharding is expected to go live in the Ethereum Cancun upgrade at the end of this year.

Off-chain solutions

Off-chain solutions no longer use Ethereum as the DA layer, but seek more economical data availability methods. According to the differences in decentralization and security, they can be divided into four categories: Validium, Data Availability Committee (DAC), Volition, and general DA solutions.

Validium

Validium is a highly centralized DA solution. Transaction data is managed by a single centralized operator, which greatly protects the privacy of the parties involved and minimizes DA costs, but also poses the highest risk. If the operator fails or acts maliciously, user funds will be unrecoverable.

Data Availability Committee ( DAC )

To reduce the risks posed by a single operator, Validium is currently usually used in conjunction with DAC. DAC is similar to a consortium chain and consists of multiple trusted nodes that store copies of transaction data and publicly disclose data when there are issues with the operator, facilitating users in withdrawing funds.

The operational costs of DACs are relatively low, but from a security perspective, small DACs with 10 to 18 people are still prone to private key theft or collective malicious behavior, leading to on-chain funds being frozen or stolen.

Volition

Volition is a hybrid model that allows users to choose whether to publish the data of a single transaction on-chain or off-chain. For example, in a DEX that adopts this model, users can control multiple accounts and, when a transaction is needed, transfer assets to an off-chain data account for frequent and low-cost trading, and then transfer the assets back to the on-chain data account after the transaction is completed.

Compared to pure Validium, Volition can inherit some of Ethereum's security.

Universal DA Solution

In addition to off-chain DA solutions in the context of Ethereum, there is another category of generic DA solutions that can not only provide data availability for Ethereum L2 but also serve more chains and projects. Examples include EigenDA, Celestia, Avail, and others.

The technical implementations of these solutions vary, but the overall idea is to enhance the security of data availability to achieve public blockchain-level security. They have their own validation nodes, block producers, and consensus mechanisms, but lack smart contract functionality.

( DA Layer Project Introduction

Under the modular blockchain approach, Ethereum occupies nearly 90% of the consensus and settlement layers, while the execution layer has initially formed a "four-legged鼎立" pattern after fierce competition. The data availability )DA### layer is still in its infancy, and the following introduces several popular DA layer projects.

(# StarkEx

StarkEx is a framework that provides scalability solutions for specific applications, and since it also provides DA solutions for applications, it is categorized as a DA layer project. StarkEx features three data availability modes: on-chain, Validium, and Volition, with its Validium solution integrating DAC to enhance security.

Currently, projects using StarkEx for data availability include dYdX v3, Immutable, Sorare, DeversiFi, and others.

![Data Availability Solutions and Track Project Review])https://img-cdn.gateio.im/webp-social/moments-a9d917caa0e1c1ce64ab19badcee2052.webp###

(# zkPorter

zkPorter is an off-chain DA solution proposed by the zkSync development team Matter Labs in April 2021. zkPorter is an independent chain specifically for L2 to publish transaction data, maintaining security through a PoS consensus mechanism. zkSync token holders can stake their tokens to become zkPorter Guardians) to validate and sign blocks.

Matter Labs envisions that accounts on zkPorter can seamlessly interact with accounts or contracts on ZK Rollup ### zkSync Era (, with the only noticeable difference for users being that zkPorter account fees will be significantly cheaper.

It is worth noting that zkPorter was proposed a few years ago, but there has been no news so far, and Matter Labs has not disclosed any information regarding the zkPorter testnet and development progress.

![Data Availability Solutions and Track Project Overview])https://img-cdn.gateio.im/webp-social/moments-46295d372e3fb2543f23106240bf6f84.webp(

)# EigenDA

EigenDA is a DA layer project developed based on EigenLayer. Unlike general-purpose DA projects such as Celestia and Avail, EigenDA acts as middleware and does not have its own consensus mechanism. Its security is derived from the restaking model of Ethereum validators in EigenLayer.

EigenDA is the first active validation service ( AVS) on EigenLayer, where stakers re-stake ETH into EigenDA to perform data validation services for rewards, and buyers ### L2( publish data to EigenDA to achieve lower transaction costs and higher TPS.

Although EigenDA has not yet launched on the testnet, multiple teams have already planned to integrate it into L2, such as Mantle, Layer N, Offshore, etc.

![Data Availability Solutions and Track Project Review])https://img-cdn.gateio.im/webp-social/moments-07ae2d59e1a4643d2c65234c19b024da.webp(

)# Celestia

Celestia is a generalized DA public chain, possessing its own validation nodes and a PoS consensus mechanism. Although it is more expensive compared to other off-chain DA solutions, its security is significantly higher.

Celestium is an Ethereum L2 chain that uses Celestia as the DA layer and Ethereum as the settlement and consensus layer.

Celestia has completed two rounds of financing, raising $1.5 million in a seed round in March 2021 and $55 million in the second round in October 2022, with participation from several well-known VCs.

Celestia recently announced an airdrop, which will distribute TIA(, the native asset of Celestia, to 7,579 developers and 576,653 on-chain addresses. The developers include contributors to public goods and key protocol infrastructure, Eth Research, and public contributors to DA layer projects. The on-chain addresses include active users of Ethereum Rollup and stakers from Cosmos Hub and Osmosis, as well as IBC relayers.

![Data Availability Solutions and Track Project Review])https://img-cdn.gateio.im/webp-social/moments-2e75c46ce2291d24dd206cdb9812b05c.webp###

( Avail

Avail was originally a project founded by Polygon Labs in 2020 to address data availability issues. In March of this year, it became independent from Polygon and now operates as an independent DA public chain, no longer limited to Polygon or Ethereum.

Technically more complex than Celestia, the mainnet is expected to launch in the first quarter of 2024, and currently, there is only a testnet. The Avail testnet has progressed to the second phase, and users can participate in various ways:

• Access the AVL testnet token to explore staking and nomination features
• Develop modular blockchain applications or chains integrated with Avail
• Join the testnet as a validator or light client to facilitate data verification

Avail currently has a testnet incentive activity "Clash of Nodes Challenges", but simply running a node does not earn points; one must apply to become a Validator to earn points, and the application process is relatively difficult. Ordinary users can wait for new tasks to be released.

![Data Availability Solutions and Track Project Review])https://img-cdn.gateio.im/webp-social/moments-7332149bb8f4b2bf99759eee9bdfa595.webp(

) Summary and Reflection

Ethereum's future roadmap shows that after The Merge, the next phase, The Surge, will further reduce the cost of publishing data for L2 through EIP-4844. This indicates that Ethereum aims to maintain the functionalities of the DA layer, settlement layer, and consensus layer, with only the execution layer being separated.

After the upgrade in Cancun is completed, the off-chain DA layer project ###, especially the DA public chain (, may face direct business competition with Ethereum. In addition to focusing on lower costs, how they enhance their competitiveness is worth noting.

Celestia has chosen to issue tokens at this time to incentivize developers and active on-chain addresses, which may have strategic considerations of seizing opportunities and winning people's hearts. For users, it is also worth looking forward to whether there will be large-scale projects like Optimism and Arbitrum emerging in the competition of DA layers.

![Data Availability Solutions and Track Project Review])https://img-cdn.gateio.im/webp-social/moments-b89d918bd1d82f146d8f7a114c141602.webp###