Linea — Redefining zkEVM Layer 2’s
At Fifty Finney, we are excited about any ideas or solutions that continuously improve the survival prospect of the Ethereum blockchain. The Layer 1 wars have increasingly been aggressive, with competitors like Solana making huge strides and reclaiming price points the SOL token has not reached since the FTX fallout. Previously, we touched on some technology that could help the Ethereum blockchain scale. You can find those here:
In today's newsletter, we will spotlight one of the interesting zkEVM projects named Linea.
What is Linea
Linea is a Zero Knowledge-based Layer 2 that takes Ethereum to the next level. Forget about the limitations of the Mainnet; Linea scales Ethereum's experience to unprecedented heights. Out-of-the-box compatibility with the Ethereum Virtual Machine allows you to deploy existing applications and create new ones that would have been prohibitively costly on Mainnet.
And that's not all — the community can now enjoy existing decentralised apps on Linea at a fraction of the cost and at multiple speeds, the speed of the Ethereum mainnet.
How exactly is Linea able to achieve this? By leveraging quantum-resistant lattice-based cryptography to create zero-knowledge proofs for every transaction that happens on the network, these cutting-edge proofs are then seamlessly rolled up to the Ethereum blockchain, ensuring every transaction is safely recorded, while dramatically slashing the costs to mere pennies.
Linea’s Architecture
In its final form, is seeking to build a technology stack with three main components, namely:
The sequencer
The Sequencer serves as the vital core of Linea's execution client, playing a pivotal role in ordering, constructing, and executing blocks to enable subsequent zero-knowledge proofs.
The Sequencer performs a series of crucial tasks, including:
Determining the order or sequence in which transactions will be executed.
Building blocks from these ordered transactions.
Executing the blocks with precision.
Preparing specific data related to the execution traces, essential for the zero-knowledge prover.
In Linea's ecosystem, the Sequencer fetches transactions from the Linea memory pool and assembles them into blocks, similar to Besu's operation on the Ethereum mainnet. However, the Sequencer goes beyond these standard functions in Linea's case. It establishes additional communication with the coordinator to ensure that blocks are constructed in a manner that facilitates zero-knowledge proofs. Moreover, it optimizes the blocks' compactness, which is of utmost significance given the constraints of Ethereum Mainnet, where all data must be written in small, costly fragments.
Prover
The prover module has the critical task of generating the ultimate dataset for a zero-knowledge proof and crafting it.
This module receives various information from both the coordinator and zkBesu, and then proceeds to create a concise, non-interactive proof of knowledge known as zkSNARK.
The process involves several operations, beginning with the Corset component. Corset takes the aggregated trace data from the coordinator and prepares it for the next step, which is gnark. Subsequently, gnark takes this prepared, or "expanded," trace data and utilises it to generate a proof compatible for submission to the Ethereum network.
Bridge Relayer
The bridge relayer element is responsible for locking and minting tokens into the Linea ecosystem to ensure no asset duplication on Linea and the Ethereum Mainnet.
Get Started with Linea
Linea is currently in the Alpha Mainnet phase of its launch. You can now use the Linea Bridge on Mainnet or Testnet. You can toggle between both depending on your preferences and risk tolerance. On the mainnet bridge, transactions may take anywhere between 8 hours to 32 hours to settle before you can begin transacting on Linea.
The opportunity
As Linea makes its grand entrance into the crypto sphere, early adopters may have the exciting opportunity to receive an airdrop, rewarding them for being among the first to join this network or play with the testnet/mainnet. An airdrop is a free token distribution to selected users, which is an incentive to engage with and support the platform during its initial stages.
Early users of Linea may be eligible for an airdrop based on certain criteria, such as active participation in the community, holding specific tokens, or contributing to the growth and development of the project.
Various blockchain projects have used airdrops in the past to foster user engagement and increase the network's decentralization. Some well-known Layer 2’s that have conducted airdrops include:
Arbitrum: Arbitrum is a layer 2 scaling solution for Ethereum. It is designed to address the scalability and high transaction fees on the Ethereum network by offering faster and more cost-efficient transactions.
Optimism: Optimism is a layer 2 scaling solution for the Ethereum blockchain. It aims to enhance Ethereum's scalability and reduce transaction costs by employing optimistic rollups.
These examples demonstrate how airdrops have been used as a strategic tool to incentivize participation, reward early supporters, and build robust and engaged communities around innovative blockchain projects. With Linea's emergence as a network focused on scalability and efficient transaction processing, early users could be in for an exciting airdrop opportunity that amplifies their involvement in the project's evolution.
Wrapping Up
In conclusion, Linea is a zero knowledge-based Layer 2 solution that propels Ethereum to new heights. Linea achieves scalability and cost-effectiveness compared to the Ethereum Mainnet by leveraging cutting-edge lattice-based cryptography and zero-knowledge proofs.
As Linea enters the Alpha Mainnet phase, users can already experience the benefits of its network.
Furthermore, early adopters may be rewarded with an airdrop, receiving free tokens to incentivize their support and participation in the network's growth. Airdrops have proven successful in other Layer 2 scaling solutions like Arbitrum and Optimism, fostering engagement and decentralization within their respective communities.
Linea is a promising solution to overcome Ethereum's scalability challenges in this ever-evolving blockchain technology landscape. As we eagerly anticipate its impact on the ecosystem, early users have a unique chance to shape its future while reaping the rewards of its support.
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