Overview
- Ethereum rollups should shift from centralized sequencers, permitting numerous autonomous actors to order transactions, which reduces the risk of censorship.
- Rollups should utilize trustless bridges to interact with Ethereum. This eliminates dependence on centralized intermediaries for transferring data or assets.
- Taking part in rolllups running must be permissionless from centralized entities.
- Proof generation should become decentralized. This will allow all people to participate and boost trustlessness and security.
Vitalik Buterin spoke about ‘the training wheels coming off’ for rollups. He referred to the present phase, where several rollups still depend on centralized safeguards or elements to promote functionality or security.
The ‘training wheels’ are non-permanent, aiding rollups in scaling and running safely during their initial development stages. In addition, they introduce centralization points and trust assumptions, which can be security risks.
As rollups develop and mature, the objective is to eradicate the centralized safeguards and components, ensuring full decentralization. This indicates:
- Trustless, permissionless systems for generating proofs
- No dependence on centralized sequencers
- Wholly decentralized infrastructure and governance.
Buterin’s ‘full decentralization’ idea for rollups entails boosting the security and censorship resistance of the scaling solutions on Ethereum. Despite rollups aiding Ethereum in scaling by processing transactions offchain, they still depend on some centralized parts.
Weak Spots Eliminated by Complete Decentralization
Decentralized Sequencers
In the present setup, most rollups rely on centralized sequencers that decide the order of transactions. That is a possible susceptibility because if an entity controls the sequencing, it may manipulate or censor transactions.
Moving beyond ‘training wheels’
At present, rollups are in an in-between decentralization stage. They still depend on a blend of onchain and offchain information, which can generate security trade-offs.
Buterin’s total decentralization means losing the ‘training wheels.’ This results in rollups becoming wholly secure and dependent on Ethereum’s security without requiring additional layers of trust.
Trustless Bridges to Ethereum
Rollups interaction portrays Ethereum as primary settlement layer. Nevertheless, most rely on centralized or semi-centralized bridges to transfer information or assets back and forth.
Full decentralization would seek to make the bridges trustless so no party has control. Basically, assets could move between the rollups and Ethereum without depending on anybody’s trust or permission.
Decentralized Provers
Proofs are necessary for rollups, such as ZK-rollups, to confirm the validity of transactions. At present, the proofs may be created by a few centralized parties, but total decentralization would indicate anybody could be part of the process.
It means opening up the system to allow the spread of proof generation among a decentralized network. This would boost its security and ensure less susceptibility to control.
Permissionless Participation
Rollups must permit anyone to participate to ensure genuine decentralization. Participation may be across validating transactions, producing proofs, or being a sequencer.
Simply put, no person requires special permission to aid in running the network. This would move rollups from a more ‘controlled’ environment to an entirely open one.
Decentralized Governance
Core teams or centralized entities govern a majority of rollups. However, to attain full decentralization, a shift toward decentralized governance is critical.
Whether via community-enhanced decision-making processes or onchain voting systems, rollups’ future development and management must be in the hands of users and the wider community.
Censorship Resistance
Censorship is one of the most critical roles of decentralization. When there is one bridge or single sequencer, it is easier for a person to pressure them into censoring specific transactions.
In case one spreads control over a decentralized network, it becomes more difficult for people to block or interfere with transactions.
What it Means for Ethereum and Rollups
In case rollups attain full decentralization, they would serve as a solution to scale Ethereum and change into self-sustaining ecosystems characterized by minimal trust assumptions. With the continuous inheritance of Ethereum’s security, they would no longer rely on centralized entities, boosting their reliance and alignment with Ethereum’s broader mass adoption goal.
Buterin’s full decentralization vision entails converting rollups into secure, trustless, open systems. It is a significant step towards improving Ethereum’s scalability while remaining true to its decentralized ethos.
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