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FAQ

How is this different from shared sequencing?​

A shared sequencer is a centralized entity that controls transaction ordering across all rollups, creating bottlenecks and forcing rollups to give up sovereignty. We only coordinate cross-chain transaction inclusion - each rollup maintains its own sequencer and full control over transaction ordering.

What happens if the shared publisher goes down?​

Our "based" architecture provides multiple layers of resilience:

  • Automatic Failover: Publisher role rotates with Ethereum's block proposer schedule - if current publisher fails, next L1 proposer automatically becomes publisher
  • Ethereum Liveness Dependency: Publisher availability tied to Ethereum itself (99.99% historical uptime)
  • Graceful Degradation: Rollups continue independent operation and can resume cross-rollup and settlement functionality when publisher comes back online
  • No Data Loss: Failed cross-rollup transactions abort atomically - no partial states or stuck funds
  • Permissionless Recovery: Any Ethereum validator can step in as publisher through L1 proposer rotation

How do you maintain atomicity across rollups?​

We use Two-Phase Commit (2PC), the gold standard for atomic transactions in distributed databases:

  • Phase 1 (Prepare): Publisher asks all rollups "Can you execute your part?" Each rollup simulates execution and votes commit/abort
  • Phase 2 (Commit/Abort): Only if ALL rollups vote commit does the publisher send execute command. If anyone votes abort, all rollups abort atomically
  • Proven at Scale: Same protocol used by Oracle, PostgreSQL, and other major databases for decades
  • Failure Handling: Network partitions and rollup failures result in atomic abort - no partial execution states

What's required for rollup integration?​

Integration is deliberately meant to be minimal and non-invasive:

  • Mailbox Smart Contracts: Simple contracts for cross-rollup message reading/writing (similar to existing bridge interfaces)
  • 2PC Participation: Rollup sequencer participates in prepare/commit voting protocol with shared publisher
  • Message Interface: Implementation of standardized message-passing protocol
  • Minimal Changes: Sovereignty over sequencing logic, consensus mechanisms, or governance structures
  • EVM Compatible: Works with EVM, other architectures are TBD
  • Existing Infrastructure: Leverages current rollup proof systems, DA layers, and settlement contracts

How does this affect existing rollup economics?​

Rollups keep 100% of their existing fee revenue and sequencer economics. Cross-rollup functionality can actually increase transaction volume and fees by enabling new types of applications and user flows.

Is this just another bridge solution?​

Fundamentally different from bridges in both architecture and capabilities:

Bridges: Point-to-point asset transfers with multi-step processes and failure points

Composable: Native cross-rollup execution infrastructure enabling complex atomic and synchronous workflows

For example:​

Bridge Example: Move USDC from Rollup A to Rollup B (separate transactions, bridging delays, trust assumptions)

Our Example: Atomic swap of ETH on Rollup A for USDC on Rollup B in single transaction with immediate finality

Bridge Risk: Protocol vulnerabilities, liquidity requirements, and multi-step failure modes

Our Approach: Built into rollup infrastructure with database-proven atomic guarantees and no additional protocols

What about performance and latency?​

Designed for superior performance through architectural advantages:

  • Horizontal Scaling: Enables parallel processing across rollups rather than sequential bridge operations
  • Single L1 Settlement: All cross-rollup activities are settled within a single Ethereum block
  • Immediate Finality: Once published to L1, there are no additional confirmations needed, providing immediate finality
  • Minimal Overhead: The 2PC coordination system introduces negligible latency compared to multiple bridge hops
  • Parallel Execution: Independent rollup sequencers can process transactions concurrently