ConsenSys, the blockchain development firm, has released its anticipated Layer 2 solution, Linea, a zkEVM rollup network.
Consensys has announced that it began releasing the mainnet alpha version of Linea and will also start onboarding its 100 launch partners into the ecosystem. Linea had been one of the top-performing and fastest-growing projects running on the Goerli Testnet (Ethereum’s central testnet for testing new DApp and smart contract functions) with 5.5 million wallet creations and over 46 million successful transactions.
Linea’s Architecture Explained
Linea’s zkEVM approach integrates ZK Rollup of technology with Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) compatibility. ZK Rollups, a core mechanic of Layer 2 scaling networks, utilize zero-knowledge proofs for transaction validity.
A ZK Rollup is an aggregated transaction receipt of multiple previous transactions that had been computed and validated off of the Ethereum Layer 1 main chain. Zero-knowledge proofs are cryptographic proofs generated with rollups that attest to their validity without revealing all of their data.
The ZK Rollup protocol enables one node to act as a prover and another as a verifier to generate a zero-knowledge proof. The prover submits a transaction they believe to be true, and the verifier can authenticate it to be added to the rollup without needing to view all of its data. Rollups are then published to the Ethereum Layer 1 chain in batches. Linea can use its ZK Rollup tech to operate with any DApp on Ethereum.
Alpha Release Details
The release of Linea’s alpha version means a faster rate of TPS, transaction fees 15x lower than the Ethereum Layer 1 chain, and more integrations with MetaMask, including access to the wallet Portfolio’s Bridge, Swap, and Buy features. Users can also kickstart Linea’s bug bounty program at launch.
This launch also brings the updates of Linea Alpha v0.2.0, which ran on testnet June 13, 2023, to mainnet. Some of the updates include:
- Batch conflation to reduce fixed (verification) costs for L2 blocks. This refers to fusing rollups together when publishing onto the Ethereum L1 mainchain to take advantage of as much block space as possible.
- A new version of the Canonical Token Bridge with “lock and mint” contracts allows Linea to bridge any ERC-20 token.
- A new security council.
- Upgrading prover and block production with trace generation components to sort and organize batch publications.
ConsenSys has stated that there will be an initial delay between Linea and the L1 mainnet for at least eight hours post-launch. This will give the firm time to monitor for any malicious actors.
Conclusion
The launch of the Linea alpha on the Ethereum mainnet marks the creation of another self-proclaimed efficient L2 scaling network operating on Ethereum. This zkEVM rollup network improves TPS, lowers fees, introduces batch conflation, and will serve as a key player in the Layer 2 wars.
Recently, with the developments of opBNB on testnet and the release of Base a few months ago, along with established players like Starknet, Optimism, and Polygon, Linea’s launch officiates Ethereum’s L2 ecosystem as a flourishing marketplace of scaling solutions.
