✅ Master Modular Blockchain
Understand layer separation, data availability, and modular designs
Separate consensus, data availability, and execution
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0 / 5 completedKey Takeaways
You've learned how modular blockchain architecture separates core functions into independent, specialized layers. Let's review the key concepts before testing your knowledge.
🏗️ Modular vs Monolithic
Modular blockchains separate consensus, data availability, execution, and settlement into independent layers.
- •Monolithic: All functions in one layer (Bitcoin, Ethereum L1, Solana) - 15-7,000 TPS
- •Modular: Specialized layers (Celestia, Ethereum rollups) - 1,000-100,000+ TPS
- •Modular breaks scalability trilemma by separating concerns
🔗 Four Core Layers
Each layer can be independently optimized and swapped:
- •Consensus: Order transactions and achieve finality (Ethereum PoS, Tendermint)
- •Data Availability: Publish and store transaction data (Celestia, Ethereum DA, EigenDA)
- •Execution: Process transactions and update state (EVM, SVM, WASM, Move)
- •Settlement: Verify proofs and finalize state (Ethereum L1, sovereign)
💾 Data Availability is Key
DA separation enables massive cost savings and scalability:
- •Ethereum Calldata: $0.01-$1 per KB, 1.4 MB/block, maximum security
- •Celestia: $0.0001 per KB (~1000x cheaper), 7-100 MB/block, DA sampling
- •EigenDA: $0.00001 per KB, restaked ETH security, 10-100 MB/block
- •DA sampling: Light clients verify with ~100 KB samples instead of full 10 MB blocks
🎯 Design Flexibility
Mix and match layers for your use case:
- •Ethereum Rollup: ETH consensus + settlement, ETH/Celestia DA, custom execution
- •Sovereign Rollup: Celestia DA + consensus, any execution, no L1 settlement
- •Hybrid Stack: ETH settlement, EigenDA, SVM execution (best of all worlds)
🚀 Real-World Impact
Modular architecture is powering the next generation of blockchains:
- •Arbitrum/Optimism: Ethereum rollups processing millions of txs daily
- •Celestia: First modular DA layer, enabling sovereign rollups
- •EigenDA: Restaked ETH for ultra-cheap DA (launching 2024-2025)
- •Cost reduction: From $50 per tx on Ethereum → $0.01 on rollups (5000x cheaper)