- Layer 2 scaling methods employ Optimistic Rollups or ZK-Rollups.
- Data sharding may be the long-term answer to rollup flaws.
This week, Vitalik Buterin and Ansgar Dietrichs co-authored EIP-4488, which proposes to reduce the gas prices associated with Ethereum Layer 2 scaling solutions. The concept, meant to help alleviate rising gas prices while more substantial alternatives, explored.
Vitalik Buterin and Ansgar Dietrichs, two Ethereum developers, have proposed lowering Layer 2 gas prices temporarily until more effective long-term solutions are created.
A roadmap for how data space available to rollups can be greatly expanded (and hence rollup fees greatly reduced) progressively, starting from calldata gas cost reduction and continuing with step-by-step rollout of sharding:https://t.co/TixzvKInSN
— vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) November 25, 2021
While Layer 2 scaling methods employing Optimistic Rollups or ZK-Rollups are “the only trustless scaling solution for Ethereum,” their gas prices are too costly for some. For example, Optimism and Arbitrum often provide 3-8x cheaper costs than the Ethereum base layer, whereas ZK-Rollups may offer up to 100x lower fees.
Attempts to Reduce Layer 2 Gas Prices
EIP-4488 tries to reduce Layer 2 gas prices in two ways. By lowering the cost of transaction calldata, used in both Optimistic and ZK-Rollups. Secondly, by capping the number of transactions calldata in a block. Buterin claims that increasing the amount of data space accessible to rollups is feasible. Especially, now that block sizes are not threatening network stability.
This plan will:
— zkSync | We're hiring! (@zksync) November 26, 2021
* Make rollups cheaper in the very near term, possibly before Christmas (lowering the costs ~5x).
* Enable resilient yet practically limitless scalability far into the future (data availability sampling).
In between, zkPorter will provide additional relief. https://t.co/zPFCNmQoc1
While data sharding may be the long-term answer to rollup flaws, this plan tries to cut gas expenses as soon as possible, maybe by Christmas, according to a zkSync team tweet.
It’s no surprise that Ethereum scaling solutions have matured with Ethereum. Furthermore, Buterin himself asked for an “ecosystem-wide transition to a rollup-centric Ethereum” to reduce gas costs. Only recently, Boba, an Optimistic Layer 2 Rollup solution, reached a total value locked of over $1 billion. A 1,200 percent rise from Nov. 14.
