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Data Availability

What is Data Availability?​

Data Availability (DA) is the cornerstone of a Rollup's security model. It answers the core question: "How can we ensure that all transaction data generated on Layer 2 is made public, so that anyone can independently verify the state of the Layer 2 chain?"

If transaction data were unavailable, verifiers would be unable to detect or prove fraudulent activities, posing a severe threat to the entire Layer 2 system's security. Therefore, a reliable DA layer is the lifeline for any Rollup.

Gate Layer’s DA Solution: GateChain + EIP-4844 Blobs​

Gate Layer uses its Layer 1, GateChain, as its data availability layer. This means Gate Layer posts the critical data for all its transactions back to GateChain, thereby inheriting GateChain's security and decentralization guarantees.

The core technology Gate Layer uses to achieve data availability is using GateChain's EIP-4844 Data Blobs.

How It Works​

  1. Batching and Compression: The op-batcher component collects a batch of Layer 2 transactions and compresses them to reduce their size.

  2. Posting as a Blob: Instead of posting this data as regular transaction calldata, the op-batcher packages it into one or more blobs. It then submits a special type of transaction (a blob-carrying transaction) to GateChain, anchoring these blobs to a GateChain block.

  3. Independent Data Lifecycle: Unlike calldata, which is stored on-chain forever, the data in blobs is only stored by GateChain nodes for a limited period. This period is long enough to ensure that any participant who needs to verify the Layer 2 state can access the data, while also preventing the indefinite growth of the L1 state and thus reducing long-term storage costs.

Advantages of Gate Layer’s DA Solution​

  • Extremely Low Cost: EIP-4844 introduces a separate gas market for blobs. The cost of posting blob data is far lower than using calldata, which is the most critical factor enabling Gate Layer to offer extremely low transaction fees.

  • Robust Security: By anchoring its data to GateChain, Gate Layer ensures that its transaction data inherits the same level of security as the GateChain mainnet itself. Anyone can download the blob data from GateChain to reconstruct and verify Gate Layer's state.

  • Future-Proof Scalability: EIP-4844 is core infrastructure designed for the Rollup era on Ethereum and EVM-compatible chains like GateChain. It paves the way for more advanced scaling solutions in the future, such as full Danksharding.

Summary​

By leveraging its L1 GateChain's native support for EIP-4844, Gate Layer implements a data availability solution that is both secure and highly cost-effective. This not only guarantees Gate Layer's security and transparency but also serves as the foundation for its ability to provide high performance and low fees to its users.

Last updated on 2025/09/25