Haust: How Data Availability drives faster, more secure blockchains
Last updated
Last updated
Traditional Layer 1 blockchains like Ethereum and Bitcoin have encountered limitations in processing large volumes of transactions, especially during periods of high network activity.
To address these issues, Layer 2 solutions were introduced, offering a way to offload certain processes from the main chain, thus enhancing speed and efficiency.
However, even with these innovations, one fundamental challenge remains: ensuring that transaction data is accessible and verifiable without overloading the blockchain. This is where Data Availability (DA) comes into play.
DA plays a crucial role in ensuring that transaction data remains accessible and verifiable, without overloading the main blockchain.
The Data Availability Layer (DAL) addresses this issue by allowing L2 solutions, like Haust, to efficiently store and verify transaction data off-chain. Rather than adding every transaction directly to the main blockchain.
In simple terms, DA ensures that although transaction data isn’t stored directly on the main chain, it can still be accessed and verified when needed. This capability is essential for preventing bottlenecks, especially during periods of high transaction volume, such as network surges on platforms like Ethereum.
By offloading data to a DA layer, blockchains can process transactions faster and at a lower cost, all while maintaining the integrity and security of the network.
To understand DA better, think of a blockchain as a warehouse where transactions are represented by boxes. Traditionally, every box (transaction) would be stored directly inside the warehouse, taking up valuable space and slowing down how efficiently new transactions could be processed.
However, with Data Availability Layers, the boxes aren’t stored in the warehouse itself. Instead, they’re placed in an easily accessible storage facility nearby. The warehouse keeps a detailed logbook (the blockchain) that records the essential information about where each box is stored and verifies that it’s available and secure.
This way, while the boxes aren’t taking up space in the main warehouse, anyone can still access and verify the contents when necessary, keeping the system running smoothly and quickly.
In this analogy, DA ensures that the blockchain (warehouse) stays efficient, fast and unclogged, while users still have the assurance that all transaction data (boxes) is available for checking anytime.
Several DA solutions have emerged to tackle the challenges of managing large volumes of transaction data, particularly for Layer 2 protocols, here are the main ones:
Celestia offers a modular approach that separates execution and data availability, optimizing the blockchain’s capacity to store off-chain data.
Ethereum’s Proto-Danksharding streamlines data handling for Layer 2s by introducing more efficient methods for posting transaction data back to the main chain.
NEAR DA leverages NEAR Protocol’s sharding architecture and high-throughput capabilities, ensuring data accessibility, security and cost-effectiveness — offering a highly scalable alternative among DA solutions.
NEAR DA stands out as one of the most efficient and scalable solutions in the market today. By leveraging NEAR Protocol’s sharding architecture and high throughput, it can efficiently handle large transaction volumes while keeping costs low.
Unlike other DA solutions, NEAR prioritizes efficient utilization of available block space, ensuring that every byte is used effectively without unnecessary cryptographic overhead. Reducing transaction fees, which makes NEAR DA one of the most cost-effective options available for dApps and Layer 2 solutions.
Sharding, one of NEAR DA’s core features, allows multiple transactions to be processed in parallel, thus preventing congestion and improving network efficiency. Parallel processing means that even as demand increases, the system can scale without sacrificing performance.
In addition to its scalability, it also prioritizes security through extra layers of cryptographic checks. These added protections ensure that user data is always verifiable and that the integrity of the system is maintained, even under high transaction loads.
As mentioned, NEAR DA distinguishes itself through a combination of scalability, cost-efficiency and high throughput, seen when compared to Celestia and Ethereum’s Proto-Danksharding.
Cost-Effective Block Space: NEAR DA’s cost per block stands at a remarkable $0.0016, which is significantly lower than Celestia’s $0.046 and Ethereum’s $7.73. This makes it an attractive option for protocols seeking to optimize expenses, especially under heavy transaction loads.
Throughput and Efficiency: With a throughput of 16 MB/s, NEAR DA outperforms Celestia’s 6.67 MB/s and Ethereum’s 1.33 MB/s, making it a more scalable solution capable of handling larger volumes of data with minimal congestion.
Ethereum Gas Consumption: NEAR DA facilitates around 2.8 billion gas per second, far surpassing Celestia’s 1.17 billion and Ethereum’s 280 million. Demonstrating its ability to process more data at a lower cost, offering unmatched scalability for L2s compared to its competitors.
In summary, while all three solutions have their strengths, NEAR DA excels in offering a high-performance, low-cost solution, making it a formidable choice for those looking to build scalable and efficient applications.
Haust Network integrates NEAR DA as a crucial component in addressing the Data Availability challenges within its ecosystem, enhancing both scalability and security. By leveraging NEAR’s architecture, Haust ensures that large volumes of transaction data are securely stored and easily retrievable without congesting the main chain.
We also pair NEAR DA with the Nuffle Fast Finality Layer (NFFL) to speed up transaction finality across its zk-rollup system. The combination reduces gas fees and enhances the speed and security of transactions, creating a more efficient and cost-effective environment for dApps and DeFi activities.
One of the standout features of Haust’s infrastructure is its ability to integrate with various solutions simultaneously, targeting different challenges across the DeFi ecosystem.
While NEAR DA serves as a powerful solution for data availability, Haust also integrates with AggLayer to address other significant hurdles like cross-chain liquidity and scalability. This combination allows Haust to manage different aspects of DeFi complexity efficiently.
For example, while NEAR DA ensures that off-chain data remains accessible and secure, AggLayer optimizes the flow of liquidity across chains, providing seamless interoperability and reducing slippage.
Together, these technologies enable Haust to offer a versatile and comprehensive solution, enhancing security, scalability and user experience. Having a strategic multi-solution integration is key to Haust’s ability to meet evolving user needs while staying at the forefront of DeFi innovation.
Haust Network is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in DeFi by seamlessly integrating innovative technologies like NEAR DA and AggLayer. These powerful solutions enable Haust to deliver a scalable, secure and cost-efficient ecosystem that optimizes cross-chain liquidity and transaction speed.
As the DeFi landscape evolves, Haust remains at the forefront, offering a platform that brings security, performance and versatility to its users. Whether you’re looking for seamless dApp interactions or robust data availability, Haust is building the infrastructure to meet your needs.
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