Multi-Proof Design of OP Stack

After the OP mainnet upgrade to Bedrock, it has achieved the innovation of integrating multiple proof schemes into the design. This approach follows the concept of client diversity in the blockchain ecosystem, making the OP mainnet a modular blockchain that supports a variety of proof schemes.

By adopting the modular design of OP Stack and Bedrock, developers can quickly leverage various existing proof types and ensure that the system can adapt to future proof innovations. This unique capability not only has technical advantages but also has a profound impact on the entire ecosystem.

Challenges of Proof Schemes in Rollup Design

Previously, the rollup design iterations mainly focused on creating a single proof and adapting the system to it. This approach limited the system's flexibility and adaptability to changing technologies. Therefore, discussions in the L2 market mainly centered around the comparison between optimistic proofs and validity proofs.

In designing Bedrock, the development team is committed to changing the situation. They have made modularity a core design principle, building a system that can adapt to various types of proofs, providing developers with safer and more forward-looking proof solutions.

Advantages of Modular Design

Integrating multiple proofs into the OP Stack brings many benefits, with security being the most significant. Multiple proofs can prevent errors in a single proof from becoming a fatal weakness in the system, similar to the principle that L1 multi-client implementations provide better overall security.

Multi-proof implementation is a form of technological decentralization, with the main advantage of being able to withstand errors in the network. If multiple independent teams or stakeholders maintain different implementations, it can also promote a certain form of social decentralization, ensuring that the interests of all parties are considered in the network development roadmap.

The modular design of Bedrock has led to various L2 client implementations emerging in the Optimism ecosystem, which is a first in the L2 space. The development team is further expanding this concept, allowing the OP Stack to include multiple proofs. This paves the way for adding zero-knowledge (ZK) validity proofs to the OP mainnet or other OP chains (such as Base), while ensuring compatibility with future technological developments.

Implementation Mechanism of Multi-Proof

The proof system in OP Stack achieves modularity through standardized on-chain APIs and off-chain participants. This allows for flexible combinations of dispute contracts and facilitates the replacement of proof schemes.

Standardized On-Chain API

By standardizing on-chain APIs, Bedrock makes exchange proof schemes possible as long as the new schemes implement standardized APIs. This means that new proof schemes can be dynamically added, and even composite schemes that require multiple proof schemes to run together can be created.

Standardized Off-chain Participants

Off-chain participants or bots interact with dispute contracts. The system creates maximum extractable value (MEV) opportunities to incentivize honest behavior and protect the system, while adhering to the principle that participating in dispute games should always be profitable to ensure their continuation. This model is establishing an open network of monitoring participants who can intervene to resolve disputes, thereby ensuring the security of the system.

Currently, the implementation of two standardized off-chain participants is under research.

Looking to the Future

The Bedrock upgrade and its support for multiple proofs align with the development team's vision for a scalable network, achieving scalability without compromising the ecosystem, applications, or collaborative capabilities. As the only L2 ecosystem designed for the simplicity of multiple clients and multiple proofs, Optimism is leading the industry towards a safer, more adaptable, and more collaborative future.