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A secondary pledge of Ethereum? Detail the EigenLayer protocol

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The best use cases for Eigenlayer are those protocols that have a low chance of being penalized with slash.

Original article by Meir Bank, Web3 Chess Club

本文梳理自 Web3 开发者 Meir Bank 在个人社交媒体平台上的观点，BlockBeats 对其整理翻译如下：

In my opinion, EigenLayer is the most important deal since Ethereum launched and will reshape Web3 at the bottom in a positive-sum way while accumulating long-term value for Ethereum.

Eigenlayer

Eigenlayer is a protocol that modifies Ethereum at the underlying client layer to allow verifiers to pledge their ETH again and validate other protocols at the same time.

This means you can reuse pledged ETH to verify other protocols, such as prognoses and data availability modules. Each application can define the relevant forfeiture criteria for the verifier.

Optimization of the base layer

Eigenlayer 是一次新的尝试，它以一种自 Flashbots 修改官方 Ethereum 客户端以支持 MEV 链外交易订购拍卖以来我们从未见过的方式来扩展 Ethereum 的基础层。

For example, you can run a Ethereum validator with 32 pledged ETH. In the future, you'll be able to browse various apps in some sort of "app store" and see who built them, how many people ran them, forfeiture conditions, and compensation for running them. You can then perform a risk/reward analysis to determine whether to run the application and seamlessly run multiple applications in parallel.

Safety Concerns

Security is critical for the verifier running Eigenlayer. Once a security breach occurs, your pledged ETH is likely to be stolen. Therefore, it is expected that in the future, corresponding insurance will be introduced to provide protection for verifiers.

In addition, the Eigenlayer may suffer a delay in confiscation, waiting for further confirmation of the witness by the governance procedure for final execution (especially in the early stages). Validators can locate their level of security by choosing which applications to run.

It is important that the verifier rigorously evaluate the application it is running. If many ETH verifiers are running the same application at the same time, Ethereum will be seriously affected and even lose a large percentage of ETH if a breach occurs. Governance reviews also take longer for such applications, reducing the risk to the overall network.

具体用例

The best use cases for Eigenlayer are those protocols that have a low chance of being penalized with slash. For example, protocols with guaranteed validity are not appropriate for Eigenlayer, because the server always has a high chance of crashing and getting slashed.

Chain spanning bridge

Cross-chain Bridges are designed to fit well with Eigenlayer. At ETH Mexico, I hacked on a cross-chain bridge called Hyperlane. Hyperlane is very flexible because it has no activity requirements for nodes and has very low slash penalties.

This type of architecture would be very good for running on Eigenlayer, and other protocols that are also suitable includeSuccinct Labs,Axelar Networkandsquid. In addition to the bridge for asset transfer,HerodotusSuch a ZK information transfer protocol can also use Eigenlayer.

Rollup The sequencer

One of the important use cases for Rollup sequencer Eigenlayer. Eigenlayer allows these to be used for L2 sequencer (e.gOptimismandArbitrum) is more secure and decentralized. The centralized sequencer we use today can be used to review and reorder transactions.

Decentralized collators will be able to create transaction priority auctions like Flashbots, or use a fair/random order (e.gShutter Network).

RPC node

Eigenlayer will implement truly decentralized RPC nodes, which are critical to avoid client scrutiny. Existing solutions such as Pocket Network and even some centralized vendors such asInfuraThey can be transferred to Eigenlayer.

Appchain

Recently, application chains have been hotly debated among web2 thought leaders. In use cases such as games, applications can be isolated in exchange for scalability and benefit from running separate chains of modular applications.

AtlasandStackr LabsSuch an application chain deployment protocol would use Eigenlayer behind the scenes to acquire collateral for new application chains, with the underlying collateral value accruing to ETH.

Machine of prediction

Prophecy machines are good to run with Eigenlayer because they are secured by the value of the Token, the LINK. By securing the Seer network with more collateral, the seer's security is greatly increased, reducing its vulnerability to attack in DeFi.

Eigenlayer data availability vsCelestiaComparison of

One of Eigenlayer's main products is a data usability module that is being built in-house. The idea is to separate the execution layer and the settlement layer from the data and consensus, so you can get things likeFuel LabsSame with the execution layer.

EigenDA

EigenDA has a clear advantage over Celestia in being able to launch a much larger network of validators using existing ETH verifiers and pledges. Unlike Celestia, EigenDA is not a consensus layer, so it will be cheaper and have more throughput. As such, EigenDA is ideal for publishing Rollup proofs and for deploying decentralized Rollup sequencers.

EigenSettlement

While EigenSettlement is rarely mentioned, the clearing layer is critical to the functioning of a modular blockchain ecosystem, allowing different execution environments to be settled into the same layer.

The interoperability and shared liquidity effects generated by the settlement layer are important to avoid the fragmentation of the modular ecosystem. At the same time, since the settlement layer can be used to resolve disputes, it can also implement a fully decentralized Rollup sequencer.

Team Members

Founder Sreeram Kannan, director of the Blockchain Lab at the University of Washington (UW). Calvin, the chief strategy officer, previously served as Compound's strategy leader. The other members of the team are primarily developers and researchers from the gigabrain Go project at the University of Washington.

ETH value accumulation

Eigenlayer accumulates tremendous value for ETH, allowing ETH to pledge guarantees for all other layers and protocols. Rollup and L2 are the future of ETH, and EIP 4844 Ethereum is fundamentally a data availability, settlement, and consensus platform for Rollup.

Implications for new app developers

Launching a network of validators is not easy for developers. In addition, relying on Token price to ensure the security of the network is also very dangerous behavior, because it is highly likely to be subject to market manipulation. Eigenlayer is optimizing these programs for developers of new protocols, who can leverage the existing subset of ETH verifiers to keep their protocols secure.

Double pledge mode

Many applications on Ethereum already have their own native tokens that are used to provide collateral for protocols. Still, it's not too late for us to benefit from Eigenlayer. Protocols can use a dual pledge mode, pledging via ETH and native tokens on Eigenlayer.

Build on top of Eigenlayer

Eigenlayer is built on top of Go, which may include a smart contract component to define forfeiture standards. Right now, we're having a hard time building on Eigenlayer, though more documents and information are sure to come out over time.