LazyLedger: A Distributed Data Availability Layer for Scalability-Optimized Blockchains
Mustafa Al-Bassam
Abstract
LazyLedger (later renamed to Celestia) is a foundational paper proposing the concept of a modular blockchain architecture. The author identifies that current blockchains combine execution, settlement, consensus, and data availability, which limits scalability. The paper proposes an architecture that separates the data availability and consensus layers from the execution layer. By providing a decentralized, secure data availability layer, the system enables users to verify that data has been published without having to download the entire chain. The proposal introduces the use of erasure coding and data availability proofs, which allow light clients to gain high levels of security while downloading only a small fraction of block data. This modularity allows for the creation of "rollups" and other execution environments that inherit security from the base data availability layer, providing a critical path to scaling blockchain ecosystems significantly beyond current limitations.
Key Findings
- 1Introduces modular blockchain architecture with a focus on data availability.
- 2Uses erasure coding and sampling for efficient data availability verification.
- 3Separates execution from consensus and data storage.
- 4Enables trust-minimized light client verification.
Topics
Citation
BibTeX
@misc{lazyledgera2019,
title = {LazyLedger: A Distributed Data Availability Layer for Scalability-Optimized Blockchains},
author = {Mustafa Al-Bassam},
year = {2019},
howpublished = {\url{https://arxiv.org/abs/1905.09274}},
}Knowledge Explorer
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