Imperator’s Selected AVS on EigenLayer: Boosting Blockchain Security

In the dynamic world of blockchain technology, EigenLayer's Actively Validated Services (AVS) represent a significant advancement in security and efficiency. Optimized to leverage Ethereum restaking, these services enable developers to benefit from robust security without the costs and complexities of creating new cryptographic systems. Restaking involves using staked ETH to secure new AVSs with updated slashing conditions, enhancing capital efficiency and providing stronger security by decoupling from native token volatility. By utilizing already staked ETH, EigenLayer's AVS offer an innovative solution that combines the reliability of the Ethereum network with increased flexibility for decentralized projects.

In this article, we will explore how AVS, through EigenLayer, are redefining blockchain security standards and restaking. Additionally, we will delve into the various AVS supported by Imperator.co, showcasing how they tackle different topics from oracles to gaming and data availability, further illustrating the transformative potential of EigenLayer's technology.

Restaking

Understanding Restaking

Restaking is a transformative process in the blockchain ecosystem that involves using ETH stakes for new Actively Validated Services (AVS) with updated slashing conditions on the capital. Instead of establishing a new cryptoeconomic security system with native tokens, AVSs can leverage Ethereum restakers to 'lease' security. This innovative approach enhances capital efficiency for ETH restakers while providing potentially more robust security for AVSs, effectively decoupling them from the volatility of their native token's price. Ethereum's vibrant economic activity has elevated ETH to a premier collateral asset, akin to 'hard currency', making it an ideal candidate for restaking.

Benefits of Restaking for AVS

Restaking allows AVSs to benefit from renting security in 'hard currency' rather than building a new security system from scratch. This method optimizes cost-effectiveness and scalability, making it an attractive option for developers. Furthermore, restaking enables the use of liquid staking tokens with validators in other networks, which increases rewards and bolsters security in Proof of Stake (PoS) networks. This flexibility and efficiency are key advantages for AVS developers looking to maximize their project's security and economic viability.

EigenLayer’s Strategic Approach to Restaking

EigenLayer exemplifies the strategic advantages of restaking by allowing protocols to utilize Ethereum's trusted network without creating their own validator sets. Liquid staking derivatives in Ethereum, such as stETH, convert staked ETH into liquid tokens usable in DeFi. This eliminates the minimum staking requirement and enables small-stake holders to pool assets for rewards. EigenLayer extends this concept by allowing protocols to use assets staked on Ethereum for their security, providing additional rewards while decoupling from native token volatility.

By integrating with Ethereum’s restaking mechanisms, EigenLayer offers a refined methodology for constructing AVSs. This integration empowers projects with unparalleled flexibility, enabling them to tailor the utilization of trust borrowed from the Ethereum network to suit their specific needs. Furthermore, EigenLayer supports a variety of AVSs, each designed to tackle different topics from oracles to gaming and data availability. This versatility showcases the transformative potential of EigenLayer's technology in enhancing blockchain security and efficiency through restaking.

For a deeper dive into this subject, our team has written a comprehensive article about what is EigenLayer. This resource provides further insights into how EigenLayer is revolutionizing the blockchain landscape with its innovative approach to restaking and AVS.

Actively Validated Services (AVS) and EigenLayer: Enhancing Security and Utility

An Actively Validated Service (AVS) is an entity that relies on cryptographic security mechanisms rather than traditional centralized models to establish trust and deliver utility. Similar to Cosmos opt in security, EigenLayer allows Ethereum node operators to opt in to validate the new software modules, and these "chains" are called Actively Validated Services.

Understanding AVS Operations

At the core of AVS lies a decentralized network of validators, crucial for ensuring the integrity and security of the ecosystem. These validators, akin to those in Proof of Stake (PoS) blockchains, collectively form the backbone of an AVS. EigenLayer introduces an innovative approach, allowing developers to leverage Ethereum's robust security infrastructure for their projects.

Through EigenLayer, developers gain access to a refined methodology for constructing AVS, harnessing Ethereum's expansive pool of validators and staked capital. This strategic integration empowers projects with unparalleled flexibility, enabling them to tailor the utilization of trust borrowed from the Ethereum network to suit their specific needs.

While many services adhere to the default security model of prominent networks like Ethereum, some opt to develop their own security protocols for various reasons, such as customizing rules, governance autonomy, innovation, or specific security needs. However, creating a decentralized network with native cryptoeconomic security can be costly and complex.

The challenges include coordinating distributed validators and managing the volatility of token prices, which can impact the stability and cost-effectiveness of such networks. There is an article exploring the different approaches which outlines infrastructure costs.

Utilizing AVS in EigenLayer

EigenLayer serves as a conduit, bridging the gap between innovative ideas and established security frameworks. By integrating with EigenLayer, projects can seamlessly tap into Ethereum's extensive network of validators, augmenting their security posture and enhancing overall reliability.

The adoption of EigenLayer presents a unique opportunity for Ethereum stakers to extend their services beyond securing the Ethereum network itself. Through AVS on EigenLayer, stakers can opt into securing additional services, thereby diversifying revenue streams and unlocking additional rewards. This symbiotic relationship not only benefits stakers and operators but also cultivates a thriving ecosystem of securely validated services.

List of AVS supported by Imperator

Now that we have refreshed our knowledge on what AVS are and what restaking means, we can proceed to the list of EigenLayer’s AVS supported by Imperator at launch.

Each of them has been carefully decided by Imperator because they all tackle different topics, from Oracles to Gaming, data availability and L2 liquidity fragmentation.

EigenDA: Pioneering Data Availability AVS on EigenLayer

EigenDA is set to revolutionize Ethereum scalability by introducing a pioneering data availability layer, being the first AVS on EigenLayer. This advancement could transform transaction and data management on Ethereum, particularly for rollups.

EigenDA's decentralized solution complements Ethereum's infrastructure, offering increased scalability, efficiency, and potentially privacy for transactions. By minimizing data storage on Ethereum through batching and compression, rollups utilizing EigenDA inherit Ethereum's security while enabling cheaper transactions, representing a significant leap forward in Ethereum's evolution and rollup based roadmap.

Website: https://eigenlayer.xyz

Brevis: Innovative ZK Coprocessor AVS on EigenLayer

Brevis coChain introduces a novel "propose-challenge" ZK Coprocessor model, revolutionizing dApp development with lower costs, reduced latency, and enhanced user experience. Featuring Proof-of-Stake blockchain with on-Ethereum staking, it optimistically generates coprocessing results, subject to Zero-Knowledge (ZK) proof challenges, allowing direct slashing of validators' stakes on Ethereum upon successful challenges. Integration with EigenLayer enables dynamic adjustment of crypto-economic security levels.

With seamless SDK integration, developers can effortlessly deploy applications in either the "pure-ZK" or coChain model, unlocking unparalleled versatility in designing data-driven dApps.

Altlayer : Enhancing Rollup Security with AVS EigenLayer

AltLayer provides a comprehensive suite of services tailored for rollups, including Restaked Rollups that enhance security through restaking. This set of Actively Validated Services (AVS) includes three integrated layers: VITAL for decentralized verification of rollup states, MACH for accelerated finality via restaked security, and SQUAD for decentralized transaction sequencing, ensuring censorship resistance.

AltLayer's Rollup-as-a-Service (RaaS) facilitates rapid and customized rollup deployment, allowing developers to focus on their core business without managing complex infrastructure. Backed by EigenLayer’s shared security, AltLayer's Restaked Rollups boost decentralization within the Ethereum ecosystem, leveraging Ethereum's robust trust network to enhance scalability, security, and interoperability across rollups.

Eoracle: Ethereum-Native AVS Oracle

Eoracle addresses the "oracle problem" by developing an Ethereum-native solution that leverages the network's decentralization, transparency, and security. This AVS (Actively Validated Service) aims to reliably bring real-world data onto blockchain networks, extending Ethereum's core principles of permissionless participation, decentralized ownership, and crypto-economic security.

Built on EigenLayer, Eoracle is an AVS Oracle secured by Ethereum. By utilizing restaked ETH and Ethereum's decentralized validator network, Eoracle provides robust security and reliability for decentralized applications. This integration ensures that real-world data can be securely and transparently brought onto the blockchain, enhancing the overall ecosystem with trustworthy data feeds.

Omni: Unified DeFi AVS on EigenLayer

Omni envisions a unified DeFi experience across all Layer 2 (L2) solutions, secured by Ethereum via EigenLayer. As an L1, Omni reads rollup states and achieves consensus through restaking, allowing rollups to communicate with Ethereum-grade security. This integration ensures robust security and seamless cross-rollup communication.

Omni utilizes restaked ETH to leverage Ethereum's existing cryptoeconomic security, enhancing its own security. Validators verify protocol messages, while delegators support the network by restaking their ETH, contributing to overall network efficiency. This model enables developers to create global applications across Ethereum’s rollup ecosystem, driving forward the vision of an interconnected blockchain.

Lagrange : ZK AVS on EigenLayer

Lagrange is the first ZK (Zero-Knowledge) AVS on EigenLayer’s mainnet. Utilizing "Lagrange State Committees," which are ZK light clients, this AVS comprises a decentralized network of unaffiliated nodes powered by Lagrange’s ZK Coprocessor. Each Lagrange State Committee attests to the finality of blocks within an optimistic rollup once validated by a Data Availability (DA) layer, generating state proofs that applications can trust as the source of truth for integrated optimistic rollups.

Lagrange State Committees provide several key benefits. They enable fast-finality state proofs for optimistic rollups, reducing the latency typically associated with cross-chain transactions. This "fast mode" capability addresses a major pain point in cross-chain messaging by leveraging a slashing mechanism that increases the cost of adversarial actions. Additionally, the shared security paradigm ensures super-linear economic security, allowing multiple protocols to derive security from a single, scalable set of nodes. This reduces overhead for developers and enhances scalability by allowing resources to be redirected towards optimizing product features.

Witness : DePIN AVS with Physical State Consensus

WitnessChain’s DePIN Coordination Layer (DCL) introduces the first physical state consensus protocol, unifying the fragmented DePIN economy. This protocol transforms the DePIN ecosystem by creating a shared marketplace for physical assets such as computing power, energy, and storage. By converting unverified physical attributes from DePIN networks into verifiable digital proofs, WitnessChain enables diverse applications to build on this validated state information.

Powered by EigenLayer's decentralized operator network, WitnessChain emerges as the premier DePIN AVS. It leverages EigenLayer’s robust security framework to enhance the reliability and innovation of decentralized physical infrastructure networks. The integration allows WitnessChain to offer secure and efficient coordination of physical states, making it an essential component for advancing blockchain reliability through decentralized innovation.

Automata : Machine Trust AVS on EigenLayer

Automata extends machine trust to Ethereum with TEE Coprocessors, enhancing security and decentralization. Its Multi-Prover AVS enables rollup systems to bootstrap decentralized TEE Committees, leveraging diverse hardware vendors like Intel and AMD. This innovative approach uses Proof of Machinehood, ensuring robust attestation and minimizing network-breaking bugs. By optimizing on-chain attestation, Automata significantly strengthens security for decentralized applications on EigenLayer.

The Multi-Prover model also improves performance by reducing latency and enhancing the reliability of transactions. This makes Automata a crucial component for secure and efficient AVS deployment on EigenLayer. The combination of TEE technology and multi-prover strategies ensures that Automata provides a high level of trust and security, making it an indispensable part of the AVS ecosystem

Xterio: Web3 Gaming AVS

Xterio is a Web3 game developer and publisher founded by veterans of the game industry. Their mission is to create deep and immersive gaming experiences driven by player ownership. Xterio focuses on developing rich worlds, engaging stories, and compelling characters to provide users with an exceptional gaming experience. By leveraging blockchain technology, Xterio ensures that players have ownership of their in-game assets, enhancing the overall gaming experience.

Xterio's approach to Web3 gaming incorporates a robust game economy, allowing players to collect, craft, and trade items on the blockchain. This system ensures secure and transparent transactions, further solidifying Xterio's commitment to innovation in the gaming industry. With a variety of games such as "Overworld," a sandbox RPG that emphasizes social experiences and utility-driven collectibles, Xterio is set to revolutionize the Web3 gaming landscape. As an AVS on EigenLayer, Xterio leverages the decentralized security and scalability of the EigenLayer network to enhance game performance and user trust.