Technology

The Rollup

Where digital assets and finance converge. Live from the financial capital of the world.

Website: https://therollup.co/

Latest Episodes:

Where Is The Best Place To Deploy Apps Today? Sep 13, 2024

Show notes

Where Is The Best Place To Deploy Apps Today with:

Arjun from LiFi Protocol

Terry from Eclipse

Max Power from LayerZero

Jim from Catalyst

Website: https://therollup.co/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1P6ZeYd..

Podcast: https://therollup.co/category/podcast

Follow Rob on X: https://www.x.com/robbie_rollup

Follow Andy on X: https://www.x.com/ayyyeandy

Join our TG group: https://t.me/+8ARkR_YZixE5YjBh

The Rollup Disclosures: https://therollup.co/the-rollup-discl

𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗖𝗟𝗔𝗜𝗠𝗘𝗥: 𝘐𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘳𝘺𝘱𝘵𝘰𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘋𝘦𝘍𝘪 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘯𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘬𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘬, 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘳, 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦. 𝘈𝘵 𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘭, 𝘸𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘦𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱, 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳. 𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮, 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘦 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦. 𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘴.

Can IBC Become The Interoperability Standard For L2s? With Polymer Sep 12, 2024

Show notes

For our final chain abstraction focused podcast in NYC, we are talking about IBC.

IBC is well known as the interoperability standard for the Cosmos ecosystem. Its by far the most lindy interoperability protocol, which explains Bo's "infatuation" with IBC as a whole.

Polymer has been working on interoperability since 2021, and their journey has evolved to bring them into the Ethereum rollup landscape.

Initially, Polymer explored Z solutions for verifying cross-chain transactions, but by early 2022, they narrowed focus towards L2 to L2 markets. This shift away from ZK wasn’t about abandoning the technology entirely—it was about focusing on what would solve real, immediate problems for app developers and protocols.

We had a really good chat with Bo about the vision, the path thus far, and where they are headed.

One of the key pain points Polymer is addressing is the long latency between L2s, particularly when waiting for Ethereum’s finality, which can take 12–16 minutes. This lag can be costly, both in time and in fees, as solvers charge users to take on the settlement risk.

With their testnet live since March 2024 and mainnet just around the corner, Polymer is positioned to bring IBC to Ethereum and the modular ecosystem sooner than later. Today’s episode will dive deep into how Polymer’s approach to cross-chain communication is evolving and what it means for the future of app-specific rollups in the crypto ecosystem.

Enjoy.

Website: https://therollup.co/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1P6ZeYd..

Podcast: https://therollup.co/category/podcast

Follow Rob on X: https://www.x.com/robbie_rollup

Follow Andy on X: https://www.x.com/ayyyeandy

Join our TG group: https://t.me/+8ARkR_YZixE5YjBh

The Rollup Disclosures: https://therollup.co/the-rollup-discl

Why Solving Is The Biggest Onchain Opportunity In Crypto with Catalyst Sep 11, 2024

Show notes

This was probably the most alpha packed episode of the entire NYC content series.

Jim literally spilled a massive, yet completely unknown opportunity in the world of onchain finance right now.

Throughout this episode, we’re unpacking Catalyst’s take on how solvers have evolved, the critical role they play in onchain interoperability, and what it all means for builders, traders, and enthusiasts alike.

Jim kicked things off by sharing how he built his personal brand around adding real value to the conversation—whether through early analysis of DAOs, NFTs, or providing key insights into emerging projects. His approach to being authentic and data-driven is something that resonates well in a space where everyone is constantly looking for that next edge.

Then, we got into the nitty gritty of the opportunity at hand: Solving.

The onchain solving space is still dominated by a few big players, and Catalyst sees decentralizing the solver network as a crucial step forward. Lowering the barriers to entry and creating more opportunities for new solvers to jump in is where the market could see its next big wave of innovation.

For builders, the message is clear: there’s still plenty of room to get involved. Solvers are still early-stage, and with a bit of capital and a solid strategy, even small teams can find their niche. Catalyst also pointed out that much like the evolution of MEV searchers, solvers are likely to see a handful of dominant players, but there will also be space for specialists focusing on niche areas.

Ding ding ding. This is the key part, and you must rewatch this segment!

By the end of the conversation, one thing was obvious—solvers are quickly becoming a core component of the chain abstraction stack, and for anyone building in this space, paying attention to how these protocols and their solvers evolve could be key to unlocking new opportunities.

We really enjoyed this, hope you do too!

Website: https://therollup.co/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1P6ZeYd..

Podcast: https://therollup.co/category/podcast

Follow Rob on X: https://www.x.com/robbie_rollup

Follow Andy on X: https://www.x.com/ayyyeandy

Join our TG group: https://t.me/+8ARkR_YZixE5YjBh

The Rollup Disclosures: https://therollup.co/the-rollup-discl

Based Rollups AMA with Ceciliaz of Gwyneth Taiko and mteam of Spire Labs. Sep 11, 2024

Show notes

Based Rollups AMA with Ceciliaz of Gwyneth Taiko and mteam of Spire Labs.

How Monad is Breaking The Barriers Of Scaling Blockchains Sep 10, 2024

Show notes

Monad is one of the projects which teams look at now and wonder how they did such an impeccable job of growing their community, pre-product.

The different community houses, the exclusivity of their discord, and the memetic energy is certainly something to study (along with the tech, of course).

So, that's exactly what we did with Keone Hon, CEO of Monad, in NYC a few weeks ago. We asked him how they developed a unique strategy that blends technical innovation with a community-first mindset, aiming to build a product which passes the test of time.

One key aspect of Monad’s approach (which we appreciate, as modular enthusiasts) is their focus on decentralization without relying on high-cost hardware. By prioritizing minimal hardware requirements, Monad allows anyone to run a node on a standard laptop, reducing operational barriers while maintaining high throughput.

This technical foundation is supported by the team’s dedication to building the entire stack from scratch, including a custom database optimized for parallel execution.

At the same time, Monad’s community-building efforts are equally impressive. Initiatives like their Run Club and language-learning project, MonLingo, bring together members from all over the world, helping to create a strong social layer around the project. The use of their mascot, Molandak , adds a playful touch that has helped Monad foster organic growth and genuine connections among its community members.

We had the chance to ask Keone some tech-heavy Qs as well, like if Monad will have rollups (we had to ask this one, cmon). It was fun to hear his answers and the vision for the future of scaling Monad.

You'll enjoy this one.

Website: https://therollup.co/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1P6ZeYd..

Podcast: https://therollup.co/category/podcast

Follow Rob on X: https://www.x.com/robbie_rollup

Follow Andy on X: https://www.x.com/ayyyeandy

Join our TG group: https://t.me/+8ARkR_YZixE5YjBh

The Rollup Disclosures: https://therollup.co/the-rollup-discl

The Interwoven Appchain Thesis with Initia Sep 09, 2024

Show notes

If you've been here on the channel for sometime, you know we have been large proponents of the application specific designs. We have been vocal about the customizability benefits of appchains, amidst other key advantages like sovereignty and more control over blockspace.

However, one of the largest pushbacks we've received (and thought through) is around the interoperability issues of a world of thousands of rollups.

As part of our ongoing NYC chain abstraction focused content blitz, we were joined by Zon from Initia, to discuss how Initia blends the best parts of Ethereum’s rollup ecosystem with Cosmos’s flexibility.

We discussed the integration of certain elements like IBC, oracles, native chain abstraction with an Initia wallet, enshrined liquidity, and their VIP program which make the experience on the interwoven stack unique and differentiated.

We also asked Zon about the application space on Initia and learned about several of the native apps building on their stack. Towards the end, we discussed timelines to mainnet and the results from testnet as well.

Whether you're here for the tech or want to have some laughs, this conversation was thorough and entertaining. Hope you enjoy.

Website: https://therollup.co/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1P6ZeYd..

Podcast: https://therollup.co/category/podcast

Follow Rob on X: https://www.x.com/robbie_rollup

Follow Andy on X: https://www.x.com/ayyyeandy

Join our TG group: https://t.me/+8ARkR_YZixE5YjBh

The Rollup Disclosures: https://therollup.co/the-rollup-discl

The Ethereum Roadmap w Justin Drake Sep 07, 2024

Show notes

The future of Ethereum is in our hands. Undeniably, the community has a major decisions to make which will shape the endgame of Ethereum. Today’s piece dives into the important discussion on synchronous composability and shared sequencing, a topic that sits at the heart of Ethereum's scaling journey.

We caught up with Justin Drake, who shared his views on the current state of rollups, the challenges of decentralizing sequencers, and how Ethereum is positioning itself as the go-to layer for data availability. There's a growing shift in the revenue structure of rollups, with congestion fees overtaking MEV, making decentralized and shared sequencing more attractive for long-term scalability.

In this conversation, we explore how synchronous composability can dramatically improve both user and developer experiences across rollups. Justin also breaks down the benefits of shared deposits and real-time proving as key enablers for achieving true onchain network effects.

Justin also shared his vision of achieving 10M TPS across Ethereum and how we get there. We touched quite a bit on based rollups and some of the awesome teams building different stacks as well.

Let’s dive deeper into why shared sequencing may be the solution to Ethereum's fragmentation and how it can reshape the future of L2s and L1 scaling.

Website: https://therollup.co/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1P6ZeYd..

Podcast: https://therollup.co/category/podcast

Follow Rob on X: https://www.x.com/robbie_rollup

Follow Andy on X: https://www.x.com/ayyyeandy

Join our TG group: https://t.me/+8ARkR_YZixE5YjBh

The Rollup Disclosures: https://therollup.co/the-rollup-discl

Why No One Wants To Be A Shared Sequencer Anymore Sep 06, 2024

Show notes

A few weeks back, Andy put out a tweet saying "no one wants to be branded as a shared sequencer anymore" and it triggered quite a few people.

The "loss of revenue" is the biggest, ongoing misconception of why shared sequencing isn't the best option for rollups.

Today were tackling that notion head on with Noah Pravecek from NodeKit and their shift from shared sequencing to building a Superbuilder.

Initially, NodeKit aimed to build a shared sequencer, similar to what other projects like Espresso and Astria have worked on. Shared sequencers can coordinate block building and bring composability across chains, but NodeKit quickly recognized the limitations. While these solutions offer atomic inclusion (ensuring transactions are seen by all rollups), they don’t guarantee that the transactions will actually be executed according to the rollups’ state transitions.

That gap—between inclusion and execution—is what their new design in the Superbuilder addresses head on.

However, isn't it a winner takes all market?

Why did Noah decide to build in this market?

Where is the blue ocean to create meaningful PMF in a crowded space?

The market for shared sequencing is highly competitive, but Noah answered and defended the technical differences quite well. We also discussed the obstacles of raising as a college dropout and first time founder, as well as what it's like building a brand in the space.

And, of course, we touched on Noah's views of chain abstraction and how Nodekit fits into the picture.

If you've been paying attention to our content focused around interoperability, this one's for you. A big problem space to be solved and were confident in the teams shipping. Enjoy.

Website: https://therollup.co/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1P6ZeYd..

Podcast: https://therollup.co/category/podcast

Follow Rob on X: https://www.x.com/robbie_rollup

Follow Andy on X: https://www.x.com/ayyyeandy

Join our TG group: https://t.me/+8ARkR_YZixE5YjBh

The Rollup Disclosures: https://therollup.co/the-rollup-discl

Is AggLayer The Solution To The Modular Fragmentation Problem? Sep 05, 2024

Show notes

In today’s piece, we’re taking a close look at one of the latest innovations in the modular ecosystem: AggLayer, the new interoperability layer stemming from the Polygon team. As Ethereum scaling solutions continue to evolve, AggLayer offers a new approach to making cross-chain interactions smoother, more secure, and more scalable.

But, is this the solution we are looking for?

Is AggLayer competitive with Superchain?

How will the modular community align on a single solution to unify the ecosystem?

We sat down with David Silverman, VP of Product at Polygon, who shared some fascinating insights during his interview on The Rollup podcast. He traced Polygon’s journey from its early PoS chain, through the launch of zkEVM, to its current focus on building AggLayer—a shared bridge model that emphasizes scaling and native interoperability.

One of the core ideas that David mentioned about AggLayer is its ability to support multiple rollup stacks and consensus mechanisms while maintaining security through its "pessimistic proof" model. David pointed out how, in comparison to models like OP Stack's Superchain, AggLayer is designed to work seamlessly across various ecosystems without locking developers into a single protocol.

It got spicy...and we pushed back on the security model.

However, David reaffirmed that security is a major focus. While AggLayer can ensure chains don’t rug one another, users are still responsible for ensuring the security of the individual chains they interact with. This clear boundary of security guarantees sets AggLayer apart, offering builders confidence while still keeping flexibility.

Finally, we asked the pressing question of "When mainnet?" and luckily got some alpha from David on the upcoming roadmap for AggLayer.

Another great episode from NYC during our chain abstraction focused marathon. Enjoy.

𝗪𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗻𝗼𝗻-𝗯𝗶𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱, 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝘆𝗽𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺. 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝘂𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝘀 𝗯𝘆 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀:

Website: https://therollup.co/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1P6ZeYd..

Podcast: https://therollup.co/category/podcast

Follow Rob on X: https://www.x.com/robbie_rollup

Follow Andy on X: https://www.x.com/ayyyeandy

Join our TG group: https://t.me/+8ARkR_YZixE5YjBh

The Rollup Disclosures: https://therollup.co/the-rollup-discl