Metis is a new layer two blockchains in the Ethereum Ecosystem that promises a new technology that leverages Ethereum’s security but introduces new capabilities that make it more scalable than existing layer two blockchains.
However, the promise seems too far-fetched as the existing layer two blockchains like Arbitrum have high capabilities which is hard to top.
Currently, Metis implements the same mechanism as Arbitrum as well as other layer two blockchains in the Ethereum Ecosystem. so what makes it different from others?
How Does the Blockchain Work?
To understand the differences between Metis and existing layer two blockchains, let's take a look at how the blockchain works.
Metis is a layer two blockchain, specifically designed to help Ethereum process its transactions faster and cheaper compared to when the transactions are processed natively.
It introduces a modular infrastructure, which means that there are two layers on the blockchain, one that is designed to help Ethereum and another that is specifically used to host its ecosystem.
While it has two layers, both implement the same infrastructure which is an optimistic rollup that is connected to Ethereum.
This means that its ecosystem is technically not its ecosystem, as Metis uses Ethereum as an execution layer as well as a data availability layer.
The interaction between the two blockchains is done through the optimistic roll-up mechanism, which is designed for fast communications between a layer one and a layer two blockchain.
Through the optimistic rollup, all transactions are assumed valid until protested so that the validation process is fast and uses less costs.
Rollup is a mechanism where one blockchain batches its transactions into one and then sends it to another blockchain to be validated.
This is done to help the main blockchain process transactions faster without the need to wait for them to be sent one by one.
Why Optimistic over Zero-Knowledge?
So why did Metis choose Optimistic over the more popular Zero-Knowledge (ZK) rollup? To answer that, Metis has created a table differentiating the two mechanisms on its whitepaper.
Optimistic vs ZK Comparison / Source: Metis’s Whitepaper
It can be seen that optimism is safer and more suitable for Metis due to its close relationship with Ethereum.
Optimistic rollups are safer because if there are any invalid transactions, they can be disputed but still processed, whereas, in ZK rollups, the transaction is deleted all at once.
Also, Optimistic is more suitable because it sends the overall transaction data rather than a part of it while also maintaining its compatibility with EVM or Ethereum Virtual Machine.
Sadly, however, if there is faulty data, Optimistic will be slower to respond to it rather than ZK rollups, because its latency for disputes can take up to seven days.
However, this is compensated with the innovation that Metis where if the transactions are valid, the process will be faster and cheaper than most blockchains.
Conclusion
Overall, Metis is a new layer two blockchains that is trying to beat the scalability aspect of existing layer two blockchains.
It is still new so it still needs room for improvement, as the current data shows that the blockchain still has not beaten most of Ethereum’s layer two blockchains.
The project will be interesting to watch as it develops as there might be potential new projects being built on top of it, which might lead to potential airdrops and new tokens with huge upside potential.
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