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What Is a Blockchain Sequencer? It Sits Between Ethereum and Layer-2 Networks Like Coinbase's Base

coindesk.com · 1,873 words · saved by 1 readers

Cheap and speedy “rollup” networks like Arbitrum, Optimism and Coinbase’s Base are quickly becoming attractive alternatives to conducting transactions on the oft-congested Ethereum network. Transactions are completed on these “layer 2” networks and then recorded for posterity on Ethereum. But much has been made recently of these layer 2 networks’ reliance on a crucial piece of infrastructure known as the “sequencer,” which is responsible for bundling up transactions from users and shepherding them down to Ethereum. The sequencer is like “the air traffic controller for the specific L2 ecosystem that it serves,” Sandy Peng, co-founder of the Scroll rollup, explained this week in an interview. “So when Alice and Bob attempt to make a transaction at the same time, who comes first? That’s decided by the sequencer.” This article is featured in the latest issue of The Protocol, our weekly newsletter exploring the tech behind crypto, one block at a time. Sign up here to get it in your inbox ev

‘Sequencers’ Are Blockchain’s Air Traffic Control. Here’s Why They’re Misunderstood Tech ‘Sequencers’ Are Blockchain’s Air Traffic Control. Here’s Why They’re Misunderstood Leading rollup operators are criticized for using "centralized sequencers" to package transactions and pass them down to Ethereum, but the real risks may lie elsewhere. By Sam Kessler | Edited by Bradley Keoun Updated Apr 9, 2024, 11:01 p.m. Published Sep 6, 2023, 3:00 p.m. 6 min read Make preferred on Share Share this article Copy link X (Twitter) LinkedIn Facebook Email Make preferred on Air traffic controller (Beckett P/

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