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Why choose to use rollup for data availability on your Arbitrum chain

Choosing a rollup refers to selecting the Arbitrum Rollup protocol for a chain's data availability (DA) mechanism. This choice is relevant when deploying custom chains or configuring Arbitrum-based systems.

The rollup option prioritizes security and decentralization over cost efficiency. It's ideal for applications needing Ethereum's ironclad guarantees, such as high-value DeFi protocols or where users demand minimal trust in third parties. In contrast, opting out of Rollup (e.g., for AnyTrust) is better for high-throughput, low-cost use cases like gaming or social apps, where slight trade-offs in trust are acceptable for better performance.

This flexibility allows developers to tailor chains to specific needs while building on Arbitrum's optimistic execution framework.

Key Concepts​

  • Data Availability (DA) in Rollups: DA ensures that all transaction data will be posted to parent chain for verification, fraud proofs, and security. In optimistic rollups like Arbitrum, this is critical to allow challengers to dispute invalid state transitions.
  • Arbitrum Rollup Mode:
    • All batch transaction data is posted directly to the parent chain (Ethereum L1) as calldata or blobs.
    • This inherits Ethereum's full security and decentralization, with no additional trust assumptions—data is always available on-chain for anyone to access and verify.
    • Example: Arbitrum One operates in this mode.

Pros​

  • Security: Provides maximum security and decentralization by inheriting full Ethereum-grade security without additional trust assumptions beyond the base layer.
  • Strong Data Availability: Ensures strong data availability and censorship resistance, as all transaction data is publicly posted on the parent chain, allowing anyone to validate and detect fraud.
  • Trustless and permissionless: Fully trustless and permissionless operation, requiring only one honest validator for the system to remain secure, making it ideal for high-value applications like DeFi protocols.

Cons​

  • Higher costs: Higher transaction fees due to the cost of posting all data on-chain to the parent layer.
  • Withdrawal times: Longer withdrawal times, typically involving a seven-day challenge period for fraud proofs before funds can be moved back to the parent layer.
  • Throughput: Potentially lower throughput compared to AnyTrust mode, as the on-chain data posting can limit scalability for high-volume, low-value transactions.

For implementation, refer to the docs or your RaaS; a list of RaaSes is on the Third-party providers page.