What are your thoughts on the latest modular project, @AvailProject, which launched an airdrop? What are its technical architecture and components? Will it pose a direct competitive threat to @CelestiaOrg? What potential impact will it have on Ethereum? In any case, this should be considered the final chapter in the narrative of modular public blockchains. Next, I'll share my perspective:
1) Avail is positioned as a unified layer for the web3 industry, integrating multiple core module components such as modular DA, interactive operation, and unified governance security layer, aiming to become a brand new unified entry point for web3 projects.
In other words, Avail aims to be a web3 "central hub," unifying the diverse DA layers in the market, enabling secure interaction among all chains using a set of interoperable communication standards, and ultimately allowing users to directly access the entire web3 environment through Avail.
2) Avail's core architecture mainly consists of three parts: Avail DA, Avail Nexus, and Avail Fusion.
As a modular data availability layer, the DA layer can provide DA capabilities to different blockchain networks, aiming to become a unified DA layer that is a must-have for blockchain projects, just like Celestia . This means that with the emergence of Avail, Ethereum's DA capabilities will be once again depleted, and Rollup layer 2 chains will have another DA provider to choose from; at the same time, Celestia will have a strong competitor, which will inevitably have a certain competitive impact on its business expansion.
Nexus, as its Interoperability layer, is a standardized cross-chain messaging protocol, similar to Cosmos's IBC. It provides interoperable operations such as asset transfers and contract calls between various cross-chains, allowing users to quickly interact with different chains from a single chain entry point, while reducing cross-chain asset friction and unifying overall chain liquidity. This is what makes Celestia tremble, because Celestia only provides DA module capabilities, aiming to ensure its backend DA capabilities serve other chains well. Avail, on the other hand, aspires to be a front-end traffic gateway, not only providing DA services but also directing traffic to various chains.
Fusion introduces a multi-asset staking Proof-of-Stake (PoS) consensus mechanism, aiming to provide secure consensus guarantees for the entire Avail network. This not only gives the $Avail token direct application scenarios but also reduces the governance security risks associated with single-asset staking through the multi-asset staking model. How to understand this? Normally, a single asset invokes the consensus of an independent chain, but multi-asset staking allows validators on strong consensus chains like Ethereum to participate in consensus building, helping to quickly establish consensus and settle assets. In short, the existence of the Fusion layer directly benefits its DA and Nexus layers, and is key to its ability to compete effectively from a higher level.
In short, Avail has merged the three core basic components of modularity into a unified architecture, aiming to create a unified entry point layer for Web3, which makes a lot of sense .
3) Polygon is known as a master of creating engaging narratives within the industry, and its new project, Avail, truly surpasses its predecessors. While others are engaged in the DA (Data Provider) war and the war on the interoperability of blockchain abstraction, Polygon has taken it a step further by launching the "entry point" war, directly revealing the ultimate goal of its modular public chain narrative – essentially an endgame narrative for modular public chains.
For Ethereum, Celestia's DA intrusion has already impacted its core DA business, and Avail's aggressive entry will inevitably divert some of its Rollup layer 2 public chain ecosystem. Ultimately, it seems that Ethereum's only competitive advantage lies in its unified Settlement layer, enabling full-chain interoperability. This is because while Rollup layer 2 platforms can choose from various DAs like Celestia, Avail, and Near, their robust consensus and secure settlement layer remain unshakeable.
How should this be understood? At first glance, the competition from Avail and others to carve up the fragmented Ethereum DA market inevitably weakens Ethereum's core strength. In fact, the fragmentation of Ethereum's DA capabilities is an unavoidable reality, but Ethereum can strengthen its position by consolidating its secure settlement layer capabilities. After all, as more chains seek to establish rapid trust and connectivity, Ethereum serves as an excellent settlement anchor layer.
For example, Avail DA can operate independently of Ethereum, but Nexus still relies on Ethereum for final settlement and arbitration (finality) in cross-chain interactions. Otherwise, as a relay chain, it would be difficult to quickly gain market trust through its independent consensus. Therefore, I believe Ethereum is not truly threatened; rather, it will stimulate and strengthen Nexus's efforts to accelerate the development of a universal unified settlement layer.
In conclusion, Avail's strong entry into the market has signaled the official start of the modular public blockchain war. Anyone can claim to be the unified entry point for Web3, but ultimately, it remains to be seen who can truly capture a large number of DA and interactive blockchain developers on the B-end, and who can truly make the blockchain front-end application ecosystem operational and attract a large number of C-end users.
