Bedrock is the cheapest, fastest, and most advanced rollup architecture. Ever.

Optimism has always tried to stay on the cutting edge of rollup architecture. Last year, we introduced the concept of EVM Equivalence, the rollup design pattern of using existing mainnet Ethereum clients (like Geth) as the foundation for L2. We launched the very first EVM Equivalent chain last November as a massive upgrade to the Optimism network. Since then, Optimism has proven itself to be one of the most capable, reliable, and forkable (😉) Optimistic Rollups in production.

EVM Equivalence means that the Optimism network of today supports:

• Advanced calldata compression that makes Optimism consistently the cheapest L2
• Every single Ethereum precompile so you can experiment all you want on L2
• Complete Ethereum gas and opcode compatibility down the most complex opcodes
• Accurate timestamps that make it possible to build real-time applications
• Total tooling compatibility with support for advanced features like transaction traces
• Blazing fast execution because there’s no separation between your code and the EVM

Eternal Optimism

When designing the current iteration Optimism, we did our best to advance the state of the art and challenge what an Optimistic Rollup could be. With more and more projects coming around to EVM Equivalence, we like to think that we have, at least in part, succeeded. Yet there’s always room for improvement and we're certainly not the type to rest when there’s still work to be done.

Optimism today represents the fundamental elements required to kick-start a working blockchain. The features of EVM Equivalence have made it possible for a vibrant ecosystem of applications to begin to bloom. But now that OP Spring has come, it’s time to build the foundation for an Eternal OP Summer.

Just as with its governance, Optimism has been attempting to rework its technical core with a focus on long-term sustainability. When we set out to construct Bedrock, we adopted the following core design principles:

• Minimize diff from Ethereum so Optimism can share and collaborate on the same core code
• Reuse design patterns so the mental models we've built for Ethereum can apply to Optimism
• Simplify simplify simplify every last piece of code to make Optimism the most approachable, fork-able, and auditable rollup  codebase out there
• Modularize every part of our stack so we can easily plug in alternative data availability and execution layers to prepare for the modular future
• Pragmatically optimize to minimize costs without introducing unnecessary complexity and mental overhead

Our tireless work on this new chapter of the Optimism protocol is now almost ready to hit production. Although we haven't entirely kept it a secret, we also haven't exactly shouted it from the rooftops. Now that’s changing. Today, we’re excited to announce the next Optimism upgrade worth copying: Bedrock.

(Hit that fork button! All of our code is MIT licensed forever, no BSL in this house.)

Bedrock is the cheapest, fastest, and most advanced rollup architecture. Ever.

Anyone can say it, only Optimism can back it up. Bedrock is the culmination of countless hours of research and development with the goal of building the best rollup architecture yet. And we couldn’t be more excited to share it with you.

In addition to everything you’ve come to expect from Optimism today, Bedrock is about to drop a laundry list of new and absurdly powerful features:

• Theoretically optimal calldata submission that goes beyond compression to give users the cheapest transactions possible for any rollup (ever)
• Consensus/execution client separation that follows in the footsteps of Ethereum and makes it possible for Optimism to seamlessly integrate the cost-minimizing EIP-4844
• A microscopic client diff that opens the door for alternative client implementations and gives Optimism users an extra level of security
• Fast peer-to-peer networking including support for Snap Sync which makes running an Optimism node easier than ever and sets the stage for decentralized sequencing (while this won't come with Bedrock, expect it soon after mainnet).
• Deposits time will decrease from 10 min to 2.5 min
• Smarter sync, sequencing, and state submission to guarantee that Optimism can weather all Ethereum network conditions

After Bedrock, EVM Equivalence doesn't cut it anymore. By using all of Ethereum's code, infrastructure, and design patterns, Optimism is aiming for something even bigger: Ethereum Equivalence.

CANNON CANNON CANNON

Bedrock is also the foundation for Optimism’s next-generation fault proof system: Cannon. A collaboration between Optimism and geohot, Cannon is an interactive fault proving system designed to keep Optimism both simple and secure. An Alpha version of Cannon is scheduled for prime-time soon after the release of Bedrock. Wen proofs? Soon Bedrock proofs 👀.

But Bedrock isn't just an upgrade, it’s a completely new paradigm for how rollups should be built. Bedrock was designed from the ground up to set the foundation for real security and decentralization. Bedrock (combined with Cannon) is the only rollup architecture capable of easily supporting multiple fault proof and client implementations, a core component in the quest to remove upgrade keys from rollup fault proofs. With Bedrock, Optimism is gunning to be the first EVM-based rollup to achieve Ethereum-level security guarantees.

What can you expect?

We’re spending an immense amount of effort making sure the Bedrock transition is completely seamless. Bedrock will be a transparent upgrade: for most users, you won’t notice a thing. Developers can check out our changeset to see if any of the changes with Bedrock will affect their applications, and node providers can read this guide on how running Bedrock nodes will change. Here are a few exciting things you hopefully will notice:

• Average transaction fees will be significantly reduced so Optimism can keep the title of cheapest EVM-based Optimistic Rollup on the planet.
• Deposits and withdrawals are now highly optimized.
• Optimism nodes will sync up to 50x faster. That’s some fast code.

Bedrock has been merged into the primary Optimism monorepo in preparation for prime-time. Get ready for the next generation of L2 😉

Getting involved

Well that was a lot of information. Optimistic Rollups are some of the coolest pieces of infrastructure in the Ethereum ecosystem. Are you interested in working with some amazing people on the Optimistic Rollup of the future? OP Labs and the Optimism Foundation are both hiring for various roles. Take a look and see if there’s a position for you!