According to The Block, OP Labs has released fault proofs on the second layer blockchain OP Mainnet, advancing the project in decentralization to Stage 1 Rollup.
The fault proof system allows Ether and ERC-20 tokens to be withdrawn from OP Mainnet without the need for a trusted third party, enabling users to challenge and remove invalid withdrawals. Fault proofs serve as a mechanism on the Ethereum Layer 2 network that allows users to challenge potential fraud or erroneous transactions.
Before the implementation of fault proofs was approved through Optimism’s governance structure, it received support from multiple core development teams within the Optimism ecosystem, including OP Labs, Base, and Sunnyside Labs, indicating a collaborative effort. Prior to this, OP Mainnet did not have fault proofs in place – requiring users to trust that operators would submit accurate state roots to the mainnet.
Both OP Mainnet and other chains within the Optimism ecosystem utilize Optimistic rollups as a scaling solution, aggregating Ethereum transactions off-chain to reduce processing costs. The development team of OP Mainnet, OP Labs, also operates a development software stack called “OP Stack,” which developers can use to launch their own Layer 2 blockchains, such as the Layer 2 network Base adopted by the US cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase. The cryptocurrency project Worldcoin, co-founded by OpenAI founder Sam Altman, recently announced that the “World Chain” is expected to be built using OP Stack.
Fault proofs are currently operational on OP Mainnet, with other OP Stack chains set to begin upgrading to include this feature, starting with Base, Metal, Mode, and Zora.
Despite the open participation of the fault proof system, the Optimism Security Council can still intervene in the event of system failures and restore the system to a permissioned state as part of a secure and responsible rollout. Additional safeguards allow the Security Council to effectively address system vulnerabilities, including the ability to reset withdrawals when necessary.
OP Mainnet has a completely permissionless and decentralized “Stage 2” roadmap managed entirely through smart contracts. Most Optimistic rollup blockchains have yet to achieve decentralization by incorporating fault proofs and maintaining decentralized contract upgrades, with competitors using Optimistic rollups like Arbitrum also implementing fault proofs.
