In this talk at Chain Abstraction Day, which took place on July 10, 2024, at EthCC in Brussels, Ethan Francis from Particle Network discusses the future of chain abstraction, Universal Accounts, the evolving multi-chain user experience, and more. Read our notes below to learn more!
Background
Ethan aka TABASCOweb3 (Guest) – Contributor at Particle Network
Particle Network – a comprehensive development platform that aims to make the transition from Web2 to Web3 smoother and more efficient for developers
Chain Abstraction and the Future of Blockchain UX: A Comprehensive Overview
- Tobasco begins by introducing the concept of chain abstraction, aiming to clarify its composition and practical implications. He acknowledges that while the general goal of chain abstraction is understood, the specific components and how different projects contribute to this goal are less clear. Tobasco represents Particle Network, which is developing “Universal Accounts“—a system allowing users to maintain a single address and balance across multiple blockchain ecosystems without the need for bridging or managing multiple wallets.
Current State of UX
- Tobasco notes that while UX within a single application can be quite good, with features like social logins and account abstraction already live, especially within the EVM system, problems arise when users try to interact across multiple chains. Users currently face challenges such as managing different balances across chains (e.g., $ETH on Ethereum, Base, Polygon) and dealing with the complexities of bridging assets, which can be costly, slow, and insecure.
- The increasing adoption of a rollup-centric future and modular scaling approaches exacerbates these UX issues, as more rollups and chains emerge, leading to greater fragmentation.
Need for Chain Abstraction
- Chain abstraction is defined as a user experience that eliminates the need for manual processes (like bridging and balance management) when interacting with multiple chains.
- Tobasco highlights that chain abstraction should make chains “invisible” to the end user, allowing them to interact with any application across any chain through a single balance and interface, such as using Metamask without worrying about the underlying blockchain.
Impact on Developers
- Beyond UX improvements, chain abstraction allows developers to create chain-agnostic applications. These applications are not confined to a single blockchain but can operate and interact across multiple chains simultaneously. This leads to a future where applications are free from the limitations of specific blockchains, enabling broader and more flexible development.
Layered Approach to Chain Abstraction
- Tobasco mentions that this layered approach builds upon earlier frameworks like the ‘CAKE framework’ introduced by Frontier Researcher One Balance. He says that chain abstraction is not a competitive space but rather a collaborative one. Multiple projects contribute to different layers of the chain abstraction stack, and these layers must work together to achieve full chain abstraction.
- The three key layers of chain abstraction are:
- Blockchain Level: This includes technologies like Polygon’s agg layer and Optimism’s Superchain, which focus on intrinsic interoperability between blockchains.
- Account Level: This involves creating user accounts that are agnostic to specific blockchains, allowing users to maintain a single balance across chains. Particle Network’s Universal Accounts fall into this category.
- Application Level: This focuses on how developers can build chain-agnostic applications that operate across multiple blockchains, with projects like Agoric and Socket contributing to this layer.
Example of Account-Level Chain Abstraction
- Universal Accounts: Tobasco explains that Universal Accounts improve upon traditional account abstraction by solving the problem of fragmented account states across chains. With Universal Accounts, if a user updates their smart account on one chain, that update is reflected across all chains, maintaining a consistent state.
- Universal Liquidity: This technology allows users to access and consolidate funds across multiple blockchains, making it easier to manage liquidity.
- Universal Gas: This feature enables users to pay for gas fees on any blockchain using any token, adding further convenience and flexibility. For example, a user could perform a transaction on Polygon using $ETH from Ethereum and pay for gas fees with $USDC on Solana.
Implementation Details
Tobasco provides insight into how Universal Accounts are implemented:
- Smart Account Model: Universal Accounts uses an upgraded smart account model that maintains a unified state across all chains, including balances, permissions, and other settings.
- Cross-Chain Coordination: Particle Network uses a custom Cosmos appchain to manage the complexity of maintaining a unified state across multiple blockchains. This Cosmos-based chain acts as a coordinator, keeping track of account states and ensuring consistency across different chains.
- Intent-Centric System: For moving funds and executing cross-chain actions, the system uses what Tobasco describes as an “intent-centric, filler-like system.” This approach allows users to express their intent (like “transfer funds from Chain A to Chain B”) without needing to understand the underlying mechanics of cross-chain operations.
- Testnet Deployment: Tobasco mentions that these technologies, including Universal Gas, are already live on Testnet, indicating that the implementation is progressing from theoretical to practical application.
Further Exploration of Chain Abstraction
- Tobasco encourages further exploration of chain abstraction, particularly through the resources provided by Particle Network. He highlights the collaborative nature of the chain abstraction space and the importance of understanding how different layers and projects contribute to the overall goal of creating a seamless multi-chain user experience.
Check Out These Important Links
- Listen to the YouTube Video
- Follow TABASCOweb3 on Twitter
- Follow NEAR Protocol on Twitter
- Follow Particle Network on Twitter
Show Information
Medium: YouTube (Video)
Show: NEAR Protocol
Show Title: Exploring Layered Chain Abstraction: One Account, One Balance, Any Chain
Show Date: July 23, 2024