Rollup also needs to simplify the complexity? One article to learn about Ethereum's minimalist expansion plan Signet | Pay attention to super early projects

Author: Scof, ChainCatcher

Edited by: TB, ChainCatcher

In the past ten years of Ethereum expansion technology development, Rollup has become a mainstream solution, but the complexity, high cost and centralization problems that follow are becoming increasingly prominent.

Signet is a new Rollup with "pragmatism" as its core concept. It reconstructs the expansion path with a minimalist architecture, breaks out of the involume of zk and Optimistic Verification, and proposes a lighter, faster and fairer alternative.

How does Signet work?

Signet is a new type of Rollup under the Ethereum ecosystem, focusing on the "pragmatic" route. Unlike zk-Rollup or Optimistic Rollup in the industry, which pursues extreme complexity, Signet chose to return to the essence, abandoned the heavy proof system and state root, and used simpler and more efficient mechanisms to realize inter-chain asset transfer and transaction execution.

Signet's biggest feature is its minimalist architecture, direct operation, easy deployment, and is fully compatible with Ethereum virtual machines (EVMs). Developers can deploy smart contracts, connect to wallets, and use dApps just like using the main network, without learning new systems or configuring complex node clusters.

It introduces a market-based inter-chain asset exchange mechanism (Instant Swaps), realizing the true "cross-chain transfer of the same block" and breaking the traditional Rollup locking mechanism. In terms of block production, Signet adopts a rotating mechanism to replace the auction system, avoiding a few block builders monopolizing the control of the network and promoting more fair ecological participation.

In a word: Signet is a simpler, faster, cheaper, and available to everyone.

****Simplify architecture and solve complexity, efficiency and

centralization dilemma****

The current Ethereum Rollup ecosystem faces several fundamental problems: the system design is too complex, the cross-chain efficiency is inefficient, the block production rights are highly concentrated, and the development and deployment threshold is high. The mainstream Rollup project continues the Plasma era's persistence in the "proof system". Whether it is zero-knowledge proof or optimistic verification, although it provides theoretical support in terms of security, it brings extremely high computing overhead in actual use. Ultimately, these costs are passed on to users, reflected in high handling fees and low transaction throughput capabilities.

Signet chose a completely different route, completely abandoning the proof system and state roots, avoiding a lot of waste of resources. In terms of asset transfer, it replaces the traditional bridging method with a market-oriented instant transaction mechanism. Cross-chain assets can be transferred in and out in the same block, saving a long wait and locking positions, and truly achieving "second arrival". Not only that, Signet has also restructured the block production mechanism and adopted a rotating block rights allocation method, breaking the current situation where building block rights are monopolized by a few giants in Ethereum and most Rollup, allowing more participants to participate in network operation fairly.

In addition, Signet's deployment and operation and maintenance process is extremely simplified, and developers no longer need to maintain multi-node systems or complex bridge logic. They only need to make a lightweight upgrade to existing Ethereum nodes to run a complete Rollup system. This simple and efficient architecture not only lowers the threshold for use and participation, but also opens a more practical and sustainable path for Rollup's future development.

Signet makes a core claim: Rollup shouldn't have been so complicated. Instead of looking for answers in the stack of proof mechanisms, we should return to the three cores that users really care about: speed, cost and availability.

Signet team background and development status

According to Signet's official X account, its development team is ini4 tech, a research team focusing on the next generation of Ethereum. They have worked with the Reth team to develop the executive expansion layer of paradigm, a research-oriented technology investment company that completed a $850 million fundraising last June.

Signet has not yet released financing information. Official X is topped by a github code base to create a Signet system ecosystem.

(This article only introduces early projects and is not used as investment advice.)