Rome Protocol: Solana's Shared Sequencer for Ethereum Rollups

TL;DR

Rome Protocol is a decentralized project that utilizes Solana's high-performance blockchain for shared sequencing of Ethereum rollup transactions. By deploying rollups as separate Neon EVM instances on Solana, Rome enables efficient and secure processing at scale. Developers can launch rollups, while users can participate as searchers to help order transactions. Rome aims to enhance interoperability and composability between rollups, unlocking new cross-rollup use cases.

What is Rome Protocol?

Rome Protocol is a decentralized system that leverages the Solana blockchain to provide shared sequencing for Ethereum rollups. In the Rome architecture, each rollup is deployed as a separate instance of the Neon EVM (Ethereum Virtual Machine) on top of Solana. This allows the rollups to benefit from Solana's high throughput and low transaction fees, while maintaining compatibility with Ethereum smart contracts.

The core concept behind Rome is shared sequencing - instead of each rollup having its own dedicated sequencer, they all share a common sequencing layer provided by Solana. This shared sequencer is responsible for ordering and processing rollup transactions efficiently and securely.

By using Solana as the execution layer, Rome takes advantage of its unique Proof of History (PoH) consensus mechanism. PoH enables Solana to process a high volume of transactions with minimal latency, making it well-suited for handling the throughput demands of multiple rollups simultaneously.

How Rome Protocol Works

Under the hood, Rome Protocol consists of two main components:

1. Neon EVM Instances: Each rollup that integrates with Rome is deployed as a separate instance of the Neon EVM on Solana. The Neon EVM is an implementation of the Ethereum Virtual Machine that is compatible with Solana. This allows Ethereum smart contracts to run on Solana without requiring significant modifications.

2. Shared Sequencer: The shared sequencer is the heart of Rome Protocol. It is responsible for ordering transactions from all the connected rollups and submitting them to the Solana blockchain for execution. The sequencer follows a set of predefined rules to ensure fair and efficient transaction processing.

When a user sends a transaction to a rollup integrated with Rome, it first goes to the shared sequencer. The sequencer collects transactions from all rollups, orders them based on certain criteria (such as gas price), and then submits them in batches to the Solana network.

Solana's high-performance blockchain processes these batches quickly and cheaply, with each transaction being executed within the context of its respective Neon EVM instance. The results are then relayed back to the originating rollups, completing the transaction lifecycle.

Benefits of Rome's Shared Sequencing Approach

Rome Protocol's shared sequencing architecture offers several key benefits for Ethereum rollups:

1. Scalability: By leveraging Solana's high throughput, Rome allows rollups to process transactions at a much higher scale compared to standalone sequencers. This scalability is crucial for supporting the growth and adoption of rollup-based applications.

2. Cost Efficiency: Solana's low transaction fees translate into cost savings for rollups using Rome. Instead of each rollup having to bear the full cost of running its own sequencer, they can share the costs with other rollups on the platform. This makes it more economical for rollups to operate and scale.

3. Enhanced Security: Rome's shared sequencer follows a robust security model to ensure the integrity of rollup transactions. By leveraging Solana's Proof of History consensus, Rome can provide fast finality and resistance to common attacks like double-spending. Additionally, Rome plans to incorporate fraud proofs and validity proofs to further enhance security.

4. Interoperability and Composability: One of the most exciting prospects of Rome Protocol is its potential to enable seamless interoperability and composability between different rollups. Since all rollups share a common sequencing layer, it becomes easier to build cross-rollup applications and tap into the liquidity and user bases of other rollups on the platform.

Participating in Rome Protocol

Rome Protocol offers two main ways for users to participate in the ecosystem:

1. Deploying Rollups: Developers can deploy their own Ethereum rollups on Rome Protocol by launching a new Neon EVM instance. This allows them to port existing Ethereum applications or build new ones that can benefit from Rome's shared sequencing and Solana's scalability.

2. Becoming a Searcher: Users can also participate in Rome as searchers. Searchers are responsible for submitting rollup transactions to the shared sequencer and helping to order them efficiently. In return, searchers can earn rewards in the form of transaction fees and Rome's native token (if applicable).

To deploy a rollup or become a searcher, users need to follow the registration process outlined in Rome's documentation. This typically involves staking a certain amount of tokens as collateral to ensure good behavior and alignment with the protocol's rules.

Project Team and Roadmap

Rome Protocol is being developed by a team of experienced blockchain engineers and researchers. The project is led by Anil Kumar and Sattvik Kansal, who have backgrounds in building scalable blockchain infrastructure.

The team is working on a roadmap that includes several key milestones:

• Mainnet Launch: The primary focus is on launching Rome Protocol on the Solana mainnet. This will mark the beginning of Rome's journey as a production-ready shared sequencer.

• Integration with Major Rollups: The team is actively engaging with popular Ethereum rollup projects to integrate them with Rome Protocol. The goal is to onboard a diverse set of rollups to showcase Rome's capabilities.

• Development of Cross-Rollup Features: Once a critical mass of rollups are integrated, the team plans to build out features that enable seamless interoperability and composability between them. This could include cross-rollup token transfers, liquidity sharing, and more.

• Governance and Decentralization: In the long term, Rome aims to transition into a fully decentralized protocol governed by its community. The team is exploring governance models that balance efficiency with decentralization.

Rome's Native Token and Tokenomics

Rome Protocol has a native token (ticker symbol to be announced) that plays a central role in the ecosystem. The token has several key utilities:

• Staking: Rollup deployers and searchers need to stake Rome tokens as collateral to participate in the protocol. This ensures they have skin in the game and are incentivized to act in the best interests of the network.

• Transaction Fees: A portion of the transaction fees paid by rollup users is denominated in Rome tokens. This creates ongoing demand for the token as the protocol grows in usage.

• Governance: Rome token holders will have the ability to participate in protocol governance, such as voting on upgrades and parameter changes. This allows the community to steer the direction of the project.

The exact tokenomics and distribution model for Rome's token are still being finalized. The team is taking a thoughtful approach to ensure the token model is sustainable and aligned with the long-term vision of the project.

Security and Audits

As a protocol responsible for securing rollup transactions, security is of paramount importance to Rome. The team is working with reputable auditors to conduct thorough security reviews of the codebase before mainnet launch.

Rome's security model relies on a combination of proactive and reactive measures:

• Proactive Security: This includes rigorous testing, formal verification of critical components, and adhering to best practices in secure smart contract development.

• Reactive Security: Rome plans to implement fraud proofs and validity proofs to allow the network to detect and resolve any potential issues or attacks in real-time. There will also be a bug bounty program to incentivize responsible disclosure of vulnerabilities.

As part of its commitment to transparency and security, Rome will publish detailed audit reports and maintain an ongoing dialogue with the community about potential risks and mitigation strategies.

Conclusion

Rome Protocol represents an exciting development in the quest for scalable and interoperable Ethereum rollups. By providing a shared sequencing layer on top of Solana's high-performance blockchain, Rome aims to unlock new possibilities for rollup-based applications.

With its focus on scalability, cost efficiency, and cross-rollup composability, Rome has the potential to become a key infrastructure piece in the future of Layer 2 scaling. As the project progresses towards mainnet launch and onboards more rollups, it will be one to watch closely in the evolving landscape of blockchain scaling solutions.