Overview of Facet Protocol
Last updated
Last updated
Facet is a Ethereum rollup solution that addresses problems associated with existing Layer 2 technologies. It stands out as the first public good rollup, fully retaining the security and decentralization principles of the Ethereum mainnet. Unlike conventional Layer 2s, Facet leverages Ethereum directly for transaction sequencing and finality, ensuring no dependence on centralized operators, smart contracts or privileged keys for its core functionality.
Like other L2s, Facet leverages deterministic, off-chain compute as a key component of its architecture to address Ethereum's scalability challenges. But Facet departs from the conventional rollup approach by adopting two fundamental design decisions:
Decentralized Sequencing: Unlike traditional rollups that rely on centralized sequencers, Facet uses Ethereum's native validators for transaction sequencing. Facet transactions are natively Ethereum transactions. This approach, known as "based sequencing," ensures Facet inherits Ethereum's full security and decentralization.
No Privileged Keys: Facet eliminates the need for upgradeable contracts controlled by multi-sigs, security councils, or DAOs. With a novel gas mechanism, there are no private keys with special privileges, ensuring the protocol remains immutable.
This combination of features makes Facet the first "based sovereign rollup" on Ethereum.
You may also refer to Facet as a Layer 1+ (or L1+), a hybrid approach that combines the strengths of Layer 1 and Layer 2 architectures.
Like typical L2s, an L1+ enables users to save money by performing computations outside the L1's EVM. However to qualify as a L1+, an Ethereum scalability protocol cannot introduce additional dependencies or trust assumptions. Only an L1+ can scale Ethereum while preserving all the functionality that makes Ethereum special in the first place, notably:
100% Uptime: an L1+ protocol remains fully operational and accessible as long as Ethereum is live, with no additional points of failure or potential downtime.
Censorship Resistance: No single entity or group can censor transactions on an L1+ network, maintaining open and unrestricted access for all participants.
Credible Neutrality: All transactions on an L1+ are processed with absolute fairness, without bias or favoritism, ensuring the protocol operates impartially and treats all participants equally.
No Privileged Keys: An L1+ protocol cannot be altered or upgraded by privileged actors, but only through decentralized consensus (hard fork), mirroring Ethereum’s own governance model.
The L1+ classification provides a clear framework for evaluating protocols that truly extend Ethereum's capabilities without compromising its core principles. It serves as an open invitation for the entire ecosystem to push scaling solutions further down the path of true decentralization and security.
