Mechanism and protocol design

Our team possesses a rigorous understanding of all layers of the distributed ecosystem production line, from the consensus mechanisms that keep our systems ticking, to the applications that drive user adoption, and all of the cryptoeconomic infrastructure in between.

Multi-Stack solutions need Multi-Stack research

It’s not enough to understand the individual components that make up a blockchain-based protocol in isolation. We distinguish ourselves through our understanding of how these pieces interact. This allows us to mould protocols where they can be moulded, and identify incompatibilites when they arise.

Recently, our collaboration with Flashbots has lead us to investigate some of important questions around the potential of Layer 2 proposer-builder separation, with particular focus on based rollups. This work required an understanding of how based rollups depend on the Layer 1 for sequencing, and how the Layer-1 can be leveraged to increase the utility of its rollups.

We also contributed to a research note on the considerations that must be made when considering the timing around when builder auctions are to be run. This note touches both on builder auctions that are in use today but also planned for the future across all layers of the blockchain ecosystem.

Protocol innovations and real-world applications

We believe that diversity of expertise is key to tackling complex challenges, and that cross-disciplinary collaboration is essential to driving meaningful innovation. Our Mechanism & Protocol Design team work closely with our other research and engineering teams, as well as our external partners to stay at the cutting edge of ecosystem research and development. Our expertise includes:

Consensus design, with focus on incentives
Maximal Extractable Value (MEV)
Decentralized Exchange Protocols (DEXs)
Preconfirmations
Layer 2s
Value Capture & Value Redistribution to Sequenced Chains
• Implications for Sequenced Chains in general
Shared Sequencers
• Decentralization, Incentivization, and Coordination of Roles
• Value Capture and Fees

Collaborating on this project

Aikaterini-Panagiota

Stouka

Conor

McMenamin

Lin

Oshitani

Collaborating on this project

Aikaterini-Panagiota

Stouka

Conor

McMenamin

Lin

Oshitani