DeFi (decentralized finance) is one of the biggest trends in the blockchain industry, and many believe it will overtake the traditional finance world. DeFi apps (DApps) powered by smart contracts allow for permissionless financial operations such as efficient stablecoin trading, decentralized lending or Yield Farming, DEX (Decentralized exchanges), DeFi insurance, liquidity mining, etc., to be conducted within a peer-to-peer network without the need for intermediaries. This entire DeFi ecosystem is mainly built on the Ethereum blockchain, which processes trillions in transactions annually, powers almost 3,000 DApps, and has around $107 billion in total value locked (TVL). Ethereum's exponential growth brings about scalability issues, and it seems that even Ethereum 2.0 won’t be scalable enough long-term. Since the Ethereum network is limited to 15 transactions per second, and the number of transactions increases, transaction times and gas fees end up rising at times of network congestion. Vitalik Buterin and his team believe that the Ethereum 2.0 upgrade, the shift from Proof-of-Work (PoW) to Proof-of-Stake (PoS), can address Ethereum’s scalability, enabling Ethereum to handle 1,000s of transactions per second. While the update might not be completed until late 2022, there are still other means of scaling Ethereum. Since Ethereum is a Layer 1 network, Sidechains or Layer 2 networks created on top of it can complement the Ethereum network and enhance its capacity. Arbitrum network is one such Ethereum Layer 2 solution (L2), which also depends on Ethereum for security. Read on to learn everything you need to know about Arbitrum and the Arbitrum Wallet. What Is Arbitrum Optimistic Rollup Several innovations, such as scaling Ethereum via Sidechains and Rollups, came to the fore aiming to reduce transaction fees and time on the Ethereum network. These projects are gaining popularity, with the total value locked (TVL) in layer 2 protocols at all-time highs. Sidechains aim to scale Ethereum by building separate blockchains that run parallel to the Ethereum mainnet but operate independently. Sidechains face the challenge of securing their blockchains, which requires additional effort. In contrast, Rollups sidestep this challenge by borrowing their security from the layer 1 Ethereum blockchain. This makes layer 2s more effective independent ecosystems built on top of Ethereum and sharing its security. There are two types of rollups: Optimistic rollups and Zero-Knowledge rollups (ZK rollups). While both aim to scale Ethereum by processing transactions on layer 2 before submitting the results back to Ethereum, the difference is how they validate transactions. In an optimistic rollup framework, transactions are "rolled up" or bundled together and executed away from the leading Ethereum network before sending the updated transaction data back to Ethereum. These transactions are considered true and valid unless proven to be fraudulent, similar to the justice system, which relies on the principle of "Innocent unless proven guilty." The rolled-up transactions can be invalidated or challenged by any of the nodes on the blockchain within seven days. If the block and the transactions are proven wrong or fraudulent, the block’s bond is slashed; instead, if proven to be true, the challenger node's bond is slashed from the main blockchain. In case there are no challenges within seven days, the proposed rolled-up block becomes part of the main Ethereum blockchain. Arbitrum Rollup The Arbitrum network is a Layer 2 blockchain and deploys the optimistic rollup scaling solutions over the main Ethereum Layer (Layer 1) network. Transactions on the Arbitrum are handled by its own operating system called ArbOS, while the security and safety of the transactions are still governed by the Ethereum network. The Arbitrum network uses the best of both Layer 1 and Layer 2 scaling solutions available. This hugely improves the scalability of the transactions while reducing the transaction fees and providing the safety and security of the Ethereum network. Arbitrum is created on top of Ethereum and supports the same Remote Procedure Call (RPC) interface. The developer experience is similar to Ethereum. Also, Arbitrum is designed to be a seamless, faster, and more cost-efficient way of building decentralized applications (DApps). Another distinct feature of Arbitrum is the number of rounds needed for resolving disputes and challenges. Arbitrum uses Multi-Round Interactive Optimistic Rollup and on-chain smart contract referees in case of challenges. Arbitrum History and Advantages Arbitrum was launched in 2021 by OFFCHAIN LABS, a startup committed to building innovative Ethereum scaling solutions. Originating from the research department of Princeton University and based in New York, Offchain Labs, Inc. focuses on enterprise-grade applications and mass scalability. Founded in 2018 by Harry Kalodner, Steven Goldfeder, and Ed Felten, Offchain Labs incorporates 13 technology services and products, including Google Fonts, Google Analytics, and HTML5. Since its launch, Arbitrum has become the largest L2 per Total Value Locked, with over 500 DApps running on it. Arbitrum uses Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), making it easy for developers to migrate their DApps from Ethereum to Arbitrum. Remember that not all the DApps built on Ethereum can automatically work on Arbitrum; in some cases, developers have to modify their projects and apps to run successfully on Arbitrum. Some of the biggest DApps running on the Arbitrum network are AAVE, UNISWAP, 1INCH, YEARN FINANCE, etc. Arbitrum Pros
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