The evolution of blockchain infrastructure is accelerating, and at the heart of this transformation lies a paradigm shift: Disaggregated Blockchain Layers (DBL). Also known as modular blockchains, DBL represents a fundamental rethinking of how blockchains are structured, moving away from monolithic designs toward specialized, interoperable layers. This architectural revolution is being driven by two major forces—Danksharding on Ethereum and Celestia’s modular framework—each offering distinct trade-offs in scalability, security, sovereignty, and development flexibility.
In this deep dive, we explore the core principles of blockchain layering, compare leading implementations, and uncover which models are best suited for different types of projects in 2025 and beyond.
What Is Blockchain Layered Architecture?
Blockchain layered architecture refers to the separation of core blockchain functions—execution, consensus, and data availability (DA)—into distinct, specialized layers. Unlike traditional monolithic blockchains (like early Ethereum or Bitcoin), where all nodes perform every function, layered architectures allow nodes to specialize.
This disaggregation enables:
- Greater scalability
- Improved developer customization
- Enhanced network resilience
- Lower barriers to node participation
Let’s break down the three foundational layers:
Execution Layer
Responsible for processing transactions and smart contracts. This layer can support various virtual machines (EVM, zkVM, etc.) and is where most user-facing applications operate.
Consensus Layer
Ensures agreement on the order and validity of transactions. In modular systems, this may be split further into:
- Transaction Sequence Consensus: Ordering of transactions across the network.
- Global State Consensus: Final agreement on the blockchain’s state after execution.
Data Availability (DA) Layer
Guarantees that all transaction data is published and accessible to network participants. Without DA, validators cannot verify the integrity of the chain—a critical security component.
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Why Does Layered Architecture Matter?
Scalability Without Sacrificing Decentralization
Monolithic blockchains face the “impossible triangle” dilemma: it's difficult to achieve high scalability, strong security, and full decentralization simultaneously. Hardware improvements alone won’t solve this—networks like Ethereum have hit practical limits in block processing under full validation.
DBL circumvents this by reducing node workload. Instead of every node executing every transaction and storing all data, nodes specialize. For example:
- Some validate only data availability.
- Others handle consensus or execution.
This specialization allows more devices to participate as nodes—even consumer-grade hardware—preserving decentralization while enabling larger block sizes and higher throughput.
Customization and Sovereignty
Beyond scalability, DBL unlocks unprecedented levels of customization. Projects can tailor their execution environment (e.g., using zkVMs or custom consensus rules) without being locked into a one-size-fits-all framework.
A key advancement here is sovereignty—a chain’s ability to independently determine its final state. While Ethereum rollups rely on L1 for finality, sovereign chains built on modular DA layers can upgrade, fork, or interpret data independently.
This autonomy is especially valuable for large communities or protocols requiring governance control over upgrades and dispute resolution.
Comparing Major DBL Frameworks
Different architectures strike unique balances between scalability, security, sovereignty, and ease of development. Below is an analysis of leading models.
Ethereum-Based Solutions
Current Rollups (Optimism, Arbitrum, StarkNet)
These are the pioneers of execution-layer offloading. Rollups execute transactions off-chain but post compressed data to Ethereum L1 for DA and settlement.
Pros:
- Inherits Ethereum’s robust security
- Large developer ecosystem
- User-friendly bridges and tooling
Cons:
- High DA costs due to L1 congestion
- Limited customization (must conform to Ethereum’s finality rules)
Validium (e.g., ZkPorter, Anytrust)
Validium moves DA off Ethereum, relying instead on trusted committees or off-chain storage.
Pros:
- Higher throughput than rollups
- Lower fees due to reduced on-chain footprint
Cons:
- Weaker security—DA not secured by Ethereum
- Trust assumptions introduced via data committees
Danksharding (Future Ethereum Upgrade)
Danksharding represents Ethereum’s full embrace of modularity. It introduces a dedicated data availability sampling layer using blob-carrying transactions.
Key innovations:
- Shared sequencing: All rollups use the same proposer for transaction ordering.
- Data availability sampling (DAS): Light clients can verify DA without downloading entire blocks.
- Maintains Ethereum-level security while enabling massive scaling.
Danksharding allows Ethereum to support thousands of rollups efficiently—each benefiting from shared security and ultra-low DA costs.
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Celestia-Based Architectures
Celestia flips the script by providing only DA and transaction sequencing—leaving execution and state consensus to developers.
Sovereign Chains
Sovereign chains publish data to Celestia but run their own consensus for state validation.
Pros:
- Full sovereignty: independent upgrades and governance
- No dependency on external settlement layers
- Can innovate freely on execution (e.g., new VMs)
Cons:
- Security responsibility shifts to the app chain
- Requires building or integrating a consensus mechanism
Ideal for mature projects with strong communities (e.g., large DeFi protocols).
Execution Rollups (Cevmos, dYmension, Eclipse)
These add a shared state consensus hub atop Celestia, simplifying development.
Developers deploy rollups that inherit consensus from the hub while leveraging Celestia for DA.
Pros:
- Faster time-to-market
- Reduced operational overhead
- Interoperability via shared hub
Cons:
- Less sovereignty than pure sovereign chains
- Limited customization within hub constraints
A middle ground between ease-of-use and control.
Celestium: Bridging Ethereum and Celestia
Celestium combines Celestia’s DA with Ethereum’s settlement layer—a hybrid approach gaining traction.
By using Celestia as a DA layer for Ethereum validiums, projects gain:
- Stronger DA guarantees than committee-based solutions
- Lower costs than posting all data to Ethereum
- Compatibility with existing Ethereum tooling
This model may become a standard for projects wanting both scalability and strong security assumptions.
Ethereum vs. Celestia: Divergent Philosophies
| Aspect | Ethereum (Danksharding) | Celestia |
|---|---|---|
| Security Model | Maximum security via L1 consensus | Trade some security for sovereignty |
| Design Goal | Scale securely within a unified trust layer | Enable maximum customization |
| Ideal For | New projects needing safety and liquidity | Established ecosystems seeking autonomy |
Ethereum prioritizes continuity of trust—ensuring even highly scalable rollups remain secure through L1 finality.
Celestia embraces fragmentation as a feature: if you can’t match Ethereum’s decentralization, focus on flexibility instead.
Alternative DBL Approaches
Nervos Network
One of the earliest modular designs, Nervos uses a UTXO-based Layer 1 (Common Knowledge Base) for security, with Layer 2s handling computation.
While EVM compatibility was initially lacking, recent upgrades have improved developer access. Its UTXO model offers advantages in parallel processing—making it promising for high-throughput use cases.
Arweave-Based Systems (SmartWeave, Ever.Finance)
Arweave provides permanent data storage, making it ideal as a DA layer for long-lived applications.
However, it doesn’t offer consensus—chains built on Arweave must implement their own transaction ordering and state validation.
SmartWeave enables lazy evaluation of smart contracts (executed upon read), reducing upfront computation costs. Ever.Finance enhances this with DDoS resistance.
Polygon Avail
Polygon’s answer to Celestia, Avail offers modular DA for Polygon ecosystem projects. Like Celestia, it supports data availability sampling and allows developers to build independent execution layers.
It complements Polygon’s broader scaling strategy, offering an alternative to Polygon zkEVM and other sidechains.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: What is the main advantage of Danksharding over current rollups?
A: Danksharding drastically lowers data availability costs by introducing blob transactions and data sampling, enabling Ethereum to support many more rollups without increasing L1 congestion.
Q: Can a sovereign chain be secure without relying on Ethereum?
A: Yes—but security depends on the chain’s own validator set or fraud/validity proof system. While not inheriting Ethereum-level trust, sovereign chains can still achieve strong security with proper design.
Q: Is Celestia safer than Validium solutions?
A: Generally yes. Celestia provides decentralized DA without trusted committees, whereas many Validiums rely on centralized or semi-trusted guardians for data availability.
Q: Do I need to choose between Ethereum and Celestia?
A: Not necessarily. Hybrid models like Celestium allow projects to use Celestia for DA and Ethereum for settlement—combining strengths from both ecosystems.
Q: Which model is best for a new DeFi project?
A: A current rollup (like Arbitrum or Optimism) offers the safest launchpad with immediate access to users and liquidity. As the project grows, migrating to a sovereign or execution rollup model may make sense.
Q: How does modular architecture impact decentralization?
A: It enhances it. By reducing hardware requirements for node operation through specialization, more participants can run nodes—strengthening network resilience.
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Final Thoughts: The Right Tool for the Job
There is no single "best" DBL architecture. The optimal choice depends on your project’s stage, goals, and risk tolerance:
- New projects benefit from Ethereum’s security and ecosystem.
- Established protocols may prefer Celestia-based sovereignty for greater control.
- Hybrid approaches offer balanced trade-offs between cost, security, and flexibility.
As blockchain infrastructure matures, we’re moving toward a pluralistic future—one where developers can compose layers like Lego bricks to build exactly what they need.
The era of one-size-fits-all blockchains is ending. Welcome to the age of modularity.