Volition

The core innovation of a volition is that users or applications select the data availability (DA) layer for each transaction. This is a granular choice, not a chain-level configuration. For example, a high-value NFT transfer could use Ethereum calldata for maximum security, while a social media post could use a validium with off-chain data for minimal cost.

When a user selects off-chain data availability, the transaction operates in validium mode. The state transition is proven on-chain via a zero-knowledge proof (zk-proof), but the transaction data is stored by a separate committee or DAC. This offers high throughput and low fees but inherits the data availability risk of the chosen off-chain provider.

When a user selects on-chain data availability, the transaction operates in ZK-rollup mode. Both the validity proof and the essential transaction data are published to the base layer (e.g., Ethereum). This provides the full security guarantees of the underlying L1, matching the trust model of a standard ZK-rollup, at a higher cost per transaction.

Despite the dual data availability paths, a volition maintains a single, unified state root and shared liquidity pool. A user's assets are not siloed based on their DA choice. This allows seamless interaction; a payment made in validium mode can be received by a user operating in ZK-rollup mode within the same application.

Volition creates a security-cost spectrum for users. The trade-off is explicit:

• Maximum Security (ZK-Rollup Mode): Higher fees, inherits L1's data availability and consensus security.
• Optimized Cost (Validium Mode): Lower fees, depends on the security of the off-chain data committee or proof system.

Volition is implemented as a feature within ZK-Rollup architectures. The rollup's sequencer processes transactions and generates validity proofs, but the critical choice occurs at the data layer. Users select a data availability mode for their transaction's data, which is then cryptographically committed to the rollup's state root. This creates a hybrid system where security is a user-defined parameter.

When users select the secure mode, transaction data is posted as calldata on the base Layer 1 (e.g., Ethereum). This ensures the data inherits the full security and liveness guarantees of the underlying L1. It is the default for high-value transactions, as it allows anyone to reconstruct the rollup state and verify withdrawals independently, even if the rollup operator disappears.

In the economic mode, data is posted to a separate, low-cost data availability committee (DAC) or a validium-style layer. This drastically reduces transaction fees but introduces a liveness assumption. Users trust that the committee members will honestly store and provide the data upon request. This mode is optimal for high-throughput, low-value applications like gaming or micro-transactions.

Wallets and dApp interfaces implementing Volition present users with a clear choice at the point of transaction signing. This often appears as a toggle or selection between "Secure" and "Economic" modes, with clear explanations of the security trade-offs and fee estimates for each. This puts sovereignty over data security directly in the user's hands.

Volition is critical for decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols operating on rollups. Users can opt for L1 data availability when interacting with large liquidity pools or executing complex smart contracts, ensuring their funds are protected by Ethereum's consensus. This hybrid model makes ZK-Rollups viable for institutional-grade finance without sacrificing scalability for all use cases.

A volition is not a single system but a hybrid framework. For each transaction, the user selects the data availability (DA) layer:

• On-Chain (Ethereum): Data is posted to Ethereum's calldata, inheriting its full security and censorship resistance.
• Off-Chain (DAC): Data is held by a Data Availability Committee, offering lower fees but introducing trust assumptions in the committee's honesty.

The security model depends entirely on the user's choice:

• Maximum Security (ZK-Rollup Mode): Choosing on-chain DA provides Ethereum-level security. Validity is guaranteed by zero-knowledge proofs, and data is permanently available.
• Optimistic Security (Validium Mode): Choosing off-chain DA relies on a Data Availability Committee (DAC). Users trust that a majority of this committee will not collude to withhold data, which is required to challenge fraud proofs or reconstruct state.

When using the off-chain DAC, users must trust that:

• The committee is honest-majority and will not collectively withhold transaction data.
• The committee's data attestations (Data Availability Certificates) are valid.
• The system's fraud proofs or validity proofs can be executed if data is available. This is a weaker trust model than pure rollups but stronger than pure sidechains.

Volitions enable practical trade-offs:

• High-Value Transactions: Users (e.g., institutional wallets) can pay higher fees for on-chain DA, ensuring asset security is backed by Ethereum.
• High-Volume, Low-Value Transactions: Applications (e.g., gaming, social) can use cheaper off-chain DA for non-critical actions, accepting the committee trust model for scalability.

A Data Availability Committee is a set of known, often permissioned, entities tasked with storing off-chain data and attesting to its availability. In a volition's off-chain mode, the DAC's signatures are required to prove data was published. The security depends on the committee's cryptoeconomic stake, legal identity, and decentralization.

The guarantee that the data needed to validate a blockchain's state is published and accessible to all network participants. It is a core security requirement for Layer 2 rollups. Without proper DA, a rollup operator could withhold transaction data, preventing users from detecting fraud or withdrawing their assets. Volition offers a choice between different DA providers.

A scaling solution where transaction data is stored off-chain by a Data Availability Committee (DAC) or a separate blockchain, while proofs of correct execution are posted to Ethereum. This offers high throughput and low fees but introduces a trust assumption in the data providers. In a Volition framework, Validium represents the off-chain DA choice.

A Layer 2 scaling technology that bundles transactions and submits a cryptographic validity proof (a ZK-SNARK or ZK-STARK) to Ethereum, along with the essential state data. This is the most common execution environment used with Volition architectures. The user's Volition choice determines where the transaction data for this rollup is made available.

A set of trusted, known entities responsible for storing and attesting to the availability of transaction data in systems like Validium. Users must trust that a majority of the committee is honest and will not collude to withhold data. This is a typical component of the off-chain data path in a Volition system.

The traditional, highly secure method for rollup data availability, where transaction data is posted directly to the Ethereum mainnet within transaction calldata. This is the most expensive option but inherits Ethereum's full security and decentralization. In a Volition model, this represents the on-chain, high-security choice for data posting.