Initia: Building a Full-Chain Rollup Ecosystem for Web3

With the rise of modular public chains, the number of public chains in the market has exploded. Data shows that there are currently 53 L2 public chains in operation, with another 42 under development. Although these public chains are designed for different scenarios to meet diverse needs, they also bring issues such as complexity and fragmentation.

Against this backdrop, the modular project Initia launched by the Cosmos ecosystem has attracted widespread attention. Inspired by Apple's design philosophy, Initia transforms blockchain into an easy-to-use and integrated form, similar to iPhone applications, allowing users to enjoy an intuitive and interconnected blockchain application experience. The Initia product suite includes multi-chain explorers, wallet tools, cross-chain bridges, centralized application platforms, and on-chain identity systems, aiming to build a unified and user-friendly blockchain ecosystem.

Currently, the Initia testnet is online and the first round of the airdrop program has been launched to reward early ecosystem contributors. It is expected that after the testing is completed, Initia will officially launch its mainnet in the third quarter of this year. Its innovative design and complete ecosystem are expected to reshape the blockchain landscape in the Web3 era.

Initia: A Full-Chain Rollup Ecosystem for Web3

The Initia founding team is made up of seasoned crypto experts Zon and Stan Liu, and has now grown to 20 people. These founders and researchers have extensive experience in building high-value applications across ecosystems such as Cosmos, Terra, and Ethereum. Zon has served as the chief architect and CTO for several well-known companies, while Stan Liu is a senior developer in the Ethereum ecosystem, having participated in the development of numerous well-known DeFi projects.

In October 2023, Initia completed its seed pre-round financing and established partnerships with projects under its investors. In February 2024, Initia secured another $7.5 million in seed round financing, led by a well-known investment institution, with participation from several industry-renowned figures. This funding will drive the development of Initia's infrastructure, expand product tools, and nurture key application layer projects, further promoting the development of the Initia ecosystem.

Initia's goal is to provide users with a clear and unified full-chain Rollup ecosystem by integrating modular Layer 1 and dedicated Layer 2. It brings together the advantages of multiple mainstream public chains, building a scalable and efficient application ecosystem for developers and users. Developers can quickly build cross-chain applications using the infrastructure provided by Initia; users can seamlessly enjoy a rich array of DeFi, GameFi, Social, and other application services without having to switch between different public chains.

To simplify the experience for users and developers, Initia also provides a complete stack of technology and user products, including:

• InitiaScan: An interactive platform for navigation and building across multiple InitiaRollups, providing valuable insights and tools for developers and users.
• Wallet Widget: The front-end entry of the Initia wallet solution, providing users with cross-chain wallet signing convenience through an innovative social login method.
• Bridget: Frontend bridge/entry aggregator, directly integrated into various Rollup application layers within the Initia ecosystem, providing seamless asset cross-chain and deposit services.
• Initia Application: A centralized platform that integrates various resources and services within the Initia ecosystem, such as the Initia wallet, username system, Bridget cross-chain bridge, etc., providing a one-stop Initia ecosystem experience.
• Initia Username: Provides a simple, convenient, and readable way to access the account address of each Rollup on the Initia platform.
• Initia Wallet: Provides unparalleled convenience as the unified hub for the Initia ecosystem. With features like social login, cross-chain swaps, and automatic routing, users can seamlessly manage assets across multiple Rollups.

The Initia platform offers a complete suite of product-ready Rollup collections, enabling teams to build scalable sovereign systems while eliminating the user experience complexities faced by users when interacting with a modular multi-chain universe. Users can freely explore various DApps and services within the Initia ecosystem, enjoying a seamless crypto world, without having to worry about the differences between underlying public chains, just like using a smartphone.

Initia Layered Architecture: A Flexible and Scalable Multichain Ecosystem

Initia adopts a layered modular design architecture that integrates innovative L1 with specific application L2 infrastructure systems, reconstructing the entire tech stack. At the same time, thanks to the layered modular architecture, developers can easily launch specific application blockchains as Initia L2 without needing to understand complex chain-level infrastructure or operate a set of validators.

The Initia architecture is mainly divided into 4 modules:

1. Initial Coordination Layer (Layer 1): The main chain network L1 plays a key role in orchestrating and coordinating the entire ecosystem, responsible for ensuring the basic functions of system security, liquidity, routing, and cross-chain interoperability. L1 adopts an innovative consensus mechanism that combines the advantages of PoS and PoA, ensuring network security, decentralization, and efficient transaction confirmation. At the same time, it implements a mechanism for dynamically adjusting block intervals and the number of validators to meet performance requirements in different scenarios.

2. Initia Rollups (Layer 2): The independent Layer 2 network "Minitia" focuses on specific application scenarios, such as financial services, gaming, or social networks, and can operate independently while maintaining a close connection with Layer 1. Minitias are fully functional CosmosSDK chains that integrate advanced aggregation features and use standard and custom modules. They possess characteristics such as high throughput, fast block creation, interoperability support, and multi-VM support.

3. OPinit Stack: A framework built on CosmosSDK that utilizes the Celestia data availability layer, supporting secure expansion across different virtual machines such as EVM, MoveVM, and WebAssembly. It features fraud proofs and rollback capabilities, ensuring complete interoperability among various aggregation networks built on top of it.

4. Interoperability/Bridge Middleware: Includes IBC protocol and TBA Bridge Provider. IBC supports instant communication and transfers between blockchains, while TBA Bridge Provider offers high-performance, secure cross-chain bridging solutions, connecting Initia Layer 1 with Layer 2 Minitia network.

The layered design of Initia provides scalability and flexibility. The L1 main chain is responsible for core consensus and settlement, while Minitias focuses on performance-intensive applications, deeply integrated through the OPinit Stack. Interoperability/bridging middleware enables cross-layer asset and data interaction within different blockchain networks and ecosystems of Initia. This design addresses the complexity and fragmentation issues of multi-chain ecosystems, enhances user experience, and lays the foundation for the development of a modular multi-chain universe.

Overview of Popular Ecological Projects in Initia

The Initia testnet is now online, and the incentivized airdrop has also started. As a project committed to becoming the "Apple system" in the blockchain field, Initia has attracted significant attention from the investment community. Some institutions predict that Initia may launch Series A financing before the official mainnet release in the third quarter of this year. At that time, some popular projects within the Initia ecosystem will also gain considerable attention.

Currently, the projects worth paying attention to in the Initia ecosystem are:

1. Blackwing: A modular blockchain that enables long-tail asset trading without liquidation leverage through an "infinite pool". It allows traders to transact assets on any modular application chain without the need to transfer funds across networks. In March, it completed a $4.5 million financing, and the testnet Tomcat-1 successfully went live in May, with the current TVL exceeding 50 million.

2. Tucana: A multifunctional L2 network centered around intent, aimed at unifying and optimizing the transaction experience across various modular networks. The underlying architecture is supported by the interwoven Rollups technology of Initia and Celestia, capable of accommodating and integrating transaction needs across different modular networks. Through Tucana's liquidity layer, users can seamlessly access various types of transactions across thousands of modular networks.

3. Controrg: An innovative project aimed at reshaping the trading infrastructure, building a brand new trading platform called GLOB Chain. It adopts a progressive "order flow" execution mechanism to achieve true price fairness. Based on an auction mechanism, it establishes a unified global clearing price, allowing users to freely express their trading intentions, with orders executed gradually to maximize fairness.

4. MilkyWay: A liquid staking solution for the Celestia ecosystem. Users receive an on-chain token milkTIA that indicates the staking status after staking TIA tokens, enabling liquidity for staked assets. Recently completed a $5 million financing, now has over 156,000 milkTIA holders, $26.5 million TVL, and multiple DeFi integrations.

5. Lunch: A consumer-oriented portal application of Web3 technology, integrating the Web3 activity center and payment applications. By means of social login and biometric transaction signatures, users can access various on-chain activities within the Initia ecosystem through a single mobile application, providing a "one-stop" experience.

Initia is based on Apple's design philosophy and is committed to creating a seamless, powerful, and highly adaptable Web3 infrastructure. Each Rollup is treated as an application, allowing developers to flexibly choose their virtual machine framework while calling on the core functions provided by Initia. This one-stop tool and infrastructure support effectively integrates decentralized blockchain projects, lowers the user entry barrier, and promotes the development of the Web3 ecosystem. Initia is expected to reshape the blockchain landscape in the Web3 era with its innovative concepts, becoming the "Apple system" in this field.