Celestia

Introduction to Celestia

Celestia pioneers the modular blockchain thesis, separating data availability from execution and consensus to enable unprecedented scalability. Rather than competing as another monolithic Layer 1, Celestia provides the foundational data availability layer that rollups and other chains can build upon.

Launched in October 2023, Celestia represents a fundamental rethinking of blockchain architecture. By focusing exclusively on data availability and consensus, Celestia allows execution layers to scale independently while inheriting security from a shared foundation.

The Modular Thesis

Monolithic vs. Modular

Traditional blockchains handle everything:

• Execution (processing transactions)
• Consensus (agreeing on order)
• Data availability (ensuring data is available)
• Settlement (finalizing state)

Celestia separates these:

• Celestia: Data availability + consensus
• Rollups: Execution
• Settlement: Various options

Why Modular?

Benefits of separation:

• Specialized optimization
• Independent scaling
• Flexible combinations
• Reduced complexity per layer

How Celestia Works

Data Availability Sampling (DAS)

Revolutionary verification:

• Light nodes sample random data chunks
• Statistical guarantee of availability
• No need to download full blocks
• Scales with more light nodes

Namespace Merkle Trees

Organized data:

• Data separated by application namespace
• Apps only download relevant data
• Efficient filtering
• Reduced bandwidth

Consensus

Tendermint-based:

• Proof of Stake consensus
• Fast finality
• BFT guarantees
• Proven technology

Technical Specifications

Metric	Value
Block Time	15 seconds
Consensus	Tendermint PoS
Data Capacity	2MB blocks (expanding)
Sampling	DAS-based verification
Light Client	Mobile-capable
Finality	~15 seconds

Data Availability Explained

The Problem

Rollups need data availability:

• Transaction data must be posted somewhere
• Users need to verify data exists
• Ethereum DA is expensive
• Alternative DAs needed

Celestia’s Solution

Dedicated DA layer:

• Optimized for data publishing
• Cheap blob space
• Cryptographic availability proofs
• Light client verification

Who Uses Celestia?

Rollup developers:

• Sovereign rollups
• Ethereum rollups (via bridges)
• App-specific chains
• Gaming chains

The TIA Token

Utility

TIA serves multiple purposes:

• Staking: Secure the network
• Gas Fees: Pay for data publication
• Governance: Protocol decisions

Tokenomics

• Genesis Supply: 1 billion TIA
• Inflation: Staking rewards
• Distribution: Team, investors, community
• Vesting: Multi-year schedules

Staking Economics

Delegated PoS:

• Stake to validators
• Earn staking rewards
• Participate in governance
• Secure data availability

Rollups on Celestia

Sovereign Rollups

Independent execution layers:

• Own consensus rules
• Celestia for DA only
• No settlement layer dependency
• Maximum sovereignty

Examples

Projects using Celestia:

• Manta Network
• Dymension
• Eclipse
• Various app chains

The Rollup Stack

Building with Celestia:

• Rollkit (rollup framework)
• Optimism with Celestia DA
• Custom implementations
• Flexible architecture

Competition and Positioning

vs. Ethereum DA

Aspect	Celestia	Ethereum
Focus	DA specialized	General purpose
Cost	Lower	Higher
Capacity	Higher	Limited
Security	Own validators	Ethereum validators

vs. Other DA Layers

Project	Approach	Status
Celestia	Standalone	Live
EigenDA	Ethereum restaking	Live
Avail	Polygon-originated	Live
NEAR DA	NEAR-based	Live

Celestia’s Advantages

First mover benefits:

• Launched first
• Largest ecosystem
• Most battle-tested
• Strong team

The Modular Ecosystem

Complementary Projects

Building the stack:

• Dymension: Rollup hub
• Rollkit: Rollup framework
• Astria: Shared sequencing
• Eclipse: SVM rollup

Interoperability

Connecting modular chains:

• IBC compatibility
• Bridge infrastructure
• Cross-rollup communication
• Shared security options

Challenges and Criticism

Security Model

Considerations:

• Separate from Ethereum security
• Own validator set
• Trust assumptions different
• Not Ethereum-equivalent security

Adoption

Growth challenges:

• Rollups must choose to use
• Ethereum DA improving
• Competition increasing
• Ecosystem building

Complexity

Developer experience:

• New paradigm to understand
• Integration complexity
• Tooling still maturing
• Learning curve

Recent Developments

Block Size Increases

Scaling capacity:

• 2MB blocks and growing
• Continuous improvements
• Throughput increases
• Cost reductions

Ecosystem Growth

Adoption expanding:

• More rollups launching
• Developer tools improving
• Integrations growing
• TVL increasing

Future Roadmap

Development priorities:

• Capacity: Larger blocks, more throughput
• Light Clients: Better sampling
• Tooling: Developer experience
• Adoption: More rollups
• Research: Further innovations

Conclusion

Celestia represents a paradigm shift in blockchain architecture, proving that modular design can unlock scalability previously thought impossible. By focusing exclusively on data availability, Celestia enables an ecosystem of specialized execution layers that can scale independently.

The modular thesis has gained significant traction, with competing DA layers emerging and Ethereum itself moving toward a rollup-centric roadmap. Celestia’s first-mover advantage and technical innovations position it well, but the DA market is becoming increasingly competitive.

For developers building rollups and for those seeking to understand where blockchain architecture is heading, Celestia provides essential infrastructure and a glimpse of the modular future.