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A complete guide to Linea

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Whale
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Prerequisites:

To better understand this blog, you should master the basic concepts of Ethereum first.

What is Linea?

Due to the serious transaction congestion on the Ethereum Mainnet (i.e. Layer 1) and the high transaction fees, the developers proposed Layer2 to improve the performance of the Ethereum network and increase the transaction processing speed.

Linea is a Layer2 scaling solution launched by ConsenSys (the parent company of the well-known plug-in wallet MetaMask), which adopts the zkEVM Rollup solution to achieve the scaling goal of the Ethereum network.

Conceived and developed by ConsenSys, Linea is the result of four years of intensive research and development. Linea's goal is to create a bytecode-compatible zkEVM Rollup network that significantly increases the scalability of the Ethereum network and reduces transaction costs. The name "Linea" comes from the Latin "line" and symbolizes the progressive journey of Web3.

The Linea Mainnet went live in July 2023 and is open to all users.

How dose it works?

Linea is a Layer2 network built on zkEVM, which uses ZK Rollup technology to scale the Ethereum mainnet.

  • ZK: Zero-Knowledge Proofs
    Linea uses Zero-Knowledge Proofs to prove the integrity of transactions without exposing transaction details. Doing so completely excludes third parties from the transaction verification process.
  • ZK Rollup: Rollup solution with Zero-Knowledge Proofs 
    Linea uses Rollup technology to bundle hundreds of transactions into a batch and verify them on the Ethereum mainnet as a single transaction. Ensure the validity and availability of data, so that the Linea network has the same security as the Ethereum mainnet.
  • EVM: Ethereum Virtual Machine
    EVM is used to execute smart contracts.
  • zkEVM: Ethereum Virtual Machine built on Zero-Knowledge Proof technology.
    Linea is a type 1 zkEVM that is equivalent to the Ethereum mainnet and does not make any changes to the system. This allows developers to easily deploy existing Ethereum applications or create new applications on Linea without changing code or rewriting smart contracts.
  • Encryption Technology Based on Lattice Structure
    Linea uses a lattice-structured encryption technology, which is widely used in modern blockchain systems.

Features

  • Very low transaction fees
  • No need to rely on third parties
  • Ethereum mainnet-level security
  • Users are always in control of their funds
  • EVM-compatible
  • Quantum resistance
  • Less computing resource consumption

Learn more:

How to use Linea

Let's take a look at how to use Linea with imToken. First download imToken (https://token.im) to create/import a wallet and add a Linea account.

Note: Click to check website certificate security

If you did not add a Linea account when creating/importing your wallet, please navigate to "My Profile" -> "Manage wallets" -> "Add", select the Linea network, and confirm. Then, return to the wallet homepage to access your newly created Linea account. Now you can transfer/receive tokens and try out popular DApps on the Linea network.

Detailed tutorial: How to use Linea with imToken?

Learn 

Layer 2

In order to solve the scalability problem of Ethereum, the developers proposed solutions in two directions, Layer 2 and sharding (an important upgrade of Ethereum). Layer 2 means a two-layer network. In contrast, the current Ethereum mainnet is also called a layer network (Layer 1), and a two-layer network is a system based on the current Ethereum mainnet.

The Layer 2 solution is mainly from the perspective of reducing the burden on Layer 1, and moves a large amount of computing requirements from Layer 1 to Layer 2.

Mainstream Layer2 solutions include ZK Rollup, Optimistic Rollup, Plasma, State Channels, Validium, etc.

ZK Rollup

ZK is the abbreviation of Zero Knowledge. Zero knowledge proof means that the prover can convince the verifier that a statement is correct without providing any useful information to the verifier.

Rollup is called volume stack in Chinese, which is a general term for an Ethereum expansion solution. Rollup improves the performance of the Ethereum network by transferring on-chain computing to off-chain (layer 2 network), but at the same time keeping part of the data of each transaction on the chain.

ZK Rollup = Zero Knowledge + Rollup

ZK Rollup's core idea is to reach transaction consensus under the chain, and compress transaction data through zero-knowledge proof algorithm to ensure the validity of the transaction state under the chain, and finally synchronize the data to the Ethereum mainnet.

zkEVM

zkEVM is an Ethereum virtual machine built on zero-knowledge proof technology. Unlike regular virtual machines, zkEVM proves the correctness of program execution, including the validity of inputs and outputs used in operations.

Linea Browser

Linea Block Explorer is a website that queries Linea blocks, transactions, account addresses and other information.

Development Team ConsenSys

ConsenSys is a leading blockchain technology company focused on providing infrastructure services to the Ethereum ecosystem. It is becoming a trusted partner for users, creators and developers through a range of products such as MetaMask, Infura, Linea, Truffle, Diligence, and more. ConsenSys’ mission is to inspire and empower everyone to build by making Web3 easier to use and develop.

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