Introducing the Super World Computer: A New Era for Layer 2 Solutions

The blockchain landscape is continually evolving, and the recent launch of the Super World Computer by QuarkChain and EthStorage marks a significant milestone in this journey.

Key Improvements of the Super World Computer

The Super World Computer aims to tackle five major challenges that have hindered the growth of Web3 applications:

1. High Onboarding Costs: The transition from Web2 to Web3 has been fraught with high costs associated with wallet creation and gas token acquisition. The Super World Computer introduces a Soul Gas Token, a non-transferable ERC20 token designed to streamline transaction fees, making it easier for users to enter the blockchain space without financial burdens.
2. EVM Performance Limitations: The Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) has faced performance bottlenecks due to its sequential execution model. The Super World Computer addresses this by implementing parallel execution and I/O, which can significantly enhance transaction throughput and reduce latency, thus enabling more complex applications to run efficiently.
3. Limited Storage Space: Traditional L2 solutions often struggle with storage capacity due to fully-replicated nodes. The introduction of EthStorage, a modular Ethereum BLOB storage layer, allows for off-chain storage with on-chain proof-of-storage verification, providing a scalable solution for data-intensive applications while maintaining low costs.
4. Centralized Frontend Risks: Many existing applications rely on centralized servers, exposing them to censorship and security vulnerabilities. The Super World Computer promotes a decentralized approach through its web3:// access protocol, turning EVM into an unstoppable HTTP server and enhancing application resilience against attacks.
5. High Layer 1 Validation Costs: Validity proofs can be expensive and complex, deterring developers from creating new applications. The Super World Computer employs advanced fault-proof mechanisms that enable almost-instant settlements at significantly reduced gas costs, facilitating faster and more economical transactions.

Security Considerations

As we embrace these advancements, security remains paramount. The Super World Computer’s architecture incorporates multiple layers of security measures:

• Advanced Fault Proofing: By utilizing EIP-4844 BLOBs to carry state hashes, the system ensures that transactions are validated efficiently while minimizing gas costs.
• On-chain Proof of Storage: EthStorage’s design ensures that data integrity is maintained through verifiable on-chain records, reducing the risk of data loss or tampering.
• Decentralized Access Protocol: This minimizes reliance on centralized entities, thereby reducing potential attack vectors associated with DNS hijacking or server outages.

Despite the innovative technology and flexible architecture offered by the Super World Computer project, these new technologies may also face certain security risks. Secure3 has previously conducted an audit competition related to OP Stack projects, which allows us to summarize some security issues associated with OP Stack-like projects. Below are several major security issues that may easily arise, along with basic solutions:First Category: Null Pointer Dereference Vulnerability

• Cause of Vulnerability: In some functions, critical parameters are not checked for nil before being dereferenced and their methods called.
• Impact: This can trigger a null pointer dereference, leading to program crashes.
• Solution: Explicitly check whether pointers are nil before use.

Second Category: Transaction Pool Management Vulnerability

• Cause of Vulnerability: Failure to properly handle invalid transactions (e.g., expired transactions).
• Impact: Invalid transactions may be incorrectly marked as valid, occupying limited space in the transaction pool and preventing valid transactions from being processed in a timely manner, thereby wasting network and computational resources.
• Solution: Conduct comprehensive validity checks before transactions enter the transaction pool. Regularly scan the transaction pool to remove invalid transactions (such as those that have expired). Alternatively, set a lifecycle for each transaction (e.g., a validity period) and automatically remove them upon expiration.

Third Category: State Inconsistency Vulnerability

• Cause of Vulnerability: In systems based on Optimism or other Optimistic Rollups, transactions are typically initiated by one party (e.g., the sender) and executed or received by another party (e.g., the receiver). However, the system fails to correctly handle rollback mechanisms for transaction failures during its design, or it does not ensure that the original owner of the funds (the sender) receives appropriate refunds or protections in case of transaction failure during submission and verification.
• Impact: When a transaction fails, improper handling of state rollback can result in funds being incorrectly retained in the receiver’s account.
• Solution: This type of vulnerability can be addressed by enhancing transaction confirmation and failure rollback mechanisms. For instance, ensure that fund transfers are not incorrectly executed when a transaction fails, or implement additional verification to ensure that fund ownership remains accurate even if a transaction fails.

Conclusion

The Super World Computer, as a Layer 2 solution based on the OP Stack, provides high-performance and low-cost blockchain infrastructure for Web3 applications. Through innovative technologies such as a highly customizable architecture, cross-chain interoperability, and decentralized governance, it meets the diverse needs of various applications. However, the adoption of any new technology comes with certain security risks, particularly in areas like smart contracts, cross-chain communication, and decentralized governance. By enhancing security audits, optimizing cross-chain protocols, and strengthening governance mechanisms, the Super World Computer can effectively address these challenges and offer safer and more reliable support for the future Web3 ecosystem.