[Update: This article was written prior to Lava's Public Mainnet, which is now live. Please also refer to our staking support announcement here: https://chorus.one/articles/chorus-one-announces-staking-support-for-lava-network ]
Lava network is a protocol that serves as a gateway for applications to access trustworthy, secure, and swift RPC services. Unlike conventional methods that hinge on centralized or public RPC endpoints, Lava leverages a decentralized array of premier service providers.
At the cutting edge of blockchain accessibility, Lava provides a user-friendly and scalable solution to tackle the crucial requirement for an Access layer in the blockchain infrastructure. The network makes it very easy for blockchains and rollups to bootstrap a set of infrastructure providers, so users and developers can onboard smoothly.
Lava is an application-specific marketplace for decentralized blockchain Remote Procedure Calls (RPC) and APIs based on CosmosSDK. Lava is designed to enhance access scalability to various blockchains. This network has the ability to accommodate any RPC and API in a flexible manner,. Lava boasts of a lightning-fast network that is hyper-scalable, and permissionless with nearly 100% uptime.
A Remote Procedure Call, or RPC, is a lightweight software communication protocol, that allows for developers to run code that can be executed on servers remotely.
On Lava, blockchain and rollup developers can quickly bootstrap a network of infrastructure providers, without waiting for major providers to add support. The protocol's initial focus is directed towards RPC infrastructure, a service that aids developers to access over 30 diverse chains, from EVM to Cosmos.
In this section, we break down the different architectural elements of the Lava Network:
Specs - Specs, otherwise called Specifications, are the foundational blueprints for Lava's multichain support, outlined in JSON format. These specifications delineate the minimum requirements necessary for an API to function on Lava effectively. Through these specs, Lava identifies the supported chains and methods while also setting up the associated costs, prerequisites, and validations. Each time the ecosystem requires a fresh API, a new specification is seamlessly integrated. This flexible method seamlessly weaves modularity into the protocol, guaranteeing that Lava stays up-to-date and flexible.
Peer-to-Peer Lava SDK - The Lava SDK is a decentralized, peer-to-peer blockchain RPC for developers who are exploring the cross-chain functionality the ecosystem is offering. It offers a simplified setup for multi-chain RPC, where adding a new chain can be done with a few lines of code. The Lava-SDK is a JavaScript/TypeScript library that was built to provide decentralized access to all chains supported by the Lava ecosystem. It further provides necessary tools for server and online environments, simplifying the process of building decentralized applications and interacting with multiple blockchains.
Gateway - Lava Gateway is a user-friendly web platform for developers that provides instant access to blockchain data. The Gateway makes use of the Lava Server Kit to offer a hosted entry point for developers seeking RPC via the Lava Network. This setup enables users to handle and set up Web3 APIs using user-friendly controls right from their browser. While the Lava Server Kit and SDK offer enhanced control and permissionless features, the Lava Gateway grants similar entry to our base network along with extra conveniences like project management utilities and user accounts.
The LAVA token is central to the Lava Network, serving multiple functions within the ecosystem.
Token details for LAVA stakers:
• LAVA is used to reward infrastructure providers on Lava
• Providers can earn native tokens from chains/rollups supported by the network
• LAVA can be restaked to earn additional yield and lower security fees
• LAVA has a capped supply with deflationary mechanisms
For more details, please refer to the official tokenomics documentation
Lava Network is a modular network that focuses on giving blockchains and rollups a performant and reliable access layer. RPC is the first supported use-case, but other services related to data access will be added soon e.g. indexing.
To read more about Lava Network, we recommend the official documentation available in docs.lavanet.xyz.
Staking Lava with Chorus One is easy. Follow these three simple steps:
For any other questions or to stake LAVA with Chorus One, reach out to staking@chorus.one or through this form.
Chorus One is one of the biggest institutional staking providers globally, operating infrastructure for 50+ Proof-of-Stake networks, including Ethereum, Cosmos, Solana, Avalanche, and Near, amongst others. Since 2018, we have been at the forefront of the PoS industry and now offer easy enterprise-grade staking solutions, industry-leading research, and also invest in some of the most cutting-edge protocols through Chorus Ventures. We are a team of over 50 passionate individuals spread throughout the globe who believe in the transformative power of blockchain technology.