Introduction

Note: These docs are a work in progress and are actively being updated.

In the following documentation we generically refer to chains, rollups and L2s, but Espresso supports any kind of application that requires transaction ordering and/or data availability.

Espresso is a sequencing and coordination layer that facilitates interactions across blockchain ecosystems. Chains looking to benefit from Espresso integrate with:

1. The Espresso Network: a shared source of truth that provides fast finality on transaction ordering and data across chains. The Espresso Network is run by a network of node operators who participate in the consensus protocol (called HotShot) and the data availability layer (Tiramisu).

2. The Espresso Marketplace: a market allowing chains to sell transaction sequencing rights to block builders, maximizing chain revenue and minimizing friction in interoperating with other chains.

This documentation will explore these components in more detail, as well as how chains and applications integrate with Espresso. The internal workings of tangential components, like specific chain integrations or the lower level details of the HotShot protocol itself, are beyond the scope of this documentation.