Data Availability Layer Comparison Tool
Compare key metrics across different data availability layer implementations to understand their trade-offs
Select Data Availability Layers to Compare
How This Works: Select up to 3 layers to compare. The tool shows real-world metrics based on latest data availability layer performance benchmarks.
Each metric shows how these layers handle transaction data, with lower numbers generally indicating better performance for most use cases.
Comparison Metrics
Ethereum (On-Chain)
Celestia (Off-Chain)
EigenDA (Off-Chain)
When to Choose Which Layer
Ethereum (On-Chain)
Best for:
- Max security (Ethereum's largest validator set)
- Existing DeFi and NFT ecosystems
- Projects requiring full Ethereum integration
Celestia (Off-Chain)
Best for:
- High-throughput applications
- Cost-sensitive rollups
- Projects wanting full independence
EigenDA (Off-Chain)
Best for:
- Maximum throughput (100K+ TPS)
- Enterprise applications needing strong security
- Projects wanting Ethereum security without own token
Imagine building a highway where every car has to stop at every exit to check if the road ahead is clear. That’s what monolithic blockchains like Bitcoin or early Ethereum did-every node had to store and verify every single transaction. It worked when traffic was light. But as demand grew, the system choked. Enter data availability layers: the quiet backbone making today’s high-speed blockchains possible.
What Is a Data Availability Layer?
A data availability layer (DAL) is a dedicated part of a modular blockchain that handles one thing only: making sure transaction data is published and accessible. It doesn’t execute trades. It doesn’t settle payments. It doesn’t run smart contracts. It just says, “Here’s the raw data. Prove it’s there.”This separation is what makes modular blockchains different. Think of them like a factory assembly line. One station builds the engine (execution), another assembles the car (settlement), and a third makes sure every part was delivered on time (data availability). The DAL is that third station. Without it, rollups-high-throughput layer-2 systems like zkSync or Arbitrum-can’t work securely. If the data vanishes, no one can prove what happened. And if no one can prove it, the whole system becomes trust-based again. That defeats the whole point of blockchain.
The problem they solve is called the “data availability problem.” In 2018, researcher Mustafa Al-Bassam first described it: how do you prove data exists without downloading it all? The answer? Sampling.
How Data Availability Sampling Works
Here’s the clever part: you don’t need to download a whole block to know it’s valid. You just need to check a few random pieces.Imagine a 100-piece jigsaw puzzle. Instead of looking at all 100 pieces, you check 35 of them at random. If they’re all there and match the expected pattern, you can be 99.9% confident the whole puzzle exists-even if you never saw the rest. That’s data availability sampling (DAS).
This works because of two key technologies:
- Erasure coding: The original data is split and expanded-like doubling it-so even if half the pieces go missing, you can rebuild the whole thing from the rest.
- KZG polynomial commitments: These are mathematical proofs that let you verify the integrity of the data without seeing it all. Think of them as tamper-evident seals on digital envelopes.
Light clients-phones, laptops, or low-power devices-can now verify blockchain data without storing terabytes. Celestia’s light nodes need just 1-2 GB of storage. Ethereum full nodes? Over 1.2 TB as of late 2023. That’s the difference between a smartphone and a data center.
On-Chain vs. Off-Chain Data Availability
There are two main ways to build a data availability layer: on-chain and off-chain.On-chain means storing data directly on the main blockchain. Ethereum currently does this. Every rollup transaction’s data gets posted to Ethereum’s main chain. It’s secure-because Ethereum’s security backs it-but expensive and slow. As of November 2023, Ethereum could handle only 15-45 transactions per second for data availability, with gas fees averaging $1.23 per transaction.
Off-chain means using a separate network built just for storing data. Celestia and EigenDA are the leaders here. They’re not trying to be blockchains for apps-they’re data warehouses with cryptographic guarantees.
Here’s how they compare:
| Feature | Ethereum (On-Chain) | Celestia (Off-Chain) | EigenDA (Off-Chain) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Throughput | 15-45 TPS | 300-500 TPS | Up to 100,000 TPS (testnet) |
| Cost per Transaction | $1.23 | $0.002 | $0.0001 |
| Storage per Node | 1.2+ TB | 1-2 GB | 1-2 GB |
| Finality Time | 12-15 seconds | 10-15 seconds | Under 10 seconds |
| Security Model | Ethereum PoS | Native token staking | Restaked Ethereum security |
Ethereum’s future is tied to proto-danksharding (EIP-4844), launching in Q2 2024. This update will let Ethereum handle 1.31 MB of data per block-up from 90 KB-cutting rollup costs by roughly 90%. But even then, it’s still on-chain. Celestia and EigenDA are off-chain, meaning they don’t compete with Ethereum’s main chain. They serve it.
Who’s Leading the Space?
Three names dominate the data availability layer market:- Celestia: The first dedicated DAL. Launched its testnet in September 2021. Focuses purely on data availability. No execution. No smart contracts. Just data. As of Q3 2023, it handles 1.25 MB per block. It’s used by 15 rollups and has 99.98% uptime.
- EigenDA: Built on EigenLayer, which lets Ethereum validators restake their ETH to secure other chains. This means EigenDA gets Ethereum’s security without needing its own token. In August 2023, it hit 100,000 TPS in testnet. Its biggest advantage? It’s cheaper and faster than Ethereum’s on-chain solution.
- Avail: Created by the Polygon team. It’s not just a DAL-it’s a three-layer system: data availability, cross-chain interoperability, and multi-token security. It’s targeting enterprise use cases, with plans to launch for institutional clients in 2024.
Meanwhile, systems like StarkEx and zkSync use data availability committees (DACs)-a group of trusted parties that guarantee data is published. It’s less decentralized, but simpler to deploy. Many enterprises prefer this route.
Challenges and Real-World Hurdles
It’s not all smooth sailing. Even with all the progress, adoption is messy.Developers report that tooling is still immature. On Reddit, one developer said migrating to Celestia cut their rollup costs by 87%-but they spent weeks fixing broken SDKs. GitHub has 47 open issues on Celestia’s data sampling code alone. Ethereum’s danksharding has over 120 open issues, mostly around KZG commitments.
Another problem? Skills gap. Most blockchain developers know Solidity and EVM. Celestia uses the Cosmos SDK. Only 12% of developers are comfortable with it, according to a November 2023 survey. That limits who can build on it.
And then there’s interoperability. Right now, each DAL is its own island. A rollup built on Celestia can’t easily talk to one on EigenDA. The Interchain Foundation just launched a $5 million research grant to fix that.
Why This Matters for the Future
This isn’t just a technical tweak. It’s a structural shift.By 2026, Gartner predicts 70% of new blockchain apps will use modular architectures with dedicated data availability layers. That’s up from just 15% in 2023. Why? Because users want speed and low fees. And businesses want reliability.
Look at what’s happening:
- StarkWare’s StarkEx system now serves 2.3 million users using DACs.
- Coinbase invested $50 million in Celestia.
- Binance Labs launched a $100 million fund for modular blockchain infrastructure.
- The EU’s MiCA regulation, effective December 2024, will legally require verifiable data availability for all blockchain transactions.
Data availability layers are becoming infrastructure-like DNS or TCP/IP. You won’t see them, but everything will depend on them.
What Comes Next?
The next 12 months will be critical.Ethereum’s proto-danksharding will launch in Q2 2024. If it works, rollup costs could drop to pennies. Celestia’s “Arbital” upgrade, coming in Q1 2024, will add validity proofs-meaning it won’t just prove data is available, but also that it’s correct. That’s a huge leap.
Meanwhile, new players are entering. Chainlink is testing its own data availability solution. And Layer 2s like Optimism and Base are quietly building their own in-house DALs to reduce dependency on Ethereum’s main chain.
The goal? A world where blockchains scale without sacrificing security. Where you can send a crypto payment for a coffee, and it’s confirmed in seconds for a fraction of a cent. Where the blockchain doesn’t slow you down-it disappears into the background.
That future isn’t coming. It’s already here. You just need to know where to look.
What is the main purpose of a data availability layer?
The main purpose of a data availability layer is to ensure that all transaction data for a blockchain is published and accessible to network participants without requiring every node to download and verify the full dataset. This enables trustless scaling by allowing rollups and other execution layers to process more transactions while relying on the DAL for security through cryptographic proofs like data availability sampling.
How does data availability sampling improve blockchain scalability?
Data availability sampling allows light clients to verify that transaction data is available by randomly checking a small number of data fragments-typically 30-40-instead of downloading entire blocks. This reduces the storage and bandwidth needed to participate in the network, enabling more devices to validate transactions. It also lets execution layers like rollups post more data without overwhelming the base chain, increasing throughput while maintaining security.
Is Celestia better than Ethereum for data availability?
It depends on what you need. Celestia is faster and cheaper-it handles up to 500 transactions per second with costs around $0.002 per transaction and uses only 1-2 GB of storage per node. But Ethereum offers stronger security because it’s backed by the world’s largest blockchain network. Ethereum’s upcoming danksharding will improve its data throughput significantly, but it’s still on-chain and more expensive. Celestia is better for high-throughput, cost-sensitive apps. Ethereum is better if you need maximum security and integration with existing DeFi and NFT ecosystems.
What’s the difference between EigenDA and Celestia?
Celestia is a standalone blockchain with its own token and consensus mechanism. EigenDA runs on top of Ethereum by using restaked ETH-meaning it inherits Ethereum’s security without needing its own token or validator set. Celestia has more independence; EigenDA has more security. In testnets, EigenDA reached 100,000 TPS, while Celestia handles 300-500 TPS. But Celestia has a larger ecosystem of rollups, while EigenDA is newer and still in early adoption.
Why are data availability layers important for regulators?
Regulators like the EU under MiCA (effective December 2024) require that all blockchain transaction records be verifiable and permanently available. Data availability layers provide cryptographic proof that data was published and hasn’t been hidden or altered. This meets compliance needs without forcing full nodes to store everything, making blockchain systems legally viable at scale.
Can I use a data availability layer without being a developer?
Yes-indirectly. If you use a crypto app like a decentralized exchange or NFT marketplace built on a rollup (like zkSync, Arbitrum, or StarkNet), you’re already benefiting from a data availability layer. You don’t need to interact with it directly. It’s working behind the scenes to keep transaction fees low and confirmations fast. Your wallet doesn’t know the difference-it just works faster and cheaper.