Interview With Anurag Arjun, Co-Founder Avail
In this edition of Founder Spotlight, we’re introducing Anurag Arjun, the co-founder of Avail. Avail is a modular blockchain base layer that provides data availability and scalability for next-generation, trust-minimized applications, and sovereign rollups. Let’s read more about Avail through Eqvista’s founder spotlight.
Can you share the story behind the founding of Avail and what inspired you to focus on evolving the blockchain landscape?
My journey to blockchain began with a life-changing experience I had with the book “Mastering Bitcoin”. I quickly noticed the major scalability issues holding back the potential of blockchain technology. As Polygon made progress, it became clear that, while rollups could help scale Ethereum, they still needed better data availability solutions. That’s where Avail comes in — Avail DA is a purpose built DA solution which provides the scalability needed for rollups, L2s and app-specific chains and it implements the same tech planned in Ethereum’s danksharding roadmap. However the potential of blockchain is not solved with DA alone. When you have a lot of rollups and L2s you end up with fragmentation. Thankfully Avail DA is the ideal foundation for building a unification layer which includes Nexus to address the growing challenges of fragmentation and interoperability.
Our ultimate goal is to create a more unified experience across modular rollup ecosystems and pave the way for more integrated, secure, and user-friendly experiences on blockchains
How does Avail differentiate itself from other blockchain projects, and what unique value does it offer to developers and users?
Avail DA provides a modular and scalable foundation based on validity proofs and data availability sampling. What this enables to the end user is a world of unified chains that scale. Without a scalable foundation on the base layer any interoperability solution you build on top will reach scaling constraints. Avail DA addresses this from first principles.
Avail’s Unification Layer Includes Avail DA for scalability, Avail Nexus for seamless inter-rollup communication, and Avail Fusion for multi-asset staking and shared security.
Together, these components enable Avail to synthesize modularity, chain abstraction, and shared security, creating a unified experience for the modular era of Web3.
Could you provide an overview of Avail’s modular methodology and how it empowers developers to build scalable applications?
Avail DA is a modular foundation that developers can build almost anything on top of. It implements data availability sampling (DAS) with validity proofs, which means users have the ability to verify transactions really quickly for themselves on consumer grade hardware.
Avail Nexus is a custom zero-knowledge coordination layer that acts as a verification hub. It unifies rollups across Web3 via proof aggregation and uses Avail DA as the root of trust.
Avail Fusion brings a shared security model by incorporating multi-asset staking, enabling the use of cryptocurrencies like BTC and ETH, as well as rollup tokens. This brings more token utility and also helps unify liquidity across chains.
Can you discuss any recent developments or milestones achieved by Avail that are you particularly excited about it?
Since starting Avail, I’ve focused on building the platform and growing its ecosystem. Working with talented developers and interacting with the blockchain community has been both challenging and rewarding. Avail is zeroing in on the data availability piece of the scalability puzzle. It’s been a journey of learning and growth, both on a personal and professional level.
Recently, we received $27 million in seed funding, which has allowed us to expand Avail’s offerings beyond its core Data Availability (DA) services to include Nexus and Fusion.
How does Avail prioritize security and scalability in its platform architecture?
Avail’s DA layer serves as a consolidation point for consensus and ordering and provides abundant blob space for anyone to use without feeling restricted by their use case and scale. It uses validity proofs, specifically KZG commitments, to ensure data availability. This approach allows light clients to perform Data Availability Sampling (DAS) on erasure-coded data for efficient verification.
The Nexus layer addresses the interoperability challenge by acting as a coordination hub. It enables permissionless inter-rollup messaging by leveraging the DA layer as the root of trust. This facilitates seamless user experiences across various ecosystems, whether users are engaging with a single rollup or navigating multiple rollups.
New crypto-economic design using asset classes can safeguard blockchains, as seen with Avail’s Fusion security, a pivotal cornerstone within Avail’s technological framework. Fusion enhances security by allowing non-native tokens to be staked alongside Avail’s native token to secure the platform. As mentioned, multi-asset staking provides increased security and adds utility and improved liquidity for the tokens.
What are your biggest challenges in developing and promoting Avail, and how have you overcome them?
Fundraising during a bear market comes with its own set of challenges. Investors tend to be more cautious, and a project’s fundamentals and long-term viability are often scrutinized more closely.
At Avail, we’re fortunate to have the backing of experienced investors — like Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund and Dragonfly — who share our belief in the transformative potential of our holistic approach to improving interoperability, scalability, and data availability in the modular blockchain space.
One big effort (and success) was the Clash of Nodes incentivized testnet. We have seen active participation from validators and light client operators, and it has been a crucial step in battle-testing Avail’s network infrastructure. It has since grown to include over 300 validators and processed over 115 million transactions.
How does securing $27 million in seed funding impact Avail’s roadmap and plans for scaling its blockchain solution?
This funding will be instrumental in helping us develop core products — DA, Nexus, and Fusion — together, forming our Unification Layer. By focusing on these key areas, we believe we can create a more scalable, efficient, and accessible infrastructure for the rollup ecosystem.
What advice would you give to aspiring blockchain entrepreneurs or developers looking to enter space?
The best thing about the blockchain industry is that it’s an open source led movement. People are literally providing anyone with the willingness to learn with all the tools they need to get up and running. The opportunities for developers are endless. There’s so many opportunities, great resources and technologies available for people to start experimenting with right now. For data scientists/analysts there’s equally abundant opportunities as all the data on blockchains is publicly available. And for anyone less technical blockchain communities are always looking for the best BD, Marketing and OPs improvements they can make as there’s huge demand from projects to increase usage and adoption for the tech.
Finally, what is your vision for the future of Avail, and how do you see it shaping the broader blockchain industry?
Avail’s vision is to serve as the unification layer for Web3 to support the scalability, flexibility, and interoperability of the blockchain ecosystem. Ultimately, our overall objective goes beyond specific projects or competition. As we approach mainstream adoption, it’s important to work together on building strong, reliable infrastructure. It’s not only about pushing technology forward; it’s also about transforming society. By promoting teamwork and keeping the larger goal in mind, we can speed up the integration of Web3, highlighting its ability to drive global advancement.
