Running your own Optimism node enables you to seamlessly build and deploy Ethereum-native dApps on L2.
But managing these nodes yourself can prove challenging. You can run into problems related to limited bandwidth or hardware capability. To ensure peak performance, a node’s connection to the internet must be extremely robust, secure, and uninterrupted.
With Blockdaemon, you can easily spin up your own fully-managed Optimism node.
What is Optimism?
Optimism is a layer 2 Ethereum scaling solution powered by a technology called “Optimistic Rollup”, which in simple terms describes a blockchain that leverages the security of another parent blockchain.
In this instance, it’s Ethereum.Ethereum is the most widely used smart-contract blockchain. As more users join the network, it becomes more expensive and slower to use.
This is where networks like Optimism come into play.
Layer 2 chains like Optimism work on top of the Ethereum Mainnet.Optimism is faster and cheaper by processing transactions outside of Ethereum Mainnet before submitting the data in batches.
This enables developers to continue building on a much less crowded blockchain while still benefiting from Ethereum’s robust security. Optimism is also EVM equivalent, enabling developers to deploy dApps as simply as possible using the tools they know and love.
Why Do You Need an Optimism Node?
If you are building your next Ethereum-native dApp or need rapid and frequent access to on-chain data, then running a dedicated Optimism node could provide a number of benefits.
These include:
- Optimism rollups provide developers faster transaction times compared to zero knowledge rollups (zk rollups). The cryptographic validity proofs utilized by zk rollups need a lot of hash power to compute, and hence transactions are much slower.
- Optimism is also more scalable. A programme that uses optimistic rollups is unlikely to be affected by a large surge of transactions. This is because there is no validity proof calculation in optimistic rollups.
- Optimism is a low-cost Ethereum L2 blockchain that can easily and directly run smart contracts on Mainnet. Whereas zk rollups cannot execute smart contracts on the Ethereum blockchain.
- Optimistic rollups are a cost-effective and sustainable solution for building on L2 and scaling Ethereum.
The Challenges of Hosting Your Own Node
Setting up your own Optimism node is a complicated process.
Optimism is composed, in part, of a series of smart contracts on both L1 (Ethereum) and L2 (Optimism). It’s not just your regular off-the-shelf protocol. When it comes to the deployment of a full Optimism node, your hardware, software, and network connection must satisfy certain requirements.
Additionally, the process of running and maintaining blockchain nodes requires regular support and maintenance and frequent updates.This all adds up to significant time, effort and financial investment.
The Easy Way to Run an Optimism Node
Blockchain infrastructure providers offer an alternative to self-running a full blockchain node.
It’s a quicker and more secure way of connecting to the blockchain. With blockchain infrastructure providers, you get all the benefits and none of the drawbacks, including:
- Outsourced node creation
- Node administration and maintenance
- APIs to create automated workflows
For a small monthly fee, your hosting partner will give you the endpoints and keys to your own node.
While your infrastructure provider will supply you with the details, you will be the sole owner of your node. With the right infrastructure provider, your node can achieve 99.9% uptime and be more secure than if you were to host it yourself.
“Partnering with Blockdaemon helps projects and dApps deploying in the Optimism ecosystem focus on building amazing user experiences without the worries associated with running their own nodes and infrastructure”, Matthew Slipper, Head of Engineering at OP Labs.
Outsourcing your node gives you and your team breathing room to focus on other core aspects of your business and easily build on Optimism.
4 Simple Steps to Launch Your Own Optimism Node
Blockdaemon is the leading independent blockchain infrastructure provider. We connect businesses to blockchains. Our Optimism nodes are fully-managed and best-in-class. With Blockdaemon, you can launch an Optimism node in 4 simple steps (under 1 minute!).
- Signup/Login to the Free Blockdaemon App.
- Select Deploy a Node.
- Choose Optimism from the list.
- Select your preferences and click Request Node.
That’s it, you’ve now requested your own Optimism node. Someone from the Blockdaemon team will be in touch with you shortly.
How to Connect to Your Optimism Node
Once you’ve launched your Optimism node, you can easily connect by HTTP RPC via cURL.
Check out How to Connect to Blockdaemon Optimism Infrastructure for a step-by-step guide.
