If 2023 was the "year of Rollup explosion," then 2024–2025 that followed can be called the "year of Rollup fragmentation." Dozens, even hundreds of Rollup chains have emerged, offering higher performance and lower fees, yet they remain isolated like islands: assets require cross-chain transfers, liquidity is fragmented, and developers face repetitive construction. This has led to questions: Is Rollup truly the future of scaling?
Caldera’s answer is straightforward: Yes, but only if these islands are connected.
I. The Contradiction of Rollups: Scaling vs. Fragmentation
Ethereum’s scaling path is clear: use Rollups to offload transaction pressure while retaining security on the mainnet. However, a problem arises—the more Rollups there are, the more fragmented the ecosystem becomes:
Poor user experience: Switching wallets and cross-chain asset transfers between different Rollups involve complex processes.
Diluted liquidity: Each Rollup has limited TVL, making it hard for protocols to achieve scale effects.
Repetitive development: Developers must deploy infrastructure on each Rollup, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive.
This is why many worry that Rollups might eventually become a disaster of "multi-chain redundant construction."
II. Caldera’s Approach: Modular Chain Building + Metalayer
Caldera’s core idea is not to "create more Rollups" but to "end Rollup isolation."
1. Modular Chain Building: Diversified Rollups at Low Cost
Caldera provides a complete set of modular chain-building tools:
Execution layer: Supports EVM, with plans to expand to other VMs.
Data availability layer: Flexible options including Ethereum, Celestia, and Near.
Built-in bridges and oracles: Reduces development barriers.
This allows each project to assemble a chain tailored to its needs instead of adopting a one-size-fits-all template. Whether an NFT project needs low fees or a DeFi project requires high security, Caldera offers solutions.
2. Metalayer: Turning Islands into an Archipelago
Caldera’s most innovative feature is the Metalayer, acting as a "bus" for Rollups to share liquidity, messages, and users:
Liquidity sharing: Assets across different Rollups can be quickly interconnected.
Message passing: Smart contracts can be called cross-Rollup.
Automatic bridging: The system finds optimal transfer paths for users, eliminating cumbersome operations.
This transforms Rollups from isolated islands into an interconnected "archipelago network."
III. Ecosystem Cases: How Caldera Solves Fragmentation
Caldera has helped multiple well-known projects address cross-Rollup challenges:
Manta Pacific: Leveraging Caldera’s architecture to combine privacy computing with high performance.
Treasure: A blockchain gaming ecosystem that once feared player fragmentation across chains; now ensures a unified user experience via Metalayer.
RARI Chain: An NFT project needing cross-chain liquidity; achieves smoother NFT circulation through Caldera’s interoperability layer.
These cases demonstrate a key logic: Caldera is not competing for "higher TPS" but solving the interoperability issues of coexisting Rollups.
IV. Token ERA: A Glue for Governance and Liquidity
In a cross-Rollup ecosystem, tokens are not ornaments but coordination mechanisms. Caldera’s ERA serves this role:
Fee payment: ERA can be used as Gas for Rollups, acting as a unified pricing unit.
Governance tool: ERA holders decide key parameters like Metalayer upgrades and bridge protocol selection.
Community identity: The ERA Force One community system combines token holdings with participation via a ranking system, making governance more engaging.
ERA is not meant for "price volatility stories" but as an ecosystem glue to ensure the organic operation of the Rollup network.
V. Funding and Capital Signals
Capital’s perspective often indicates direction. Caldera has secured $25 million in funding over the past two years, with participation from top institutions like Sequoia, Dragonfly, and Founders Fund.
This signals that the capital market recognizes: Future competition lies not in "building another public chain" but in "connecting the Rollup ecosystem." Caldera’s model directly addresses this pain point.
VI. Strengths and Challenges
Strengths:
1.Resolves the core contradiction of Rollup fragmentation.
2.Lowers chain-building barriers, enabling faster project launches.
3.Backed by leading ecosystem projects, validating its feasibility.
Challenges:
1.Security and auditing: Cross-Rollup systems are complex, posing higher security risks.
2.Competitive landscape: Similar solutions are being developed by AltLayer, Conduit, and Celestia.
3.Governance effectiveness: The ability of the ERA community to realize truly decentralized governance remains to be seen.
VII. Future Outlook: Rollup Archipelago
If Ethereum’s past scaling efforts were like "building highways," today’s Rollups are more like "building bridges." Caldera aims to ensure these bridges form a network rather than remain disconnected.
In the coming years, we may see trends such as:
Continued growth in the number of Rollups.
Interoperability layers becoming a necessity.
Caldera emerging as a key Rollup middleware.
Ultimately, users will perceive not "which chain I’m using" but "I’m using Ethereum’s expanded ecosystem." The concept of "chains" may fade, with Caldera as one of the driving forces behind this shift.
VIII. Conclusion
Caldera’s uniqueness lies not in how many chains it can build, but in making these chains no longer isolated islands. In an era of booming yet fragmented Rollups, this may be more important than mere performance improvements.
The future of Rollups will not be "dominance by one" but "hundreds of flowers blooming." Caldera aims to build the soil where these flowers can nourish each other.
