Have you ever thought about opening an online store? I have, but after seeing the process, I was discouraged, haha~
There are a lot of processes — you need to buy a domain, rent a server, set up a system, integrate payment, and you need to understand some programming.
For ordinary people, it sounds overwhelming.
Later, platforms like Taobao and Shopify emerged, allowing ordinary people to open a store in three minutes, focusing on selling products without worrying about the underlying technical work.
The blockchain field is also undergoing similar changes.
In the past, to "open a chain" was really hardcore work: finding a technical team, building everything from consensus mechanisms, node architecture, network security to front-end wallets. As a result, small projects often got bogged down by the costs of "building chains" before they could even get started.
Many retail investors are also confused: why does a new chain pop up every so often? Are these chains reliable?
At this point,
[Rollup-as-a-Service (RaaS)] is like a "store opening platform" in the blockchain world.
It helps small teams solve the pain points of underlying architecture, allowing them to "open chains" just like opening online stores.
Why do some projects like to start their own chains?
Many of my friends often complain while playing DeFi: "Is this project launching a new chain again? Isn’t Ethereum or Solana enough?"
The reason is quite practical: a large public chain is like a big shopping mall, with high foot traffic, but booth rents are high, speeds are slow, and transaction fees are expensive. Small projects wanting more autonomy might think: why not start my own small mall?
The problem is — the cost is too high.
For startup teams, building a chain from scratch is like saying you want to create your own Tmall right after graduating; it’s basically unrealistic.
This is also why retail investors might feel dazzled: which chains are true technological breakthroughs, and which are just "changing the skin"?
What exactly is RaaS? Can you explain it in plain language?
The essence of RaaS is actually very simple: others have already built the underlying framework of the blockchain for you; you just need to choose a package and modify the parameters to get it running.
For example, if you want to create a GameFi project. You want cheap transactions on the chain, fast processing speeds, but the security cannot be too poor. Then you can choose through the RaaS platform:
• Which Rollup technology to use (optimistic OP or zero-knowledge ZK);
• Set block time, Gas model;
• Decide whether cross-chain interoperability is needed.
The whole process is like choosing a template, adjusting prices, and opening a payment interface on an e-commerce platform. You don’t have to learn programming languages from scratch or write smart contract frameworks; instead, you can focus on product logic and user experience.
How did Caldera become popular?
In this wave of RaaS fever, Caldera is a relatively typical case.@Caldera Official
Its positioning is very straightforward: to help teams "quickly open chains." Developers just need to click a few steps to deploy their own Rollup, with fast speeds, low transaction fees, and the ability to inherit the security of Ethereum.
A friend of mine previously studied NFT projects and complained that Ethereum's Gas fees were too high. Later, he found that a project directly used Caldera to open a customized chain, significantly reducing fees and improving user experience. For small teams like them, they no longer have to worry about node setup, validators, and network stability—it's more like moving in ready-to-live.
Of course, Caldera is not the only choice, but it has indeed shown everyone the direction of RaaS: in the future Web3, perhaps every small team can have a "customized chain."$ERA
Besides shouting slogans, what can it actually be used for?
RaaS is not just a decoration; it has already run into some scenarios in reality:
• Gaming chains: Gaming projects require high concurrency and low fees; it’s not feasible for players to spend several dollars every time they click. The customized chains provided by RaaS can specifically serve gaming users.
• Community chains: Some DAO communities want their own voting and incentive systems but find Ethereum too expensive. Through RaaS, they can quickly launch a lightweight chain to support governance and daily interactions.
These examples tell us that RaaS is not just "building chains for the sake of building chains," but making chains more aligned with practical application needs.
It's lively, but are there any pitfalls?
Don't think RaaS is just "guaranteed profit".
• Security issues: Although Rollup inherits the security of the main chain, the operational capabilities of small team chains are still limited. If parameters are set incorrectly, bugs can still occur.
• User fragmentation: The more chains there are, users may be segmented, resulting in insufficient liquidity, which could lead to ecological isolation.
• Heat dependency: Many small chains launch easily, but whether they can survive long-term depends on whether the project truly has users and applications.
Just like opening an online store, the platform can help you set up the store, but whether the business is good or not still depends on you.
Let’s leave a suspense for the end.
Rollup-as-a-Service reminds me of a question:
When opening a chain becomes as easy as opening a store, will we each have a "personal chain" in the future?
Just like you can start a personal blog or an independent store today.
It sounds a bit crazy, but isn’t the development of Web3 just like this?
Who would have thought that launching a Meme coin could reach a market value of over a hundred million ten years ago?
Perhaps the next wave of opportunities lies in this trend of "anyone can build a chain."
The problem is — as chains become more numerous, how do we identify the few that are genuinely valuable?
