Lens network to use Avail's data availability solution for scalability

Lens Protocol has partnered with Avail to integrate its data availability solution into Lens' upcoming Layer 2 chain, designed for onchain social networking infrastructure.

The upcoming Lens network will operate as an EVM-compatible Validium chain. It is being developed with zkSync's Layer 2 development tool, ZK Stack, and is slated for release in the fourth quarter of 2024.

Lens network will incorporate Avail’s data availability layer, Avail DA, which is tailored for the ZK tech stack. Similar to other DA solutions such as Celestia , Avail's DA reduces the storage demands for chains that rely on them, improving scalability and lowering costs.

This leverages the Data Availability Sampling (DAS) technique, which checks data availability on a blockchain without requiring every node to download and store the complete data set. This technique randomly selects subsets of data blocks to verify their accessibility.

Such a setup will enable Lens to process more transactions by shifting data storage and processing responsibilities to the DA layer. This capability is particularly beneficial for supporting high-traffic applications on blockchain platforms, such as social media.

“With a scalable and resilient foundation, the next-generation modular Lens utilizes Avail DA for the most advanced and future-proof data availability solution,” said Lens Founder Stani Kulechov.

Lens operates a decentralized social graph — a user-owned network of connections and relationships among individuals and entities. Launched initially on Polygon, the project later decided to develop its own Layer 2 network on Ethereum.