An Introduction to Manta Network

What is Manta Network?

Manta Pacific is the first EVM-equivalent Zero Knowledge (ZK) application platform that is scalable and secure through Celestia’s data availability (DA) layer and Polygon Zero Knowledge Ethereum Virtual Machine (zkEVM). By leveraging Celestia’s modular DA layer, Manta can deliver a blazing fast infrastructure at a fraction of the cost of Layer 2 (L2) rollups. Combined with Manta’s Universal Circuits, they have built a environment perfect for building and launching decentralized applications (dApps).

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What is Celestia?

To understand what Celestia, is you first must understand what a modular blockchain is. Modular blockchains aim to achieve efficient scalability by breaking down the multiple functions of a blockchain into separate layers. These modular layers can be customized and tailored to specific functions, resulting in more robust and adaptable systems which is different from the monolithic design where execution, settlement, consensus, and data availability all occur within the same layer.

The functions that Modular blockchains can specialize in are:

• Execution
• Settlement
• Consensus
• Data Availability

Celestia is a modular blockchain that specializes in providing consensus and DA for other types of chains. The DA layer acts as a tool to guarantee that information on the ledger is visible and accessible to everyone.

Celestia’s innovative scaling solution introduces 2 essential features:

DA sampling

This allows lightweight nodes to check data availability without downloading the entire block. By having light nodes perform multiple rounds of random checks on small portions of block data, they can become more confident the data is present. This empowers light nodes to enhance network security and speed while using more cost effective hardware then full nodes.

Namespaced Merkle Trees (NMTs)

NMTs partitions the ledger into distinct sections tailored for different applications. Each application focuses only on its designated section without concerning itself with the information from the other applications. This leads to a organizational structure that streamlines the ledger allowing each application to download only the data it requires.

Leveraging Celestia‘s DA, Manta Pacific delivers a blazing-fast infrastructure at a fraction of the cost of L2s. Celestia employs cutting-edge DA sampling techniques — two-dimensional Reed-Solomon coding and NMT’s — to address L2 data availability concerns in a trust-minimized manner. By using Celestia as the DA (Data Availability) layer, Manta Pacific can significantly reduce transaction costs for users.

Manta Networks

These 2 networks work together using ZK cryptography to deliver a unparalleled experience for the next generation of dApps.

• Manta Pacific, the unique L2 ecosystem on Ethereum for EVM-native ZK applications, provides a scalable and inexpensive gas-fee environment for ZK applications to deploy simply using Solidity.
• Manta Atlantic, the fastest ZK L1 chain on Polkadot, brings programmable identities and credentials to web3 through zkSBTs.

Manta Pacific

Currently there is no home for EVM-native ZK applications so Manta believes that ZK applications are the next gen of dApps because they emphasize strong user safety while maintaining a normal user experience.

Current general VM, EVM, and zkEVM blockchains:

• Don’t provide tooling to easily build and deploy ZK apps
• Have high gas costs and slow performance
• Developers generally need to pick up a new programming language that limits apps to certain ecosystems

Manta Pacific solves this by offering a programmable ZK as a EVM-native L2. Universal circuits enable easy ZK application development using only Solidity. Leveraging Celestia for DA and zkEVM for scalability, Manta Pacific provides high scalability and low transactions fees for ZK applications.

Benefits of this model are:

1. Modularity for Lower Gas Fees and High Scalability

• By leveraging Celestia’s modular DA layer, Manta can deliver a blazing fast infrastructure at a fraction of the cost of L2s. Combined with Manta’s Universal Circuits, they have built a environment perfect for building and launching dApps.

2. Developer Friendly and App Agnostic

• Through Universal Circuits 2.0, Manta Pacific offers a ZK library for developers to easily call ZK-enabled contracts for their existing Solidy smart contract and dApps
• Universal Circuits offer ZK-as-a-Service allowing any Solidity developer to call Manta Pacific contracts through APis to enable ZK features (identify verification, privacy preserving shuffling for on-chain gaming, private identifies) with a few lines of code

3. New ZK Use Cases and Real Users

Individually, Manta’s ZK, Celestia’s modular DA, and the zkEVM offer compelling technologies with proven adoption. By combining these three together, we are creating the best-in-class ecosystem for developers and users when it comes to ZK use cases—something that is very much needed in the space.—Victor Ji, Founder of Manta

4. Growing Ecosystem

Manta Ecosystem grants program is designed to explore and grow new and valuable new use cases. Manta Pacific is the first EVM-equivalent ZK-application platform that achieves scalability and security through Celestia DA and Polygon zkEVM. The ecosystem has been flourishing with many projects launching on top of Manta’s infrastructure to leverage its ZK tech.

Manta Atlantic

• Manta Atlantic is the fastest and most decentralized ZK Layer1 supporting modular on-chain compliance identities. Its suite of core products and technologies, including zkNFTs, staking and ecosystem projects, offers user-friendly access to powerful ZK-enabled use cases.
• Manta Atlantic is focusing more on the ZK compliance credential layer with real adoption and interoperability to help make other projects have interoperable identities without dealing with any cryptography work.

There are many projects who are utilizing Celestia DA layer to help reduce transaction fees and increase data availability for projects using Celestia. Manta Pacific is the first L2 to migrate and first EVM L2 to start using Celestia on mainnet. Gas fees are now a fraction of what they were before. Modularity and App-Chain narrative is growing stronger by the day.