Five questions to ask about a rollup
A network’s low fee is only one part of its operating model.
The mechanism
Rollups move transaction execution away from Ethereum’s main execution layer while using Ethereum for aspects of settlement and data availability. Implementations differ. A shared category label does not mean that every rollup has the same proof system, upgrade process or withdrawal experience.
Put it into practice
Build a comparison with five columns: where data is published, how state claims are checked, who sequences transactions, who can upgrade the system and how users exit. Record the source and date next to each answer. An inexpensive transaction is useful, but it does not answer those questions. Treat a project roadmap separately from controls deployed today, especially when a feature is described as decentralisation that will arrive later.
Keep the evidence in view.
ethereum.org — source & further reading ↗Checked for this edition on 7 October 2026. Examples are illustrative unless stated otherwise. Read our editorial standards.
Another angle.
Beyond the signature: Ethereum’s next safety question
New research asks whether a transaction should have to prove it delivered the outcome its signer intended.
A contract address is the beginning of due diligence
The label on a website is not a description of everything a contract can do.