Efficient Data Availability Sampling via Coded Distributed Arrays
2026-06-15 • Distributed, Parallel, and Cluster Computing
Distributed, Parallel, and Cluster Computing
AI summaryⓘ
The authors address a common problem in blockchain networks where every node must download large amounts of data, slowing down the system. They focus on Ethereum's solution called Data Availability Sampling (DAS), which helps nodes verify data availability by downloading only small pieces. However, previous work did not explore how the network shares these small pieces securely and efficiently. The authors propose CDA, a new method using coded distributed arrays that improves how these data fragments are shared. Their tests show CDA works several times better than Ethereum's current approach, RDA.
BlockchainEthereumData Availability Sampling (DAS)Layer-2 rollupsFull-replication modelPeer-to-peer networkByzantine toleranceNetwork codingCoded distributed arraysConsensus
Authors
Dang Pham Minh, Hung Vuong Huu, Duc A. Tran
Abstract
Data availability is a fundamental bottleneck in modern blockchain networks. Most blockchain systems rely on a full-replication model, which requires downloading of a full block to verify its availability. This model does not scale with block size because every node must handle large volumes of data, leading to slower block propagation, duplicated data transfer, and longer consensus agreement. This issue is well-known in Ethereum, where layer-2 rollups publish data directly into the chain. To overcome, Ethereum adopts Data Availability Sampling (DAS) to let nodes keep only a small fragment of the data while still ensuring availability. Prior work on DAS has focused on cryptographic foundations. Meanwhile, the peer-to-peer network layer that provides Byzantine-tolerant and scalable mechanisms for discovery and routing of DAS fragments is underexplored. We propose CDA, a new design for DAS based on coded distributed arrays that leverages network coding to ensure both robustness and efficiency. Our evaluation study compares CDA to RDA, the latest DAS development of Ethereum, showing an improvement of several times better.