Sophon is a fast-growing, consumer-facing blockchain that’s processed more than 50 million transactions since it launched, just two months ago. The Sophon team adapted and extended the Avail Light Client (LC) to play a key role in its Guardian program, rewarding node operators for independently checking and verifying the Sophon Network. This novel use of the Avail LC is just one example of how it can be customized and used creatively by developers.
How It Started
In 2024, Sophon raised over $60 million in project funding through its node sale. Backers purchased node sale licenses represented as NFTs following the ERC-721 standard, entitling holders to contribute valuable work to the Sophon network. License holders, known as Sophon Guardians, could then be rewarded in SOPH tokens for running nodes, based on their node’s uptime and performance.
The Challenges
No Watchtower Nodes: Sophon is built as a Validium on ZK Sync’s Stack and Avail DA. ZK chains don’t require watchtower nodes, which are commonly used in node sales for optimistic chains. This is because with ZK chains there are no challenge periods or fraud proofs. Once transactions are executed on a ZK chain, they can be verified with ZK proofs. This is an efficient architecture with a number of benefits like faster finalization times and cryptographic guarantees for end users. Avail light clients actually make it possible to harness the benefits of ZK tech while also raising project funding through node sales.
This is because the Avail Light Client provides valuable work for the network by independently verifying Data Availability through Data Availability Sampling (DAS), each new Avail LC adds to the decentralization and verification happening within the network. In the future, Sophon nodes could even be extended further to verify execution proofs, effectively turning them into independent full nodes without reliance on any third party.
Accessibility: Light clients can be run by anyone on almost any device. Node-as-a-Service providers make it even easier, enabling anyone to run a node without having to manage it themselves. As a consumer-facing blockchain, Sophon wants to make crypto accessible to a wider audience, and Light Clients play a key role in making this vision a reality.
Cost: Traditional full nodes require specialized hardware and technical expertise, making them costly and inaccessible to most users. In contrast, Sophon’s Light Nodes run on standard hardware with minimal cost. This means more users can run nodes, increasing decentralization. For reference, here’s how the Avail Light Client stacks up, versus running an Ethereum full node or light client.
Balancing Security, Decentralization & Adoption
Traditional validation methods require full nodes to download, store, and verify the entire blockchain, ensuring all data is available and correct. Data Availability Sampling (DAS) through Light Clients allows nodes to verify data availability without downloading the full chain. This drastically reduces hardware requirements, enabling more users to participate in securing the network while maintaining trust-minimized security.
Avail’s Light Clients offer developers the opportunity to customize their networks, experiment with new incentive mechanisms, and make it possible for anyone to run a node. As an example, Sophon leveraged the Avail LC to establish the Guardians program and raise $60 million in project funding, and this is just the beginning.
Avail’s Light Client is helping Sophon’s vision of bringing crypto to the masses come to life and serving as the backbone of their operations, allowing more people to participate and receive rewards for their direct contributions to the network.
For more information on Avail’s Light Client, see here.
