The OP Stack is a compilation of software components specifically designed for constructing L2 blockchain ecosystems, expertly crafted by the Optimism Collective to empower the Optimism platform. When integrating components into the OP Stack, adherence to three fundamental design principles is crucial: Utility, Simplicity, and Extensibility. Software that aligns with these principles is considered to be of paramount importance, providing optimal usefulness to the Optimism Collective.

Utility

To be eligible for inclusion in the OP Stack, any software must actively contribute to empowering the Optimism Collective. This requirement serves as a guiding principle for determining the suitability of components for the stack. For example, a robust open-source block explorer that facilitates user inspection of the Superchain would be a valuable and welcome addition to the OP Stack.

While utility remains a key consideration for OP Stack inclusion, it is equally important to embrace experimentation and creativity. There’s room for audacious ideas and unconventional projects. Don’t hesitate to venture into uncharted territories and develop something innovative that has never been attempted before, even if its immediate utility isn’t apparent. The overarching philosophy is to have an enjoyable and stimulating journey while fostering a thriving ecosystem within the Optimism Collective.

Simplicity

Incorporating complex code into the OP Stack is avoided, as simplicity is favored. By prioritizing simplicity, the Optimism Collective minimizes engineering overhead, allowing more time and effort to be devoted to developing new features instead of duplicating existing ones. Utilizing battle-tested code and infrastructure whenever possible is an essential aspect of this approach, as demonstrated by the preference for Geth as the OP Stack’s default execution engine.

Simplicity is a key factor in enhancing security and maintainability, especially when dealing with critical infrastructure. Every line of code introduces the potential for bugs and vulnerabilities, so a straightforward protocol with less code reduces the surface area for potential mistakes. Moreover, a clean and minimal codebase fosters greater accessibility for external contributors and auditors, ensuring the utmost security and accuracy for the OP Stack.

Extensibility

The strength of good OP Stack code lies in its inherent openness, collaboration, and extensibility. Emphasizing collaboration enables us to break free from isolated development approaches. Through collaborative efforts, we can invest more time in building upon each other’s work and less time reinventing the same components repeatedly. Collaboration is the key to our collective success.

Extensible code is crafted with the foresight that others will want to build and expand upon it. In practice, this means adhering to open-source principles with permissive licensing, offering clean and accessible APIs, and ensuring modularity to enable other developers to easily extend the code’s functionality. Extensibility serves as a fundamental design principle that empowers collaboration within the Optimism Collective ecosystem, unleashing its full potential.

Watch out as I talk about the OP Stack Layers.