Keeping up with the speed of innovation in crypto these days is akin to chasing a high-speed Chinese bullet train with a gently used 2001 Honda Salon car — yeah, good luck catching up!
A lot is happening all at once, and this isn’t only affecting how we consume the information being churned at record speed but is also a nightmare for those who have simply refused to evolve technically.
For example, while the industry is waking up to the fact that scaling foundational layers is tough, applications, on the other hand, are gobbling up block space rapidly, with their appetites becoming uncontrollable.
That’s why general-purpose layer-2s [L2s] are being swapped out for purpose-built chains — appchains. These appchains are designed to serve a single application or a small group of them, delivering better performance and tailored functionality.
But here’s the thing: building a network is already a challenge. Now, throw in the need to build an appchain just to optimize for efficiency. That’s asking a lot!
Apps — especially decentralized ones — shouldn’t have to get bogged down in the nitty-gritty of infrastructure. They have better things to do, like focusing on their users and delivering great experiences.
Imagine where we would be with applications if developers did not have to build a whole new network just to offer better services.
The AI sector is a clear example of what’s possible when infrastructures, specifically frameworks (study Eliza, Griffain, Virtuals), are put in place so that ideas or apps, larp or real deal, can be born without having to worry about all the wires that connect at the back — things can go from 0 to 100 real quick.
But do these apps have an option? I don’t think so! With all the headaches that come with operating on general-purpose networks, the pressure to build their own dedicated network keeps growing — and it’s no small pain point.
First, there’s the time sink. Getting a network from concept to testnet takes around six to nine months, which in this fast-paced industry is practically a lifetime.
By the time you’re ready, the market could’ve shifted; your idea could be outdated, or worse — someone else might have already beaten you to it.
If you have ever tried assembling IKEA furniture without the instructions, then you might understand what building a network from bottom to top feels like. Developers have to juggle validator distribution for consensus, bootstrap sequencers, and lock down network security.
That’s just the start! On top of all that, they’re tasked with ensuring interoperability, managing data availability, and designing bridge architectures to onboard users seamlessly.
Another obvious pain point is that multiple security audits, which are not only expensive but also time and resource-intensive, can extend the above-mentioned six to nine-month time frame.
It is based on these problems associated with bootstrapping a network, that our subject today enters the chat. In the next few paragraphs, we will show you what Tanssi is doing to reduce the time to market for devs building appchain networks.
What is Tanssi?
By now, you might have guessed what Tanssi is all about. But just in case you’re still wondering, here’s the deal: Tanssi is a protocol that gives developers the perfect framework to launch and manage their own decentralized networks.
Think of it as the toolkit that takes the headache out of building from scratch.
Tanssi provides a framework — a modular framework that allows developers to build and customize their networks in record time.
Tanssi’s customization ability comes from its integration with Substrate’s flexible SDK, allowing developers to customize their networks, and select their choice of storage, virtual machines, governance models, state transitions, etc.
Tanssi’s infrastructure services cover all the essential bases for building a decentralized network, which is also known as an Active Validator Service (AVS).
These services include a shared validator set, automated sequencing, security, data availability, a dev tooling marketplace, integration with Substrate’s flexible SDK for customization (as we mentioned earlier), and an infra SDK.
Here’s the best part: everything is plug-and-play.
Developers can get a fully customized network up and running in just a few hours. Oh, and if you’re using one of Tanssi’s ready-to-go templates? You’re looking at mere minutes to launch.
It is important to note that Tanssi leverages partnerships to offer some of the aforementioned services or features.
Tanssi’s architecture can be divided into three parts:
- The Symbiotic restaking protocol where Tanssi-powered networks can access shared security
Tanssi’s security infrastructure
In Trump’s voice, security, security, security! This is literally the backbone of any network. Security is one of the most important aspects of a decentralized network.
Tanssi leverages Symbiotic’s restaking infrastructure to offer security to decentralized networks using the Tanssi stack.
For perspective, Symbiotic network leverages shared security through a permissionless modular restaking architecture that allows the validator’s pool to cover diverse assets like wBTC.
Through Tanssi’s collaboration with Symbiotic, appchains , Layer 1s, 2s, and 3s, as well as modular networks can launch with restaking functionality tapping into Ethereum’s billion-dollar fortified secure network infrastructure without having to spend months developing theirs.
In turn, Tanssi is driving restaking adoption, providing the tooling for networks to be built in minutes and connecting them to a secure restaking infrastructure.
- The orchestration layer where decentralized networks can access pre-built infrastructure, leveraging it to develop their own appchains in record time
This part of Tanssi’s architecture is where AVS networks can access features like Tanssi’s decentralized and permissionless sequencing (to be explained in the next paragraph), operator management (enabling automation of reward distribution and punishment mechanisms like slashing as well as maintaining the network), pre-configured templates (pre-built templates that support governance, consensus etc), decentralized data availability, substrate infrastructure for customization, interoperability architecture, and standardized middleware.
Decentralized automated sequencers
Tanssi offers decentralized sequencing by orchestrating a set of node operators that run sequencers. Networks that use Tanssi’s stack can access this set of sequencers, with a subset of sequencers assigned to each network.
Tanssi network dynamically adjusts the number of sequencers based on active networks and block production configurations. These configurations set limits on total sequencers and the number required per network.
Tanssi employs two mechanisms to select its sequencer set:
- Invulnerables module: Assigns fixed sequencers for stability, which is especially useful in environments like testnets.
- Staking module: Decentralizes selection by ranking sequencers based on their staked amounts, prioritizing those with higher stakes.
Both mechanisms work together to assign the exact number of sequencers needed for each session. Sequencer assignments are evaluated every hour, maintaining the previous assignment whenever possible.
A full rotation of sequencers occurs every 12 hours, ensuring decentralization and optimal distribution. Assignments last for one session — 2400 blocks or about four hours — and stay fixed until the session ends.
Transitions are seamless. New assignments are queued for one session, giving sequencers time to prepare via a warp sync mechanism, which quickly syncs them to their new network.
At the start of a session, queued assignments go live, sequencers shift to new networks, and previous chain states are discarded. Meanwhile, Tanssi recalculates assignments for the next session, adapting to any changes in active networks, block producers, or staked values.
- Tanssi-powered networks where devs connect or utilize Tanssi’s infrastructure (the orchestration chain) to build their own networks, taking advantage of all the requisite features as well as inheriting a shared security layer through Symbiotic’s restaking protocol.
Protocols encompassing different sectors such as AI, gaming, DeFi, RWA, DePIN, and others, can leverage Tanssi’s templates or create customized networks themselves in minutes.
Tanssi ecosystem
Following these three aspects of the Tanssi formula mentioned above, we can further classify the Tanssi ecosystem to make up three active categories of participants.
- The restakers
- The operators
- The developers of Tanssi-powered networks
All three participants come together to form the Tanssi ecosystem, performing unique functions.
Also part of the Tanssi ecosystem are key partners and integrations cutting across each section of the protocol.
One of these integration partners is Symbiotic, as we’ve mentioned many times before. Symbiotic allows for shared security through its restaking infrastructure, allowing Tanssi-powered networks to access restaking services and benefits immediately.
Another key integration is Tanssi’s interoperability partner, Cycle Network. Through Tanssi’s integration with Cycle, both cross-chain messaging between Tanssi-powered networks and cross-chain interoperability between Tanssi-powered networks and external chains are provided.
Tanssi has also tied up with Everclear, a cross-chain protocol to provide seamless and secure cross-chain liquidity to Tanssi-powered networks. Everclear utilizes a mint-and-burn approach to reduce exploitation risks and ensure that network token issuers maintain control.
Tanssi partners with Renzo protocol, an Ethereum liquid restaking hub with a staking strategy manager feature, allowing restakers to maximize their economic value while performing security activities.
Tanssi also recently partnered with Mellow, a modular protocol using a modular approach to restaking, thereby providing an additional option for Tanssi-powered networks to leverage shared security.
For data availability, Tanssi partners with Subsquid, an AI-based data protocol that responds to data requests in real time by reimagining data curation, contribution, and usage.
Also, part of the Tanssi ecosystem are top-tier VCs. Okay, let’s be real! VCs aren’t as bad as we think.
If anything, being backed by top-tier VCs simply shows that the Tanssi team is credible enough to pull some big weights, especially when you consider that the seed round of the project had the likes of Arrington capital, KR1, SNZ capital, Scytale digital, Borderless capital, Wormhole cross-chain, Hashkey capital, and Fenbushi capital.
It’s a long list, but it does show the potential that Tanssi has, being backed by such a strong lineup of believers.
Incentive program - Let’s Forkin Dance
On the community front, Tanssi has announced the second season of its incentivized testnet campaign. The first season saw massive success with over 100k participants, 7.5 million transactions processed, and 3,000+ chains deployed on Dancebox (Tanssi’s testnet).
Season 2 has just been announced and participants will get to take on activities in Tanssiland — a gamified world of challenges and rewards by Tanssi.
The incentive pool will reward participants with up to 10 million Tanssi tokens up for grabs. That’ll be split 70% for general users (those who complete quests and climb the leaderboard), and the remaining 30% for network operators.
Early access to the campaign has commenced and is open to everyone via the campaign site
Concluding thoughts
Every industry eventually reaches a point where the complex technical bits are simplified through abstraction and modularization, enabling ease of navigation, development, and improvement.
An example where this is clearly shown is the aviation industry. Pilots rely on auto-pilot systems and streamlined controls that hide the underlying complexity. Modularization is also evident in the building of the aircraft itself. From avionics, to engines, and furnishing — different components are manufactured separately, yet come together to create a functional aircraft.
The same goes for Tanssi-powered networks. Tanssi affords developers the luxury of focusing on building without bothering about the nuances of managing or operating complex infrastructure, which it handles at the orchestration and security layers.
Tanssi’s role as an infrastructure provider is one that’s extremely important and valuable for the growth of this industry.
With plug-and-play deployment, you can have your own appchain up and running faster than a caffeinated squirrel. Forget months of setup, launching a network with Tanssi is as easy as pressing the “go” button on a video game.
Another important point to be made is the fact that not only does Tanssi reduce the burden for devs, but it helps further decentralize L2s through restaking and shared security as well as rotational decentralized sequencing-as-a-service.
Imagine tryna juggle flaming swords while riding a bicycle — yeah, that’s what sequencing feels like. But with Tanssi’s automated, decentralized sequencers, it’s more like a well-choreographed dance.
The system adapts dynamically, shuffling sequencers in sync, ensuring block production flows like a finely tuned orchestra.
The ceiling is high for Tanssi, as they stand in the gap of an obvious pain point while accelerating decentralization and security.
Tanssi's got the infrastructure, so developers can skip the heavy lifting and get straight to building the next big thing. It’s the fast track to the decentralized future — no detours, no traffic jams!
