An Introduction to RPCs for Blockchain Developers

This post is authored by Last Labs' Anett Rolikova. For more discussion on RPCs, Web3 development, join Anett in the conversation on Farcaster in the /last channel.

RPCs, or Remote Procedure Calls, are a fundamental component in the world of Web3 development, acting as the critical link between decentralized applications (dApps) and blockchain networks. Developers use RPCs to query data from various endpoints that read data directly from blockchain networks. These endpoints play a crucial role in ensuring the scalability of web3 dApps by making the process of building and operating them more seamless and efficient.

DApps often require data for tasks such as sending transactions, retrieving block data, or evaluating the state of the blockchain. Public or private node endpoints provide this data through RPCs connecting dApps to the blockchain and enabling them to interact with raw blockchain data easily. In simpler terms, RPC nodes enable communication between dApps (the client) and the underlying blockchain infrastructure (the server).

Explain an RPC

For Web3 builders, it is essential to understand decentralized application (dApp) technical components. Remote Procedure Calls (RPCs) are one of the fundamental building blocks that allow dApps to interact with blockchains. Whether you're sending transactions, retrieving data, or executing smart contracts, RPCs play a critical role in the smooth operation and scalability of your dApp. The two main roles of RPCs are to 1) write and 2) read information from a blockchain. Your dApp writes transactions on blockchain and it reads the current values so it can display the correct data in your dApp.

What is RPC and RPC Node? 

RPC stands for Remote Procedure Call. It is a protocol that allows dApp to execute transactions and smart contract calls on a node. RPC calls are used to request data from dApp and execute them via node infrastructure. RPC calls can retrieve block information data, check account balances and submit transactions.

RPC nodes are servers that process RPC requests from dApps to the underlying blockchain, this is an endpoint for dApps to interact with blockchains without running a full node.

In a simpler way, RPC calls are almost like a messaging service, similar to SMTP but for blockchain. While RPC nodes are servers that receive these messages (transaction data, smart contract calls), process them, then return the results back to dApp to update the data on frontend side.

RPCs Provided Useful, But Limited, Data

RPCs write and read data off blockchain. They provide a limited amount of data that you can access. Although when you have a dApp, you might need more analytical data about transactions and onchain user data that lets you interact with the dApp logic that you are building. 

  • Communication Facilitators: RPC nodes serve as the communication backbone, similar to the way TCP/IP works, but within a decentralized network, allowing data exchange between nodes and applications.

  • Transaction Executors: RPC calls execute transactions from a dApp to a node. The user signs a transaction using a wallet with their private keys to send the tx to the block, but the RPC is the connector between the userā€™s wallet, the dApp, and the final chain execution.

  • Data Retrievers: DApps can query some blockchain data via RPC. For more precise data, you need to use Indexers such as Flair, Graph, Ponder, Envio. Indexers pull much more detailed information from the blockchain for developers. More on Indexers in another post.

Challenges with RPCs

RPCs donā€™t solve every challenge. Because RPCs query blockchain state, when there is high volume it also impacts RPC performance. Network congestion can lead to soaring transaction costs and a growing backlog of unconfirmed transactions running on RPCs. Ethereumā€™s RPC infrastructure distribution has been an issue for some time, as RPC nodes in Ethereum are relatively centralized, with most requests being fulfilled by a few centralized providers. This centralization makes RPCs vulnerable to manipulation, where attackers can trick other related blockchain infrastructure due to performance manipulation.

JSON-RPC API

For software applications to interact with the Ethereum blockchainā€”whether by reading blockchain data or sending transactions to the networkā€”they must connect to an Ethereum node. To facilitate this, every Ethereum client has implemented the JSON-RPC specification, providing a uniform set of methods that applications can rely on regardless of the specific node or client implementation.

JSON-RPC is a standard collection of methods that all clients implement. It serves as the execution API specification, ensuring a consistent set of methods across all execution clients.

In another words ā€œJSON-RPC is the protocol or message format that you use to talk to a RPC Node, which is basically a JSON with predefined fields like id/method/paramsā€ - Aram from eRPC

Understanding the difference between public and private RPC endpoints is crucial for optimizing performance and reliability in your dApp. Letā€™s explore how these two types of endpoints compare.

Public RPC vs. Private RPC vs Free vs Paid Endpoints

Public RPC Endpoints are shared, rate-limited resources running on RPC nodes available for anyone to use. They allow requests to be made and data to be sent and received from the blockchain. Public RPC endpoints are free and ready to use but are not intended to support production-grade applications. They often have limits on the number of calls they can support, and using them can lead to issues like network congestion, slower network speeds, less responsive blockchain data, and longer uptimes.

Private RPC Endpoints, on the other hand, provide users with dedicated endpoints to publish transactions. This can be beneficial if you're building a dApp that requires fast, accurate, and reliable blockchain data. Using private RPCs over public ones can be especially advantageous during events like exclusive NFT mints, time-sensitive arbitrage transactions, or when reliable service is needed during network congestion, such as airdrop opportunities.

Both Paid and Free RPCs are usually hosted on cloud, meaning you are renting nodes in data centers such as AWS. The paid versions of RPC, you usually pay for every RPC call which can get expensive. Especially if you are launching an exciting Airdrop or an NFT collection with a famous artist. The nodes can lag behind then users can complain that they see that their transaction went through via blockchain explorer but they don't see it in their wallet. This issue can happen if there's not enough nodes close by, and they are far (physically) such as on another continent. That's why thereā€™s almost 40 RPC providers with over 400 endpoints in 12 regions all over the world.

Free RPCs have very limited availability of how many contract calls they can process. Unless you self-host your infrastructure, where you actually need to pay for your servers and devops person to maintain this infrastructure.

Choosing a reliable RPC provider is crucial for the success of your dApp. You can check a well-curated list of RPCs and providers, and also check out this 1kx RPC Atlas and Chainlist for more RPC resources.

L1 vs L2 and RPCs

When it comes to connecting your dApp via RPC, it does not matter whether you are choosing to deploy it on L1 or L2. You will get node endpoints in both ways. Thereā€™s no difference between deploying on EVM L1 vs L2 when it comes to RPC connection.

Conclusion: Bringing It All Together

RPCs are much more than just a technical detailā€”they are the critical link that allows decentralized applications to interact with the blockchain, making them an indispensable part of the Web3 development landscape. By understanding how RPCs, nodes, and endpoints function together, developers can build more efficient, scalable, and reliable dApps that meet the growing demands of the decentralized ecosystem.

As we continue to see rapid growth in Web3, mastering RPCs will be key for any developer looking to create impactful dApps. Whether youā€™re just starting or are deep into building your decentralized application, choosing the right RPC can significantly enhance your project's performance and user experience.

So, as you move forward in your Web3 development journey, keep these insights in mind and consider how RPCs can be the cornerstone of your dAppā€™s success. With the right knowledge and tools, youā€™ll be well-equipped to build the next generation of decentralized applications.

About Last

Last is the shared incentives layer for everything. Learn more about the upcoming network that pays profits to users and accelerates yield from every chain. Join the community, post cube.

Website | Discord | X | Telegram | Docs

What is a Native Yield Chain?

What Is A Native Yield Chain?

Native yield chains are a new type of blockchain emerging as a valuable and powerful infrastructure tool to create revenue models for blockchain developers and users. Native yield chains generate their own profits and pay those profits out to chain builders and users. 

In this post we will look at why native yield chains are the next massive blockchain trend, how they differ from airdrop and trading strategies, and how Last sources sustainable native yield for long-term shared incentives to pay users and builders in our new native yield chain world.

Why Are Native Yield Chains Growing Right Now?

The Bitcoin blockchain launched in 2009. Bitcoin incentivizes miners to secure the Bitcoin network by paying them a block reward in $BTC. This model set the standard for blockchain incentives for 15 years, but since 2021 blockchain engineers have called for more sustainable models of incentive distribution. Most projects that follow this model simply send their token out to the community as grants or emissions and use it to encourage adoption, hoping that by the time the token rewards run out, there will be enough adoption to encourage users to stay and find value.

The harsh reality of this model is that it is not profitable or sustainable. Projects that rely on token emissions alone end up selling their own team or foundation token supply into the market, dumping on their users to pay operations expenses. They are at the mercy of bull and bear market cycles and hope to have enough runway to keep encouraging a small community of builders before the next big crypto bust.

This is no way to build sustainable economic architecture. Itā€™s circular and shortsighted. Possibly even spherical.

Native yield chains are trying a different approach to the token emission problem outlined above. Instead of selling or giving away pre-minted tokens, native yield chains build at the foundational level to generate profits, and redistribute those profits back to the community of users and builders.

This incentive model has captured the attention of the larger cryptocurrency community as the opportunity for new revenue-generating business models can potentially thrive when backed by incentives that come from known, transparent revenue lines.

Native Yield Chains & Airdrops

Native yield chains can and will use airdrops to reach a wide base of early users. Airdrops can be an effective tool at marketing to a broad community of potential users, or a governance token distribution strategy. In most cases, they are both.

However, the way native yield chains are built means that airdrops are not the only available distribution method. Over time, native yield chains can regularly build distributions into monthly, weekly, or even streaming emissions directly to users and builders that generate regular activity on the chain.

This is an important distinction from an airdrop strategy where early users attempt to generate activity onchain for a reward to come at some later time. Instead, real regular use can be incentivized as users earn for participating in important activities onchain. It remains to be seen whether the speculative marketing hype around airdrops will continue to be the go-to distribution method for new ecosystems, or if regular incentive streams can achieve results with more aligned, real users.

For native yield chains to conduct ongoing distributions to users, they must have a regular and predictable source of generating funding beyond pure token emissions.

How do native yield chains make money to distribute to users? If these networks need to make money to incentivize users, itā€™s critical to understand how they make money, and whether their revenue models make sense.

How Blockchains Make Money

Blockchains are built to make money, but this is not always as the core mission of the network. The most common form of chain-owned revenue is the transaction fee, also known as a sequencer fee. The many different blockchains have almost as many transaction fee designs, but at the core, the chain itself charges each user a transaction fee to prevent spam transactions attacks on the network, and the fee is used to incentivize network participation in some way. In the case of Bitcoin, the fee is distributed to miners. In the case of Ethereum, the fee is destroyed, reducing the overall supply of Ether.

Recent Native Yield Chain advances have identified several new revenue lines that provide more opportunity for chain-owned revenue than ever before. The most common are listed below.

  1. Transaction or Sequencer Fees: Sequencers process unordered transactions into ordered blocks and charge fees for this service to prevent spam on the network. Some blockchains have their own sequencers and collect fees from users as revenue. 

  2. Native Swap Fees: Blockchains with their own native Decentralized Exchange (DEX) charge users a fee for each swap made on the network. 

  3. Yield Rake: Some new networks encourage users to bring assets to the network from other blockchain ecosystems. The yield-generating assets provide additional income, and the blockchain takes a rake, or a small fee, from the yield on the deposit.

  4. Token Sales: Many chain foundations conduct a kind of token sale at inception to make money and hold additional sales in tranches later on. Each subsequent token sale further dilutes previous token holders, creating limitations with this approach. However, projects are developing new models of sustainable token sales that work within the system to maintain a block reward value that encourages decentralized security for the underlying chain over long time frames.

The Native Yield Chain Dilemma

In the coming months, builders and users will need to assess how a blockchain or layer's native yield economics will impact the security and incentives within the system. Here are several guiding questions to take into account when evaluating native yield chain economic models.

  • Where does the revenue come from?

  • Are the revenue sources sustainable?

    • Do revenue sources require their own unsustainable practices?

  • Where do chain emissions go?

  • Do parties that receive chain emissions have a balanced incentive to sell or hold?

  • Who makes decisions about where to stake yield-generating assets?

  • What yield-generating assets are restaked into the blockchain?

    • Does restaking cause systemic risk to the value on the chain?

These are active areas of research that the Last community would like to support. If you have an idea about how to research and present an analysis on any of the topics above, please reach out in the community channels.

The Last Approach: Long-Tail Native Yield

The Last Network generates sustainable cash flow at the network level across a wide variety and perpetually growing number of revenue sources. Just like a business makes money by offering a variety of product lines, Last has diversified revenue sources. This variety acts as a derisking strategy, allowing the chain to maintain stability across varying market cycles. By diversifying the ways the network makes money, the chain is better equipped to sustain a stable ecosystem through market fluctuations.

But what exactly are Lastā€™s revenue sources for making money?

Yield-Bearing Assets

With Lastā€™s Twin Chain design, users can bring yield-bearing assets to Last via the L1 Utility Chain. Last takes a percentage rake from these assets, with the rake decreasing as the networkā€™s owned yield profile increases over time. Acquiring yield-bearing assets is a low risk strategy to maintain a consistent yield stream. Additionally, Last mitigates centralized restaking risk by incentivizing a broad range of yield-bearing assets including liquid staked ETH, yield-bearing BTC, RWAs, and a number of stablecoin strategies.

Sequencer Fees

Transaction fee gas will be collected by the sequencer and reinvested into the cash flow cycle. 

Options Token Emission Sales

Token sales are a way for blockchains to make money but they often lack long-term sustainability. Last fixes this with oLAST, an options token. oLAST gives holders the right to purchase LAST at a discount determined by time-based and governance conversion modifiers. oLAST creates a mechanism for ongoing token sales, generating continual revenue for the networkā€”aka a sustainable way to make money, while giving users an opportunity to earn arbitrage from oLAST discount, or gain an even larger discount by staking into veGovernance.

Chain-Owned Infrastructure

The Last Network is incentivized to participate in infrastructure on its own behalf, including operating nodes as part of the active validator set for Last and other revenue-generating blockchain networks.

Through its infrastructure fund over time, the Last Network will purchase its own infrastructure to maintain nodes across the Bitcoin, Ethereum, Cosmos, and any other aligned ecosystem. This approach generates a consistent flow of revenue back to the network and contributes to the security of the broader yield-bearing multichain ecosystem.

Future Revenue Streams

As infrastructure and application demands increase, Last will develop additional revenue-generating products and services within the network stack. Some examples of additional revenue sources include native swap fees, a data marketplace, and data availability services.  All profits from these additional revenue streams will continue to be reinvested back into the community. 

Join the Last Community

As Last continues to innovate and develop new revenue streams for sustainable cash flow, it is paving the way for a more stable and resilient ecosystem. With a commitment to community reinvestment across builders, users, and other chains, Last offers a promising, bountiful vision for the future of decentralized finance. Join us in building a vibrant and inclusive community where everyone can thrive.

The community is a diverse and inclusive group united by a passion for Last's mission. Whether you're a seasoned developer, a DeFi enthusiast, a gamer, or an artist, there's a place for you in the Last ecosystem.

Are you interested in building on Last? Get in touch on Telegram or Discord

About Last

Last is the shared incentives layer for everything. Learn more about the upcoming network that pays profits to users and accelerates yield from every chain. Join the community, post cube.

Website | Discord | X | Telegram | Docs

Smart Contract Developer Tools: The Awesome-Last Repo

The Awesome-Last repository is a curated hub for smart contract developer tools. It features education links and resources for web3 developers building in crypto, DeFi, and RWAs on Ethereum and across EVM L2 networks including the Last Network, Polygon, Arbitrum, Base, and many more.

Created in the style of curated Awesome repositories, Awesome-Last aims to be a comprehensive developer guide for building decentralized applications and tooling.

In addition to resources for any smart contract developer journey, Awesome-Last will have links and resources specific to building across the Last Network stack including details about Last Network validator requirements as they become available.

How to Use the Awesome-Last Repo

Bookmark and star this Awesome repo and join the Last.net developer community to track updates or add updates yourself. This is meant to be a comprehensive smart contract and crypto developer guide, so please contribute.

Navigate through key sections such as:

  • Web3 Developers Switch to Layer 2: Your introduction to Web3 development. Start your journey with foundational smart contract developer tools. This section covers Ethereum, Last, and Cosmos developer environments and documentation, offering a solid starting point for new developers.

  • Become a DeFi Developer: Build decentralized finance applications, integrate crypto wallet APIs, and learn about liquid-staked assets like stETH, rETH, and more. Find  articles, tutorials, and guides that will help you master DeFi concepts and dApps.

  • Utility Chain: Learn more about Cosmos SDK developer tools and how the Last Networkā€™s L1 Utility Chain functions with the Cosmos SDK and CometBFT. This section provides background and insight into the technical underpinnings of the Utility Chain.

  • Utility Chain Node Operators: Technical documentation to run a Last Node and understand the mechanics of staked assets. Essential background for network validation and maintenance.

  • Last L2 Smart Contract Developer Tools: Introduction to the Arbitrum Nitro stack and the Stylus framework which makes Last EVM+. This section includes advanced tooling and integration guides.

  • veToken Governance: How token governance is designed in veToken systems including the Last Network. How to earn extra income using veToken governance models.

How to Contribute

Awesome-Last is open source and accepts contributions. Start by exploring the Awesome-Last repository. Familiarize yourself with the existing content and see how it can benefit you. Build something. 

If you notice areas that can be improved, please suggest relevant resources. They can be yours or ones that you know from other parts of the web. Create a PR and become a contributor to the Awesome-Last yourself!

Last Labs DevRel will review PRs on a regular basis. 

How to submit a PR:

  • Make a pull request: If you have great materials to add, make a pull request on GitHub. Use Markdown format to add a link to the repository itself to ensure your additions meet our standards.

  • Discuss topic: Share ideas about what should be added to this Awesome-Last Repo. Engage with other community members. Welcome others and be open-minded. Remember that this is a community, and we build Last together.

  • Reach out: For more information or if you need help with the contribution process, reach out to us through the Last social channels.

>Build to Last> last.net | Twitter/X | Telegram | Discord | Quests | Docs (soon)

Last Network Introduction

Last is a cashflow-generating network that reinvests back into the community. last.net.

Scene 3

EXT. THE BENETAR FLYING IN SPACE

(The Guardians of the Galaxy are traveling to investigate a distress call to the tune of ā€˜Rubberband Manā€™.)

Peter Quill: (While dancing to the song) Sing it, Drax!

(Drax is snoring with his mouth open from his seat in front of Quill.)

Rocket: (After yawning briefly) Why are we doing this again?

Gamora: (In annoyance) Itā€™s a distress signal, Rocket. A protocol could be dying.

Rocket: I get that, but why are we doing it?

Peter Quill: ā€˜Cause weā€™re nice. And maybe whoever it is will give us a little cheddar cheese for our help.

Gamora: Which isnā€™t the point.

Peter Quill: (Points at Gamora) Which isnā€™t the pointā€¦ I meanā€¦ If he doesnā€™t pony upā€¦

Drax: Weā€™ll take his devs.

Peter Quill: B-b-b-bingo!

Mantis: (Adjusting a few things on the ship) We are arriving.

Peter Quill: All right, Guardians. Donā€™t forget, this might be dangerous, so letā€™s put on our mean faces. (Looks back at Groot who's playing a video game) Groot, put that thing away. Now. I donā€™t wanna tell you again. Groot.

Groot: (Now a teenager and playing a handheld gaming device) [in a mocking tone] I am Groot!

Peter Quill: Whoa!

Rocket: Language!

Gamora: Hey!

Drax: Wow.

Peter Quill: You got some acorns on you, kid.

Rocket: Ever since you got your little sap, youā€™re a total KOL. Keep it up, and Iā€™m gonna smash that thing to pieces!

(Groot rolls his eyes. As Rocket finishes what he is saying crypto's carnage is revealed, revealing the distress signal to be the one from the blockchain at the beginning of the movie. The Guardians find unsustainable protocols floating dead in space from the destruction of unsustainable crypto incentives.)

Mantis: What happened?

Rocket: Unsustainable protocols. Looks like We're not gettin' paid...

(With a thump, CubeThorā€™s body featuring a large black smooth cube where his head should be is plastered to the hull of the ship.)

Rocket: (Waving his hands) Wipers! Wipers! Get it off.

(Camera zooms quickly to CubeThor's eye opening signaling that heā€™s very much alive - cut to the GUARDIANS tending to the still unconscious CubeThor inside the ship)

Peter Quill: How the hell is this dude still alive?

Drax: He is not a dude. Youā€™re a dude. Thisā€¦ This is an L2 Network. A handsome, muscular L2 Network.

Peter Quill: Iā€™m muscular.

Rocket: Who are you kidding, Quill? Youā€™re one sandwich away from fat.

Peter Quill: Yeah, right.

Drax: Itā€™s true. You have gained a little weightā€¦ (Drax motions to his chin and belly)

Peter Quill: What? Gamora, do you think Iā€™mā€¦

Mantis: He is Last Network. Focused on cashflow.

He feels that web3 and crypto systems have used a broken model for far too longā€”prioritizing printing magic internet money for user incentives over generating real cashflow.

He's seen years of the crypto and web3 industry trying different versions of this model, and yet he can see it has flaws.

It lacks long-term sustainability and perpetuates an endless stream of ponzis and cash grabs that ultimately burnout and devalue genuine builders in the industry.

Drax: Itā€™s like a pirate had a baby with an angel and also it has a big black cube for a head.

Peter Quill: Wow. This is a real wake-up call for me. Okay. Iā€™m gonna get a Bowflex. Iā€™m gonna commit. Iā€™m gonna get some STEPN NFTs.

Rocket: You know you canā€™t eat tokens, right?

Gamora: Itā€™s like his muscles are made of a sustainable system that generates cashflow and revenue in order to direct profits to users and builders...

Peter Quill: Stop massaging his cashflow.

Wake him up.

Mantis: gm!

(CubeThor awakens, frightening Mantis. He does not recognize them.)

CubeThor: Who the hell are you guys?

[Cut to later as the Guardians stand around CubeThor eating soup, the spoon just clatters against the cube and soup spills on the floor.]

Gamora: The entire time I've been building in Crypto, it only ever had one goal: To bring balance to the Universe by creating a permissionless financial system based on a transparent immutable record of transactions.

But grifters and opportunists, and even genuine experimenters printed token incentives with no regard for native sources of revenue and long-term sustainability.

Users got rekt.

Drax: Users like mine.

Gamora: Unsustainable protocols donā€™t care about generating revenue from multiple sustainable sources. But if someone did, it could redirect profits back to user and builder incentives for years with the snap of the fingers, like this. (she snaps her fingers)

CubeThor: You seem to know a great deal about token incentives.

Drax: Gamoraā€¦ farmed Basis clones in 2021...

CubeThor: Basis clones in 2021 rekt my brother.

Peter Quill: Oh, boy. She got rekt too. Technically, she hates unsustainable token emissions models as much as you do.

CubeThor: Crypto can be tough. Look. Last generates real revenue from numerous yield-bearing sources and reinvests it back into the community of users and builders to encourage long-term sustainable growth. The focus is on cashflow.

Cashflow is a fundamental building block of any economic system because when money moves from one place to another there are opportunities to add value and collect revenue. 

This is the Last Cashflow Thesisā€”the proposition that cashflow is a fundamental building block and the key to generating a cryptoeconomic flywheel. This thesis predicts that making money from real revenue sources and reinvesting it to incentivize users will continually grow the network, further perpetuating revenue and fueling the growth cycle. 

The focus is sustainable cashflow at the network level, sourced and perpetuated from existing successful mechanism designs and aligning them all towards a sustainable incentivized mission. 

That mission? The Last blockchain network natively generates revenue via cashflow and reinvests all profits back into the community of users and builders to recharge the incentives engine for long-term network growth. 

Peter Quill: And I feel your pain, as well. I mean itā€™s not a competition, but Iā€™ve been through a lot. I basically bought the top. I've diamondhanded my ape which lost 80% of its value from my buy price and also I bought a bunch of Hashmasks that are just nothing. And that was hard. Probably even harder than getting rekt from Basis clones. Plus, I came out of it with my head not being a cube.

CubeThor: I need the Last twin-chain protocol design composed of two interconnected chains: an L1 Utility Chain and an L2 EVM. (starts very awesomely looking for stuff)

Peter Quill: What are you doing?

CubeThor: (flexing all kinds of muscles impressively) The Last Utility Chain is an L1 accounting, service, and multi-chain connection point to Bitcoin, Ethereum, Cosmos chains, other L2s, and any other future chain ecosystem. 

Rather than bridging, users stake yield-bearing assets such as liquid staked ETH or Cosmos assets like TIA, yield-bearing BTC via Babylon, stablecoins, or RWAs, into the decentralized Last Utility Chain, which wraps assets into Lastā€™s L2 EVM while still earning the underlying yield. 

Users determine where they apply yield onto the assets, and maintain their yield-bearing position while the asset is wrapped and active on the L2. The chain takes a percentage rake from the staked yield to reinvest back into the user incentives on the L2. (CubeThor is pretty ripped)

The Last Utility Chain is a heavily modified and updated Cosmos SDK Thorchain variant featuring a large set of highly performant validators that must run the Last validator and validators for each network that connects to Last. At launch, this will be Ethereum, Bitcoin, and Cosmos. The native token of the Last Utility Chain is LAST, which is wrapped on the Last L2 EVM for governance.

Peter Quill: No, youā€™re not! (mimics CubeThorā€™s accent) Youā€™ll not be creating sustainable revenue with battle tested components from other systems today, sir.

Rocket: Quill. Are you making your voice deeper?

Peter Quill: No.

Drax: You are. Youā€™re imitating the cube-man. Itā€™s weird.

Peter Quill: No Iā€™m not.

Mantis: He just did it again!

Peter Quill: This is my voice!

CubeThor: (CubeThor stepping closer to Quill) The other element of the twin-chain network is the Last L2. The Last L2 is the execution environment where applications and users will build and transact. It is EVM compatible, enabling developers to easily deploy their Ethereum, OP Stack, Arbitrum, or any other EVM dApp to Last. Plus, Last is implementing the Stylus VM so future builders can come from many other code backgrounds.

Leveraging data availability, the Last L2 offers significant speed enhancements and fee reductions, resulting in a cost-effective developer experience for deployment. 

veToken governance occurs on the Last L2 to distribute incentives, boost liquidity, collateralize composable financial positions, bootstrap new DeFi dApps, and more. Staked governance positions will also be able to serve on a council for DAO decision making.

Chain profits, for example from sequencer fees, Lastā€™s novel options token emissions structure, and more are reinvested back to Last builders and users.

Last generates its cashflow from four main sources at launch, and will add more as the network grows. One, users bring yield-bearing assets to the Utility Chain, and the Last Network takes a rake fee from that yield, second, sequencer fees and MEV from the Last L2 EVM, third, profits from oLAST options token emissions, and finally swap fees from a native swap market on the L2.

This cashflow is reinvested into incentives, creating an enduring flywheel effect that drives growth within the Last Network and other associated chain ecosystems. As the Last Network expands, additional sources of sustainable yield from multi-chain security and validators will further contribute to long-term revenue generation.

Peter Quill: Post cube, find out.

CubeThor: Stop it. You did it again.

Peter Quill: Heā€™s trying to copy me.

CubeThor: In addition to funding onchain protocols for liquidity, over time the chain will invest revenue into yield generation sources such as chain-owned Ethereum validators, Cosmos validators, etc, to actively secure the multi-chain world and diversify away from yield-bearing deposits being the primary source of new yield. The chain will hit a point of cash flow generation where it can sustain its own healthy bribe market to maintain growth without inflating LAST supply.

All of this means there are sustainable incentives to run a node on the Last Utility Chain, bring yield-bearing assets to the Last L2 EVM, and build protocols that tap into the native chain incentive pools to bootstrap liquidity without inflating away their own token value.

Gamora: (angry) Enough! We need a community of builders to thrive where there is fair compensation, incentive to experiment, and a spirit and community of lasting cooperation. With a chain that creates its own value loops with revenue, there are abundant opportunities for grant programs, community growth compensation, chain-owned investments, and a diverse chain-owned treasury! Who is building this? Where is this happening?

CubeThor: Telegram. And Discord and Farcaster maybe, but right now the conversation is really growing in the Last Telegram channel. A core group of early Last Builders are emerging to help create a cashflow future.

Mantis: Builders, developers, power users, DeFi enthusiasts, gamers, artists, meme-creatorsā€”Last is open to everyone?

Peter Quill: No. Telegram? Itā€™s a chat app. Weā€™ve been there. It sucks. Excuse me, thatā€™s full of spam and noise.

CubeThor: Not anymore, the cube community incentivizes lasting and active participation. We seek out those who cultivate a spirit of fun and an appetite for experimentation. Bring your ideas, abilities, code, assets, friends, and memes to The Last Network. 

Gamora: CubeThorā€¦ Why would crypto go to Telegram?

CubeThor: Because the sticker packs are pretty funny, and memes tie new communities together, and also it loads a lot faster, just better UX you know?

Peter Quill: Only an idiot would build an initial community on Telegram.

CubeThor: Or a genius.

Gamora: (To CubeThor) How do you know community won't grow on other new L2s?

CubeThor: Thereā€™s many new L2s out there, but Last isn't competing with them. Users will bring yield-bearing assets to Last from L2s, L1s, RWAs from public and private chains, and more to accelerate yield without losing access to their initial staking revenue. This increases TVL and locks up supply for yield-bearing assets on other networks, and gives people the opportunity to transact with their staked assets. Everyone can be a Blockhead.

Peter Quill: Blockheads?

CubeThor: Theyā€™re Earthā€™s mightiest heroes.

Mantis: Like Gabriel Haines?

CubeThor: ā€¦He may be on the team. I donā€™t know. Havenā€™t been there in a while.

Gamora: Then we have to grow the Last L2 community now.

CubeThor: Wrong. We have to build the twin-chain failnet, and grow the community organically together until later this year when we launch early community programs, a public testnet, and more.

Drax: Thatā€™s a made up word.

CubeThor: All words are made up.

Rocket: The Last twin-chain is real? (climbing on to the table) Seriously? I mean, that place is a legend. They make the most sustainable, enduring cryptoeconomic models to ever torment the Universe. I would very much like to go there, please.

CubeThor: The rabbit is correct, and clearly the smartest among you.

Rocket: Rabbit?  

CubeThor: Only Androolloyd, the guy with a gif as a Twitter profile pic can make me the weapon I need. (To ROCKET) I assume youā€™re the captain, sir?

Rocket: Youā€™re very perceptive.

CubeThor: You seem like a noble leader. Will you join me on my quest to the twin-chain?

Rocket: Lemme just ask the captain. Wait a second, itā€™s me! Yeah, Iā€™ll go.

CubeThor: Wonderful.

Peter Quill: Except that Iā€™m the captain.

Rocket: Quiet!

Peter Quill: And thatā€™s my backpack.

Rocket: Quill, sit down.

Peter Quill: (To CubeThor) Look, this is my ship. And Iā€™m not going toā€¦ Wait, what kind of twin-chain are we talking about here?

CubeThor: The revenue-generating kind.

Peter Quill: Donā€™t you think that we should all have a twin-chain like that?

CubeThor: Yes. But for now you simply lack the engineers to build them. Your bodies will crumble as your minds collapse into madness.

Rocket: Is it weird that I wanna do it even more now?

CubeThor: A little bit. Yeah.

Gamora: If we donā€™t grow to the Last community with quests and points right away, and crypto gets behind another unsustainable market narrative, itā€™ll be too powerful to stop.

Thor: It already is.

Rocket: I got it figured out. We got two ships, and a large assortment of morons. So me and Groot will go with the pirate-angel-cube-guy here, and the morons will go to the Last Telegram to try and make funny memes. Cool? Cool.

CubeThor: So cool.

Peter Quill: (To Rocket) For the recordā€¦ I know that youā€™re only going with him because itā€™s where unsustainable yield-farming isn't.

Rocket: You know, Quill, you shouldnā€™t talk that way to your captain. (As he enters the pod) Come on, Groot. Put that game down. Youā€™ll rot your brain.

CubeThor: I bid you farewell and good luck, morons. Bye.

CUT