Breaking Rollups: How Sequencer Design Shapes Your L2's Attack Surface

Classifying L2 rollup sequencer architectures (stand-alone, pipeline, distributed) and mapping attack surfaces across transaction-processing stages.

Talk given at ETHPrague 2026, Obecní dům (Municipal House), Prague, on May 9, 2026.

Event page: ETHPrague 2026 · Fileverse

Abstract

Layer 2 rollups secure over $40B on Ethereum, yet their sequencer architectures lack systematic security analysis. This talk classifies sequencer designs into three patterns — stand-alone, pipeline, and distributed — and maps attack surfaces across each transaction-processing stage. The findings reveal fundamental flaws across rollups today, as well as inherent trade-offs.

Agenda

  • Why sequencers matter ($40B+ TVL on Ethereum)
  • Three sequencer patterns: stand-alone, pipeline, distributed
  • Attack surfaces per transaction-processing stage
  • Cross-rollup findings and inherent trade-offs
  • Open questions and future directions