Proposal: Move away from Polkadot L1 and build Manta Atlantic on another chain

Proposal Submission
1

Objective

The objective of this proposal is to explore moving Manta Atlantic from Polkadot to another blockchain platform that may better align with Manta’s goals, technological needs, and vision for the future.

Rationale for Transition

  1. Scalability Concerns:
  • As Manta Atlantic continues to scale, the limitations of the Polkadot network, such as shared security and reliance on the relay chain, may become bottlenecks.
  • Transitioning to a more scalable platform could help in managing higher transaction volumes and improving performance.
  1. Customization and Flexibility:
  • Polkadot’s parachain model offers flexibility but within certain constraints. A different blockchain might provide more opportunities for customized development, allowing us to better tailor the network to Manta Atlantic’s specific requirements.
  1. Cost Efficiency:
  • The economic model of Polkadot, particularly the need to lease a parachain slot, involves significant costs. Exploring alternative chains might offer a more cost-effective solution, reducing operational expenses and allowing for reinvestment in other areas of development.
  1. Ecosystem Synergy:
  • As the blockchain landscape evolves, there are emerging platforms with ecosystems that could offer better synergies with Manta Atlantic’s vision, such as Cosmos, or creating a stand alone chains like SOL, Aptos or Sui.
  • Integrating with an ecosystem like Cosmos that aligns more closely with our user base and developer community could accelerate growth and adoption. Or a seperate chain entirely would be fantastic too.
  1. Security Considerations:
  • While Polkadot’s shared security model is robust, certain aspects of security management may benefit from being hosted on a blockchain with a different consensus mechanism or security architecture tailored to privacy-preserving protocols.

Alternative Blockchains for Consideration

  1. Cosmos:
  • Cosmos enables the creation of application-specific blockchains, providing the flexibility to build a highly customized environment tailored to Manta Atlantic’s needs.
  • It also offers interoperability between different blockchains, maintaining the multi-chain vision that Polkadot tries to advocate.
  1. Creating its own L1 chain entirely like SOL and SUI etc and not on a Layer 0.

Conclusion

Transitioning from a Polkadot Layer 1 to another blockchain for Manta Atlantic represents a strategic move that could unlock new growth opportunities, enhance scalability, and provide greater customization. With the Manta team themselves not liking Polkadot, Polkadot being more complex for the average user than other chains and in addition their being no activity on Polkadot for Manta Atlantic compared to Manta Pacific with 1.2mill + transaction’s a day; this could be a great initiative to kick start an increase in transactions on Manta’s L1 that will bring value accrual to the Manta token and benefit users and the community. By carefully evaluating alternative platforms like Cosmos and/or building a new L1 chain entirely and implementing a well-structured migration plan, Manta Atlantic can position itself for long-term success in the evolving blockchain landscape.

5 Likes
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I agree with your perspective on Polkadot and recognize Manta Atlantic has no future within the existing ecosystem.

However it seems that the Manta Network team have shifted their focus onto building Manta Pacific and scaling Ethereum. It raises an important question about the purpose of Manta Atlantic and its continued relevance.

Manta Atlantic was initially developed to bring privacy-preserving features to the Polkadot ecosystem. While this goal is admirable, the team’s shift toward Ethereum scaling suggests that their resources and efforts might be better aligned with Manta Pacific, which operates as an Ethereum Layer 2.

Given this strategic pivot, it might be worth considering whether maintaining Manta Atlantic is the best use of the team’s resources. By decommissioning Manta Atlantic and focusing solely on the existing Layer 2 solution, the team could streamline their efforts, accelerate innovation, and maximize impact within the Ethereum ecosystem.

In short, consolidating their focus on Manta Pacific could be a more efficient path forward to ensuring that their solutions reach the largest possible audience.

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I appreciate the message and glad we agree Manta has no future with Polkadot but I completely disagree with decommissioning Manta Atlantic as it would miss out on substantial opportunities to expand the project’s impact and utility, especially if the focus is shifted to a more suitable Layer 1 (L1) blockchain. Instead of shutting down Manta Atlantic, relocating it to another L1 could not only preserve its mission but also enhance the overall value accrual to the Manta token for users, the community and investors too. Here’s why this approach is strategically beneficial:

  1. Preserving Manta Atlantic’s Mission in a More Suitable Ecosystem:
    Manta Atlantic’s original goal of bringing privacy-preserving features to the Polkadot ecosystem remains crucial, but it can be even more impactful in an L1 ecosystem that aligns better with its objectives. By transitioning to an L1 that supports enhanced privacy features, scalability, or developer activity, Manta Atlantic can fulfill its mission more effectively, adding to the overall value proposition of the Manta token.
  2. Unlocking New Growth Opportunities:
    Moving to a new L1 opens up fresh growth opportunities in emerging markets that may be less saturated and more supportive of innovative privacy solutions. By capitalizing on these opportunities, Manta Atlantic can attract a broader user base and increase demand for its services, which in turn drives greater utility and demand for the Manta token.
  3. Enhancing Interoperability and Cross-Chain Privacy Solutions:
    A new L1 with strong interoperability could position Manta Atlantic as a crucial privacy layer across multiple blockchains. This cross-chain functionality would significantly increase the usage and utility of Manta Atlantic, thereby enhancing the value accrual to the Manta token as it becomes integral to transactions and privacy services across diverse ecosystems.
  4. Leveraging Advanced L1 Features for Improved Privacy and Performance:
    By moving to an L1 that inherently supports advanced privacy features or higher performance, Manta Atlantic can deliver more robust solutions, attracting more users and developers. This increased usage translates directly into higher demand for the Manta token, as it becomes essential for accessing Manta Atlantic’s enhanced privacy services.
  5. Strategic Flexibility and Long-Term Vision:
    Relocating to another L1 allows Manta Atlantic to remain adaptable to market trends and technological advancements, ensuring its long-term relevance. This adaptability will likely attract more investors and users to the Manta ecosystem, thereby increasing the token’s market value and solidifying its position as a key asset in the crypto space.
  6. Strengthening Ecosystem Partnerships and Collaborations:
    Moving to a new L1 can foster stronger partnerships and collaborations, creating more use cases and integrations for Manta Atlantic. As these partnerships grow, so does the utility of the Manta token, as it becomes increasingly central to a wider range of projects and protocols.
  7. Increased Value Accrual to the Manta Token:
    One of the most compelling reasons to move Manta Atlantic to another L1 is the potential for increased value accrual to the Manta token. By expanding Manta Atlantic’s utility across a more supportive L1, the token’s role within the ecosystem can be significantly enhanced. This could include higher transaction volumes, demand in using Manta for gas payments, staking rewards, and greater demand for token-based services, all of which contribute to a stronger token economy. As Manta Atlantic’s relevance and usage grow, so too will the value and demand for the Manta token, benefiting all stakeholders.

In conclusion, rather than decommissioning Manta Atlantic, relocating it to another L1 blockchain offers a strategic opportunity to enhance the project’s impact and the value accrual to the Manta token. There are already many Layer 2’s, there aren’t many Layer 1s and Layer2s together like with Pacific and Atlantic. This approach not only preserves the original mission of Manta Atlantic but also leverages it to create broader utility and stronger token economics within a more suitable and supportive ecosystem.

2 Likes
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Hey you make some very good points and i will be fully onboard if there was a real purpose. At the moment, I believe Manta Atlantic is mostly used by users to stake $MANTA. Are there many dapps built on it? Does Atlantic have any real use cases? Is there any real benefit of having two chains?

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Thank you for your feedback. You’re right that Manta Atlantic is currently used mainly for staking $MANTA and yeah it hasn’t got many dApps right now, with limited dApp development due to the challenges of building on Polkadot, such as a small user base, difficultly the average user has in using it and many more things. I think this is a question also for the Manta pacific projects on why they haven’t built on Manta Atlantic also, perhaps devs found it difficult to build their Pacific projects on Polkadot?

There is definitely a benefit in my opinion, if Manta moves Manta Atlantic to a different, more developer-friendly L1 platform where Pacific projects can easily deploy their projects and users could easily interact with the blockchain like $SOL and $SUI have with its user friendly blockchain; it could definitely stimulate more dApp creation. Perhaps Atlantic could be the staking hub and if Manta pacific gaming projects such as Taman and Elfin (which are both doing 1mill + daily tx’s) could deploy on Atlantic and Pacific intechangeably it gives the user another option to use Manta as a gas token alongside ETH.

Maintaining both Manta Atlantic and Manta Pacific can be strategic if each serves a distinct purpose. While Pacific focuses on Ethereum scaling, Atlantic could become a specialized privacy layer on another L1, broadening our reach and enhancing the Manta token’s value. This dual-chain strategy could allow us to cover a broader range of needs and drive more value back to the Manta token.

In summary, while Manta Atlantic’s current usage is limited, this is largely due to the difficulties associated with Polkadot’s ecosystem in my opinion. By moving to a different L1, we could unlock its full potential, making it a valuable and distinct part of the Manta Network. And yeah main benefit would be driving more value back to the Manta token.

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totally agree with it, plus there isnt any development on atlantic. only used for staking manta token and nothing else.