Recently, Puffer UniFi AVS was awarded a grant from EigenCloud to support the development of its preconfirmation network.

Built on EigenCloud, Puffer UniFi AVS enables economically secured preconfirmations, allowing rollups to deliver faster execution while remaining aligned with Ethereum’s validator security.

Following the announcement, we hosted a livestream featuring Amir Forouzani (Co-Founder of Puffer), Kunz (BD Lead at EigenCloud), and Puffer Intern as host to discuss the future of rollups, decentralized sequencing, and how preconfirmations backed by restaked ETH can improve performance and trust guarantees for onchain infrastructure.

You can watch the full conversation on our YouTube channel, and below you’ll find the transcript and summary of the discussion.

Livestream Recap

1. Introduction

This livestream follows the recent announcement that EigenCloud has awarded a grant to support Puffer UniFi AVS.

The discussion focused on:

- Preconfirmations as infrastructure
- Decentralized sequencing
- Crypto-economic security
- Institutional adoption
- The long-term scaling roadmap for Ethereum

2. What is Puffer UniFi AVS?

Speaker: Amir (CEO, Puffer Labs)

Puffer UniFi AVS is an Actively Validated Service (AVS) that provides crypto-economic security for Puffer’s preconfirmation network.

What problem does it solve?

Today’s rollups face two major issues:

1. Latency
2. Centralized sequencing

Puffer’s preconfirmation network delivers:

- Microsecond to millisecond transaction guarantees
- Near–TradFi speed UX
- Preconfirmations backed by economic security
- Compatibility with both:
- Based rollups built from Ethereum’s validator layer
- Existing L2s seeking higher performance

Instead of relying on centralized sequencers, UniFi AVS introduces economically secured preconfirmations, improving speed without sacrificing Ethereum alignment.

3. Why EigenCloud Backed Puffer

Speaker: Koons (BD Lead, EigenCloud)

EigenCloud supported Puffer for several key reasons:

1. Clear Product-Market Need

Preconfirmations directly address:

- Latency bottlenecks
- UX friction in rollups

2. Strong Team Credibility

Puffer has successfully shipped:

- Liquid restaking
- Based rollup infrastructure

3. Alignment with EigenLayer Vision

UniFi AVS leverages:

- Restaked ETH
- Shared Ethereum security
- Existing operator networks

This avoids bootstrapping a separate validator set.

4. Thoughtful Crypto-Economic Design

Puffer carefully designed:

- Slashing conditions
- Operator incentives
- Enforceable trust mechanisms
- Capital efficiency

The result is infrastructure-grade security backed by restaked Ethereum.

4. Decentralized Sequencing & Based Rollups

Puffer has been vocal about decentralized sequencing — but historically, decentralizing sequencers meant:

- Higher latency
- Inefficiency
- Misaligned incentives

UniFi AVS changes that.

Key Innovation: Incentive Alignment

Puffer redesigned the incentive layer between:

- Rollup owners
- Infrastructure providers
- Ethereum validators

This enables:

- Based sequencing
- Trust-minimized L1<>L2 communication
- L2<>L2 composability
- Removal of reliance on centralized sequencers

The goal is not just scaling — but preserving Ethereum’s neutrality and composability while scaling sustainably.

5. Adoption & Rollup Pipeline

Puffer spent ~6 months designing incentives alongside rollup developers.

First Phase:

- UniFi AVS will initially serve:
- Puffer UniFi based rollup
- Based appchains launching on testnet in March

Upcoming Launch:

A trading platform will launch on Puffer UniFi Based Rollup and leverage preconfirmations.

Over time, preconfirmation services will expand to additional rollups.

6. The Grant: Expectations & Milestones

EigenCloud described the grant as an alignment grant, not a conditional milestone grant.

Focus Areas:

1. Onboarding professional infrastructure providers
2. Creating a demand flywheel
3. Supporting testnet → mainnet transition
4. Increasing volume processed via preconfirmations

As usage scales, follow-on grants may be considered.

7. How the Grant Accelerates Puffer

From Puffer’s perspective, grants serve as:

- Validation signals to developers
- Confidence markers for auditors
- Assurance for institutional participants

The grant will help:

- Incentivize early preconfirmation users
- Offer sequencing fee rebates
- Support ecosystem bootstrapping
- Enable gas sponsorship via account abstraction
- Strengthen institutional outreach

Historically, Puffer has received Ethereum Foundation grants — this continues that trajectory of research-backed infrastructure delivery.

8. Institutional Adoption Path

What Institutions Care About:

1. Speed (TradFi-level execution)
2. Compliance capabilities
3. Privacy options
4. Infrastructure outsourcing
5. Downside risk protection

How Puffer + EigenCloud Address This:

- Microsecond-level execution
- Gateway-based compliance extensions
- Potential privacy enhancements (coming soon)
- No need for institutions to run complex infra
- ~$5B in restaked economic security backing operations
- Slashing-backed accountability

This reduces counterparty risk and provides enforceable trust guarantees.

Puffer expects institutional rollups to launch using this architecture in the near future.

9. Long-Term Vision

EigenCloud’s goal:

> Productive use of restaked capital and rewarding operators as ecosystem demand grows.

Puffer’s goal:

> Builder-first, research-backed scaling solutions tightly connected to Ethereum’s base layer.

Everything Puffer builds — liquid restaking, rollups, AVS — connects back to Ethereum’s validator layer and shared economic security.

10. Closing Notes

Both teams expressed strong alignment around:

- Scaling Ethereum sustainably
- Preserving neutrality
- Enabling institutional-grade infrastructure
- Bringing preconfirmations into mainstream usage

More announcements are expected in the coming months.

🐡 Puffer is Building the Ultimate Vertical in Crypto. Learn more:https://www.puffer.fi/