Arbitrum Nova
A lower-cost Arbitrum chain using AnyTrust technology for high-volume, low-value applications like gaming and social.
Arbitrum Nova — Arbitrum Nova is an Ethereum Layer 2 chain built by Offchain Labs using AnyTrust technology — a variation of optimistic rollups that posts transaction data to a Data Availability Committee (DAC) rather than directly to Ethereum mainnet. This achieves ultra-low transaction costs (under $0.01) at the trade-off of slightly reduced security guarantees compared to Arbitrum One.
What Is Arbitrum Nova?
Arbitrum Nova is designed for high-volume, cost-sensitive applications like gaming, social media, and micro-transactions. Instead of posting all transaction data to Ethereum (expensive), Nova sends data to a committee of trusted parties. If the committee fails, the system falls back to posting data on-chain. This hybrid approach reduces costs by 90%+ compared to Arbitrum One.
AnyTrust Technology
AnyTrust requires that at least one committee member is honest to ensure data availability. The DAC includes reputable entities like Consensys, Offchain Labs, and Google Cloud. Only if the committee fails to attest does Nova post data directly to Ethereum, maintaining a security fallback while achieving near-zero costs under normal conditions.
Nova Use Cases
Reddit chose Arbitrum Nova for its Community Points program, processing millions of on-chain transactions at negligible cost. Gaming studios and social platforms use Nova for applications requiring high transaction throughput without the cost burden of full L1 data posting.
Related Terms
Arbitrum One
The primary Arbitrum L2 network using Optimistic Rollup technology; the largest L2 by TVL as of 2026.
Read definition Chain-SpecificBase (L2)
Coinbase's Ethereum L2 built on the OP Stack, launched 2023; known for low fees and Coinbase ecosystem integration.
Read definition Chain-SpecificEthereum Mainnet
The primary Ethereum blockchain where all real-value transactions occur, as distinct from testnets like Sepolia or Goerli.
Read definition Chain-SpecificSequencer (L2)
The entity responsible for ordering and batching transactions on an L2 rollup before posting them to the base layer.
Read definitionFrequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Arbitrum Nova in cryptocurrency and DeFi.
Slightly. Nova relies on a Data Availability Committee rather than posting all data to Ethereum. The security assumption is that at least one committee member is honest. Arbitrum One inherits full Ethereum security with no additional trust assumptions.
Transactions on Arbitrum Nova typically cost under $0.01, making them among the cheapest of any Ethereum-connected chain. This enables use cases like gaming and social that require thousands of transactions per user.
Use Arbitrum One for DeFi and high-value transactions where maximum security matters. Use Nova for gaming, social, and high-frequency low-value transactions where cost is the primary concern.
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