The success of Plasma relies on its core technologies: the Reth execution client and the PlasmaBFT consensus algorithm. Together, these provide the sub-second finality necessary for payments. But how does this work from a technical perspective, and what are the implications?
The PlasmaBFT consensus algorithm, modeled after successful implementations such as Tendermint, is optimized for speed, allowing blocks to finalize in under a second. This is combined with a custom EVM, allowing for essential stablecoin-focused functionality.
The most exciting new feature is gasless USDT transfers. This does not mean that transactions are now free; rather, the cost is abstracted away, possibly being covered by dApps or subtracted from the transfer itself, which is a major UX pain point removed. Together with stablecoin-focused gas, where any transaction cost can be paid in assets such as USDT, the network eliminates native token pain points altogether.
Of course, this leads to questions about spam resistance and validator reward schemes. It is likely that the system uses complex mempool logic and economic incentives to reward validators for their work in processing these gasless transactions, securing the network without inconveniencing the end user. The technical implementation is a statement in itself: for mass adoption, the complexity of blockchain gas mechanics needs to be hidden.
