Sequencer Proposal : A41

Infrastructure proposals - Sequencer
1

Executive Summary

  • A41 (www.a41.io), based in Seoul, is a blockchain infrastructure provider established in 2022.
  • A41, one of the fastest-growing validators last year, has actively contributed to over 20 blockchains, including serving as an operator for Liquid Staking Protocols (LSPs) like Lido and mETH. Renowned for our proven track record and trusted infrastructure, we ensure top-tier performance and robust security.
  • Our infrastructure team comprises six senior full-time DevOps engineers dedicated to ensuring 24/7 node operations. Each member brings specialized expertise in cybersecurity, cloud infrastructure, and blockchain engineering.
  • We request a second slot for the setup of Sequencer for Artemis

Service Level Agreement

  1. We have onboarded a total of 20+ blockchains, including Aptos, SUI, Solana, ETH, EtherFi and many others, and we are running testnets on Story Protocol and Bera Chain and others as well.

  2. We are dedicated to delivering a 99.9% uptime Service Level Agreement (SLA) to our clients. Our bare-metal infrastructure is hosted at KT Gangnam IDC (Tier IV) and KT Seocho Datacenter (Tier III) in Seoul, South Korea.

  3. We have deployed one DevOps Engineer in New York to ensure seamless operations and security at all times, following a follow-the-sun operation model.

  4. We leverage bare-metal infrastructure equipped with Hardware Security Modules (HSMs), specifically YubiHSM2. Our cloud operations include backup servers and monitoring/alert systems hosted on AWS (regions: Seoul, Tokyo, Osaka) and seven servers in the EU region via VSP (OVH). The DevOps team ensures 24/7 monitoring, addressing errors or updating nodes through a bastion host secured with two-factor authentication.

Integration Roadmap

  1. As highlighted earlier, A41 serves as a node operator, managing over 20 blockchain networks and more than 15,000 Ethereum validators. With our robust large-scale infrastructure, we are committed to securely supporting the operation of Metis. Our 24/7 monitoring and alert systems ensure high availability and reliability, leveraging our expertise to efficiently operate the Metis Sequencer.
  2. We will work closely with the Metis team and other operators to help build a more secure and decentralized sequencing infrastructure. A41 operates two physically separate data centers in Seoul, South Korea, hosting most chains in a bare-metal environment. This setup enhances the regional decentralization of Metis while reducing reliance on cloud providers.

Benefits to Community

  • A41 actively supports the Metis community by (1) enhancing brand awareness and (2) offering Go-To-Market (GTM) support in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, with a particular focus on Korea.
  • A41 regularly hosts an event called “EPOCH” in the APAC region to support blockchain infrastructure. In future events, we can explore new opportunities with Metis.
  • At the last KBW (Korea Blockchain Week), A41 hosted the “A41 Meal Club” as a sponsor for Metis, organizing an excellent event that brought together numerous international ecosystem participants attending KBW. Hosting similar events in the future could significantly contribute to enhancing Metis’s market visibility and fostering valuable networking opportunities.
  • In Staking Rewards, A41 has achieved the highest rating score, being recognized as an AAA verified staking operator.
  • Here are additional attachments to assess the performance and proven track record of A41.

Rated Network: A41 | Ethereum Mainnet
Staking Rewards: a41 AuM & Staking Flows | Staking Rewards

2

Looks good.
Beautiful website too

Curious, since Metis sequencer requires a minimum of 20k Metis tokens, what is the plan to get them?