Ordering is not execution, and an outage is not a chain halt — but it is a liveness problem you should price before you size.
Key takeaways
Ask who operates the sequencer.
Find the forced-inclusion route and its delay.
Size positions against exit time, not entry time.
Verified October 27, 20261 min read
Three jobs, one operator
A rollup’s sequencer does three things: it orders incoming transactions, it executes them against the state, and it posts the resulting data back to the base chain. Only the third step is what makes the system a rollup rather than a separate chain.
What an outage actually looks like
Users see transactions stuck in pending. The state does not roll back. Balances remain correct, and history stays readable — but nobody can enter or leave until ordering resumes or a forced-inclusion path is used.
Component
Stops working
Keeps working
Ordering
Yes
—
Execution
Yes
Prior state
Data posting
Delayed
Settled batches
Exits
Yes, until forced path
—
What to check before you size
Who operates the sequencer, how long the forced-inclusion delay is, and whether the bridge has a permissionless exit. If the answer to the last one is no, your exit depends on the same team that runs the sequencer.
Every offer is re-checked against the official terms page, the bonus amount and the expiry date before it is published, and again whenever a campaign changes.
An optimistic rollup promises permissionless exit. In practice a small council can upgrade the bridge that holds your funds.
Chain188·1m
Frequently asked questions
Can my funds be lost if a sequencer goes down?
The settled state remains on the base chain. The risk is that you cannot submit a new transaction, including an exit, until inclusion resumes or a forced path is used.
Is a decentralised sequencer safer?
It removes single-operator downtime but adds coordination and MEV questions. Neither design removes the exit delay.
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