52. Immutable X deep-dive — Part 2: How Layer 1 and Layer 2 work together

In our first part you learned that Immutable X is a Layer 2 (L2) protocol built on the Ethereum blockchain. In this part, we’ll go deeper into what that actually means for you as players of Illuvium

Why do we need a faster protocol for Illuvium?

Illuvium uses tokens on the Ethereum blockchain to represent your assets within the game that you can create, trade or burn. Each one of these actions is a transaction on the Ethereum network, which has a limited capacity. When the network is busy, users all over the world bid up the price of ‘gas’ to complete their transactions (we’ll go into more detail in Part 3!) which forces users on games that use Ethereum L1 to pay high fees every time they want to perform an action!

So is everything in Illuvium on Immutable X?

All in-game assets will be sold using Immutable X (L2) so that users can transact with no gas and at near-instant speeds. However as of today, Immutable X doesn’t have compatibility with the full range of smart contracts available on Ethereum — although this is in progress with their partners StarkWare! That means that staking and the DAO is currently on L1 Ethereum.

The upcoming land sale is going to use an L1 sale so that we can execute an auction and have random land metadata, but the land will be minted directly on L2, i.e. Immutable X. This means you are able to immediately enjoy gas-free use of the land!

L1 sale but L2 mint? How does that work?

1. In preparation for the auction, users visit the Illuvdex, an Immutable X (L2) enabled marketplace, to set up their Immutable X (L2) wallet. This is a single signature — see detail below
2. Users visit the Illuvium land auction site, and connect their Ethereum (L1) wallet
3. Users bid in Ethereum (L1)
4. When a user wins an auction, their Ethereum (L1) transaction is sent to the auction smart contract. The contract randomly generates metadata for the land
5. The auction contract emits the purchase event, including the metadata, to the blockchain
6. An API which has been set up together with the auction contract listens for the purchase event and then uses that data to mint land with those properties to Immutable X (L2)
7. The mint event transfers the land to the purchaser’s L2 wallet
8. Purchasers can interact with the land immediately on Immutable X. See sections below for detail

So how does buying and selling work with L1 and L2?

Assets on L2 can be used in game, transferred gas-free, and bought and sold on Illuvidex or other Immutable X compatible marketplaces

If you want to trade assets on L1 Ethereum, you can do this by withdrawing your assets from L2 to L1 from Illuvidex or other Immutable X compatible marketplaces. Beware, it will cost gas to withdraw to L1 Ethereum, and to deposit assets to L2 (Immutable X) later. Immutable X is integrating with a range of major marketplaces this year including Opensea and GameStop, to make it even easier to stay in L2 and avoid gas while getting great liquidity and eyeballs for your hard-earned assets!

How do I set my wallet up with Immutable X?

If you already have an Ethereum wallet then the first time you connect it to Illuvidex or any other Immutable X marketplace, a signature request will pop up. Signing this transaction proves that you control the keys to your Ethereum wallet and creates a connection between your Ethereum wallet and Immutable X. Your wallet is then fully functional with Immutable X, using your Ethereum address and keys! More detailed walkthroughs will be released before launch to ensure everyone is totally ready

Example wallet setup for Immutable X

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