Data Availability Layer
The data availability layer is the infrastructure that ensures that the transaction data for a rollup is published and accessible to all participants. Without this data, users cannot reconstruct the state of the rollup or verify that the sequencer is acting honestly.
Even if a sequencer proposes a valid state root, the system is insecure if the underlying transaction data is withheld. The data availability layer guarantees that this information is available for any observer to download and audit.
This is why rollups must post their transaction data to a secure layer one or a dedicated data availability network. It is the fundamental requirement for the security and decentralization of any layer two solution.
If the data is not available, the system cannot be audited, and the fraud proof mechanism becomes useless.