1. Sui redefines Layer-1 through an object-centric execution paradigm, where the entire blockchain state is reduced to a set of typed resources modeled as objects with a strong ownership invariant. Each object exists in a domain of versions that are fully isolated and mathematically compatible with partial linearization—a condition that underlies Sui's extreme parallel execution capability without requiring global serialization.
2. The Sui execution model distinguishes the object-dependency graph as the primary computation structure, rather than a transaction DAG as seen in traditional chains. Thus, determinism does not stem from transaction ordering, but from commutativity constraints between objects. Transactions without dependent intersections can be executed as commuting operations, resulting in parallel state transitions free from both write-write and read-write conflicts.
3. The most important theoretical divergence of Sui compared to other L1s is the fast-path execution mechanism for non-shared transactions. In this mode, transactions do not require global consensus at all; their validity is sufficiently proven by quorum-driven authority signatures from validators who protect the ownership of the object. This creates sub-consensus microfinality, which is object finality without global ordering.
4. For transactions on shared objects, Sui adopts a two-layer consensus pipeline: Narwhal (mempool DAG) and Bullshark (deterministic BFT ordering). Narwhal does not order transactions; it constructs a causal availability layer based on DAG that guarantees data availability in Byzantine mode. Bullshark then extracts deterministic ordering from that DAG through round-based quorum certificates, creating a BFT consensus that is free from bottleneck broadcasting.
5. Narwhal-Bullshark is theoretically positioned as an evolution of HotStuff, but with a complete separation between availability and consensus. This separation ensures that Sui's throughput is never bound to the performance of the consensus itself; the mempool DAG can continue to grow independently, while consensus only operates on the subset of the DAG that meets quorum criteria.
6. To manage state, Sui implements a versioned object store based on authenticated state transitions. Each object change generates a new version represented through locally verifiable cryptographic commitments, creating a mechanism for incremental state proving that is much lighter than conventional global state tries like the Merkle Patricia Trie (MPT) in the EVM.
7. The Move language acts as a linear type system that ensures resource conservation. Formally, Move ensures that objects cannot be cloned or destroyed except through explicit operations within the type system. Thus, the entire asset invariant in Sui is modeled as type-theoretic safety proofs, not as runtime logic, eliminating many classes of smart contract attacks such as reentrancy and phantom writes.
8. Sui implements Per-Object Causal Ordering, a model where the transaction order per object remains deterministic even though the system allows global parallel execution. This eliminates the need for global serialization while maintaining local linearizability, which is a theoretical prerequisite for the atomicity of digital assets.
9. At the staking layer, Sui uses delegated PoS but with a reward distribution mechanism based on scoring epochic, not block production. Validators do not compete to produce individual blocks; they participate in a distributed commit DAG. This model makes rewards more stable and less susceptible to selfish proposing strategies.
10. Sui is also compatible with zk-friendly primitives, and its ecosystem is already moving towards integrating Move + ZK, an approach that allows the direct compilation of ZK circuits from the Move type structure. This opens the way to object-centric zk-proofs, where the validity of objects can be verified without exposure of state, formalizing privacy at a structural level, not transaction level.
11. Overall, Sui is a tangible implementation of modern distributed systems theory that shifts the focus of blockchain from a transaction-ordered deterministic machine to an object-based concurrent execution environment. This approach not only optimizes performance but also dismantles the global ordering paradigm that has been the foundation of traditional blockchain architecture for a decade. Sui operates on a strange combination of BFT consensus theory, linear type systems, object dependencies, and non-blocking parallel execution, making it one of the most futuristic architectures across the Web3 domain.
