We verify a conjecture of Rognes by establishing a localization cofiber sequence of spectra $K(\mathbb{Z})\to K(ku)\to K(KU) \to\Sigma K(\mathbb{Z})$ for the algebraic$K$-theory of topological$K$-theory. We deduce the existence of this sequence as a consequence of a dévissage theorem identifying the$K$-theory of the Waldhausen category of finitely generated finite stage Postnikov towers of modules over a connective $A_\infty$ ring spectrum$R$with the Quillen$K$-theory of the abelian category of finitely generated $\pi_{0}R$ -modules.