Author: cygaar Source: X, @0xCygaar Translation: Shan Ouba, Golden Finance
Why are there so many L2s (second-layer solutions)? Do we really need another chain? When will this all end?
Here are a few reasons that we rarely discuss why you will still see more L2s, and why this will ultimately have a net positive impact on users.
In my opinion, this is the most interesting aspect of L2, and what really distinguishes it from L1. You see, an L2 that settles to Ethereum can modify its virtual machine at will as long as it can prove to the L1 that the state transition is valid. Now, most rollups use EVM and try to keep the same experience as ETH L1 (but cheaper and faster).
However, we are starting to see an increase in rollups using alternative VMs that offer different benefits, including writing contracts in other programming languages, additional security, privacy, cheaper fees, or higher throughput. Examples include @arbitrum Stylus, @movementlabsxyz, @aztecnetwork, several SVM rollups, and many more.
There are also teams looking to push the boundaries of the EVM on high-performance hardware. @base has already increased its limits on a live chain. @megaeth_labs and @paradigm have published excellent research exploring how to optimize every aspect of the EVM. I expect an EVM rollup (MegaETH?) to be incredibly high performance by the end of this year.
I won’t take responsibility for this terminology, as I stole it from Vitalik’s last blog post. Here is his quote on L2 culture: "Layer 2s allow for subcultures to emerge with massive resources, and feedback loops that force them to learn and adapt to achieve results in the real world".
Every successful chain has its own identity/use case built around it. Here are some examples:
Just like there is still a lot of room for technological innovation, I believe there is also a lot of room for cultural innovation in L2. There are very few L2s that are overly focused on community building and optimizing the experience for the end user. I expect more of them to come out, and
The end user will be the winner. We will continue to see lower fees, faster block times, and more customized experiences. There will be applications built for specific VMs that were not possible before on the standard EVM. There will be chains built for every conceivable community.
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Anais