Why is intention the right path to "unify Ethereum"?

Author: Hart Lambur Source: X, @hal2001 Translation: Shan Ouba, Golden Finance

It was a pleasure to invite @VitalikButerin to have a cup of tea this week. We talked about "intention" and how to unify Ethereum through standards for chain-specific addresses and cross-chain intentions (ie ERC-7683).

This time with V inspired me to think about some new reasons why intention is the right way forward for cross-chain interoperability. Here are a few key points:

Ethereum has solved the scalability problem

We don't celebrate it enough. In 2020, Ethereum transaction fees often reached hundreds of dollars. This year, after the Dencun upgrade, L2 (Layer 2) became extremely cheap - transaction costs are almost penny level. The experience of using any single L2 is already on par with Solana, and scaling is simply a matter of adding more L2s or L3s.

Ethereum is now fragmented

Solving the scalability problem has caused Ethereum to become fragmented. If we are to solve this problem, users need a seamless and fast experience when crossing chains. The next billion Ethereum users can’t stand waiting for minutes to access popular L2 apps, games, social platforms, etc. Interoperability needs to be a sub-2 second experience.

Intents can unify Ethereum

Currently, intents are the only solution that can provide a 2 second user experience between L2s. Intent protocols like Across have achieved a median fill time of 3 seconds for L2-to-L2 transactions under $10,000 — which covers 99% of L2 cross-chain transactions. Intents make the experience of using hundreds of L2s feel like one "unified Ethereum".

Standards matter

I don't think you can solve the interoperability problem for a public good like Ethereum with solutions that require vendor lock-in or centralized infrastructure. We need mechanisms like intents that rely on common standards to allow protocols to compete while providing the best user experience and no single point of failure.

That's why @AcrossProtocol is working with @Uniswap, @Optimism, and the rest of the L2 ecosystem (stay tuned) to co-create ERC-7683, the standard for cross-chain intents. Intent protocols like @NekoDEX, @OneBalance_, @rhinestonewtf, and @RouterProtocol are also contributing to the ERC standard draft.

Summary

L2 scales Ethereum well, but ruins the user experience; users can't stand waiting for minutes to use a new chain; you need a user experience of less than 2 seconds; intention can solve this problem and unify Ethereum; open standards are crucial!