jakiro
Author: cygaar Source: X, @0xCygaar Translation: Shan Oppa, Bitchain Vision
Why are so many L2 (layer 2 solutions) appearing?Do we really need another chain?When will all this end?
Here are a few reasons why we rarely discuss why you still see more L2s and why this will end up having a net positive impact on the user.
Technical experiments
In my opinion, this is one of the most interesting aspects of L2, really differentiating 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 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 beginning to see an increase in rollups using alternative VMs that offer different benefits, including writing contracts in other programming languages, additional security, cheaper privacy, or higher throughput.Examples include @arbitrum Stylus, @movementlabsxyz, @aztecnetwork, several SVM rollups, and more.
There are also some teams who want to push the EVM boundaries on high-performance hardware.@base has added its limits to the live chain.@megaeth_labs and @paradigm published excellent research that explores how to optimize every aspect of EVM.I expect an EVM rollup (MegaETH?) to achieve amazing high performance by the end of this year.
Cultural expansion
I won’t be responsible for this term because I copied it from Vitalik’s last blog post.Here is his quote about L2 culture: “Layer 2s allow for the emergence of subcultures with a large number of resources, and feedback loops that force them to learn and adapt to achieve results in the real world.”
Each successful chain has its own identity/use case built around.Here are some examples:
Just as there is still a lot of room for technological innovation, I believe there is still a lot of room for cultural innovation in L2.Few L2s focus too much on community building and tailoring experiences for end users.Few L2s focus on community construction and optimize experience for end users. I expect more L2s to come out.
What all this means
The end user will be the winner.We will continue to see lower fees, faster block times and a more customized experience.There will be some applications built specifically for specific VMs that were previously impossible on standard EVMs.A chain will be established for every imaginable community.
