Ethereum’s future hinges on interoperable layer-2s
Ethereum layer-2 fragmentation may require a ZKP fix in the future, but interoperable L2s are the surest fix in the meantime.
It’s almost universally agreed within the cryptosphere that the Ethereum blockchain is good – but not perfect. The vast majority of Ethereum virtual machine (EVM) developers agree that if the layer-1’s (L1) execution layer were fast and scalable, there would be less of a need for layer-2 (L2) solutions. Yet, we know that Ethereum’s future depends on L2 solutions.
While L2s have demonstrated their ability to speed transactions, dramatically lower gas fees, and exponentially scale transaction volumes — those gains do come with a significant trade-off — multiple L2 blockchains operating in isolation of each other, also known as “fragmentation.”
CoinGecko currently ranks 46 different L2 solutions on its list of off-chain vertical scaling protocols, many of which run on Ethereum to boost its scalability while maintaining security standards and decentralized functionality. However, such an array of L2 options can create interoperability issues; innovation siloes; as well as sub-par user experiences. The original L1s had similar fragmentation issues when they launched including: different consensus methods, unique architectures, and performance constraints.
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Author: Ken Timsit
