[Long Tweet] Opinion: The True Value of L2s Lies in Being an "Experimental Innovation Sandbox"
Chainfeeds Guide:
Abandoning the all-encompassing approach of General-Purpose chains, the right path is to explore Specific-Chains tailored to the new demands of Mass Adoption.
Source:
Author:
Haotian
Opinion:
Haotian: A very meaningful perspective—this seems to be the most positive interpretation of Ethereum layer2 that I’ve seen in a long time: the true value of layer2s is as an “experimental innovation sandbox.” For example, Arbitrum can explore DAO governance, Optimism can implement the RetroPGF funding mechanism, Base can experiment with CEX integration, and zksync can advance account abstraction. If these innovations were implemented directly on the mainnet, the risks would be too high, but even if they fail on layer2, they won’t endanger the entire ecosystem. Interestingly, it seems that different layer2s can serve completely different user groups. For instance, enterprise chains focusing on compliance, privacy chains emphasizing censorship resistance, and gaming chains capable of high-frequency transactions. Looking back, there are indeed quite a few layer2+layer3 solutions built on various Stack foundations. Although none have become the saviors channeling massive traffic and liquidity to Ethereum as expected, their contributions to the “diversity” of experimental scalability solutions are indeed significant. Of course, some may argue that their ultimate goal is just to issue Tokens, but there is an underlying logic: at least to some extent, they inherit and continue Ethereum’s decentralized security features. Otherwise, with current star products like @HyperliquidX and some Wall Street giants aiming to build their own exclusive layer1 chains, while they achieve a seamless upgrade in user experience, they essentially sacrifice decentralization for extreme performance. These independent chains are also highly likely to issue Tokens, and what they do may not be fundamentally different from, or even inferior to, layer2s. Yet, this step is a complete denial of the experimental value of layer2s. Therefore, there is actually a very clear path ahead for layer2: abandon the all-encompassing approach of General-Purpose chains and focus on exploring Specific-Chains for new Mass Adoption needs. For example, how to introduce well-known gaming IPs, how to meet privacy trading and compliance requirements, how to serve the high-frequency interaction needs of AI Agents, and how to provide compliant on-chain channels for RWA assets, etc. In other words, as long as Layer2s give up the pure technical architecture arms race and the obsession with being a universal chain, and instead focus on integrating with TradFi business, the outlook for layer2 may not be as pessimistic as people think.
Disclaimer: The content of this article solely reflects the author's opinion and does not represent the platform in any capacity. This article is not intended to serve as a reference for making investment decisions.
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