Layer 2 Scaling Solutions
Process transactions faster and cheaper off the main chain
Ethereum L1: ~15 TPS, $1-50+ per tx. L2s batch hundreds of transactions and post proofs back to L1.
| L2 | Type | TPS | Avg Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arbitrum | Optimistic Rollup | ~4,000 | ~$0.01 |
| Optimism | Optimistic Rollup | ~2,000 | ~$0.02 |
| Base | Optimistic Rollup | ~2,000 | ~$0.01 |
| zkSync | ZK Rollup | ~3,000 | ~$0.03 |
| Polygon zkEVM | ZK Rollup | ~2,000 | ~$0.02 |
Blockchains like Ethereum can only process about 15-30 transactions per second. Visa processes about 65,000. This fundamental limitation, known as the scalability problem, is the biggest barrier to mainstream adoption. Layer 2 (L2) solutions are the answer.
Layer 2 Comparison
Leading Ethereum scaling solutions by type, speed, and liquidity
| L2 | Type | TPS | TVL | Avg Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arbitrum | Optimistic Rollup | 40,000 | $15B+ | $0.01-0.10 |
| Optimism | Optimistic Rollup | 2,000 | $7B+ | $0.01-0.10 |
| Base | Optimistic Rollup | 2,000 | $10B+ | <$0.01 |
| zkSync | ZK Rollup | 2,000 | $1B+ | $0.01-0.05 |
| StarkNet | ZK Rollup | 500 | $500M+ | $0.01-0.05 |