Ethereum Layer-2 Solutions Surpass Mainnet in Transaction Volume

Layer-2 Solutions Lead in Transactions

Arbitrum and Optimism, prominent Ethereum Layer-2 scaling projects, have outpaced Ethereum mainnet in transaction processing. On January 10, these protocols collectively processed 1.12 million transactions, exceeding Ethereum's 1.02 million. This shift underscores the efficiency of Layer-2 solutions in managing high transaction volumes.

Optimism Takes the Lead

Optimism has surpassed Arbitrum in transaction volume and daily active addresses, marking a significant milestone in its growth. Despite Arbitrum not having a token, it remains the leader in total value locked (TVL), boasting $2.33 billion compared to Optimism's $1.27 billion. Together, these protocols hold over 80% market share in the Layer-2 sector.

Efficiency and Cost Reduction

Arbitrum and Optimism utilize optimistic rollups, which bundle large transactions off-chain before confirming them on Ethereum mainnet. This method dramatically lowers gas fees and increases transaction speed. Since October of the previous year, Layer-2 solutions have consistently reported higher transactions per second (TPS) than Ethereum mainnet, with Layer-2s achieving 18.91 TPS against Ethereum's 12.28 TPS.

Future Prospects and Challenges

Despite their success, optimistic rollups are often seen as less advanced than zero-knowledge rollups. However, no general-purpose zero-knowledge rollups are currently operational on the mainnet. The increase in Layer-2 activity might be linked to airdrop hunting, yet the migration of users to these platforms is promising. It highlights the potential for enhanced throughput and lower fees compared to the Ethereum mainnet.