A list of the latest L2 pattern, which Ethereum L2 solution is your favorite?
Editor's Note: This article comes fromBabbitt Information (ID: bitcoin8btc), by Kyle, published with permission.
Editor's Note: This article comes from
Babbitt Information (ID: bitcoin8btc)
Babbitt Information (ID: bitcoin8btc)
, by Kyle, published with permission.
Last year saw a spike in demand for the use of ethereum block space. The recent attention has caused transaction fees on the Ethereum network (i.e. ETH gas prices) to sometimes rise to painful levels.
On the bright side, this shows that the base layer of Ethereum is very useful, and many people are bidding each other for timely transaction processing.
Instead, for ethereum to continue to move toward the mainstream, it needs to scale so that it can provide instant and cheap transactions and serve the needs of billions of users, not just thousands.
The good news, then, is that an ecosystem of Layer 2 (L2) scaling solutions is already thriving around Ethereum and giving the masses a way to scale Ethereum in a variety of ways. We say "Layer 2 (L2)" because these innovations work by attaching to Ethereum from the periphery of the blockchain, rather than by making modifications to the base layer of this smart contract platform.
Over the next few years, Ethereum will eventually scale L1 (i.e. the base layer) through sharding, dividing Ethereum’s activity across 64 main chains instead of 1.
state channel
side chain
Rollup
side chain
Optimistic Rollup（ORU）
zkRollup（ZRU）
Plasma
Validium
Source: Token Terminal
state channel
image description
side chain
Source: Token Terminal
Rollups
State channels ease the burden on Ethereum’s base layer by facilitating off-chain transactions. State channels require users to deposit a snapshot of Ethereum’s state into a multisig contract (unlike how users deposit bitcoin into Lightning Network’s payment channels). This state will contain key data such as the address's ETH holdings at a given time. Such a system allows for free off-chain transactions with instant finality and superior privacy.
side chain
Sidechains are independent blockchains with their own independent consensus rules that transfer Ethereum transactions in escrow to reduce the burden on the Ethereum mainnet.
Rollups are similar to advanced non-custodial sidechains that can broadly scale the throughput capabilities of the Ethereum mainnet. So far, Rollup has four main directions: Optimistic Rollup (ORU), zkRollups (ZRU), Plasma chain and Validium chain.
Connext
image description
Source: buildblockchain.tech
Depending on whether these four directions are dealing with data storage on-chain (ZRU, ORU) or off-chain (Plasma, Validium), and whether they are via zero-knowledge validity proofs (ZRU, Validium) or via deposit slashing Fraud proofs (ORU, Plasma), compare them.
List of mainstream Ethereum L2 projects
Category: State Channel
TPS：70
TPS: Unlimited
POA Network
Connext is a state channel project that aims not only to be Ethereum's L2 solution, but also to be the cross-chain routing center for many of Ethereum's L2 solutions. One of the concerns in the early L2 space was that these L2 projects were too isolated from each other. Connext's new crossover L2 transport system can play a key role in ensuring that this problem does not become a serious problem in the future.
TPS：70
xDai chain
Optimism
Category: Sidechain
TPS：+20,000
The xDai chain is an EVM-based sidechain designed to facilitate transactions in an extremely fast and stable manner. The project is based on its STAKE token, which is staked by consensus providers to secure the sidechain. Due to its high efficiency, xDai has grown in popularity in recent weeks.
Category: Sidechain
Fuel
Like xDai, POA Network is an EVM-based sidechain that relies on a set of trusted validators to facilitate fast and cheap transactions. The solution is suitable for supporting anything from blockchain games to community currencies.
TPS：+20,000
Category: ORU
zkSync
Notable projects adopting this scheme: Uniswap, Compound, Synthetix
TPS：+20,000
Optimism, an ORU implementation, is gaining early traction among some of the big DeFi players like Synthetix. Optimism built OVM, an L2-based EVM that enables projects to enjoy all the benefits of Ethereum L1 smart contracts on L2. And, Optimism is already in the process of facilitating the launch of its mainnet, so the benefits of L2 are just around the corner.
Category: ORU
With the first version of Fuel going live on December 31, 2020, Fuel becomes the first ORU implementation to hit the Ethereum mainnet. The great promise of this L2 solution is ultra-fast and ultra-efficient token payments. In fact, the project’s goal is nothing more than to be “the value exchange layer on Earth.”
Category: ZRU
TPS：+16,000
Notable projects using this scheme: Curve, Gitcoin, Balancer, Argent
StarkEx
zkSync, created by Matter Labs, is a ZRU-based L2 scaling solution that uses zero-knowledge proofs to provide high throughput and high security. Ethereum projects that have integrated with zkSync include Gitcoin and Golem.
TPS：+20,000
Loopring
Loopring is the first zkRollup project deployed to Ethereum and has been running on mainnet for over a year now. Loopring's ZRU-based technology is currently focused on scaling decentralized exchanges (AMMs and order books) and payments. The technology is already available in Loopring version 3.6, which also includes the Loopring Exchange and Loopring Wallet products.
in conclusion
Category: Validum
