Compilation of the original text: Mary Liu, Bitui BitpushNews

Compilation of the original text: Mary Liu, Bitui BitpushNews

A year ago, the “big four” leaders in Ethereum’s Layer 2 (L2) scaling solutions track were: Arbitrum, Optimism, zkSync, and StarkNet. However, with the arrival of Polygon zkEVM this year, we can call it the "Big Five". But beyond these major players, what other L2 potentials are there?

In order to answer this question, we will delve into 5 L2 projects that recently launched testnets and have great future potential. In this article, we will delve into these emerging L2s and teach you how to interact early.

There are good reasons to explore L2, as these scaling solutions will absolutely thrive in terms of adoption, and it has never been clearer that Ethereum's future will depend on a rich and diverse L2 ecosystem.

1、Base

Coinbase recently launched Base, an optimistic-style L2 Rollup, and the cryptocurrency exchange giant is building on Optimism's OP Stack and plans to launch a mainnet later this year.

Coinbase had previously considered launching an L1 blockchain similar to Binance Smart Chain, but opted for an interoperable, ethereum-based solution. That said, Base aims to be a permissionless L2 with an emphasis on decentralization and security. Coinbase will be the sole orderer for rollup at genesis, though the company plans to transition to a permissionless validator set over time.

Through this L2, Coinbase plans to position itself as the main gateway to on-chain activity, one that can plug users directly into the Web3 world. With 110 million verified users, Coinbase's L2 is well positioned to succeed over time, and while the team currently has no plans to launch a BASE token, plans aren't always set in stone and users can keep an eye on them.

How to interact with Base

Base is still in the testnet stage. To try out the network, you first need to add the Base Goerli Testnet to your wallet.

The Coinbase Wallet browser extension supports testnets by default, or it can be found in the Coinbase Wallet app via the More Networks and Testnets tabs. For other wallets like MetaMask, a service like ChainList can be used to quickly add a testnet.

When you're ready, you can use Base Bridge to practice bridging funds between Ethereum's Goerli Testnet and Base Goerli. If you need some Goerli ETH or Base Goerli ETH to get started, Coinbase offers a faucet system that distributes small amounts of test tokens daily. In addition to the bridge, software engineer and NFT expert cygaar has created a test NFT contract on Base that you may also consider minting from.

2. Fuel

Fuel is an L2 developed by Fuel Labs to leverage L1 blockchains' ongoing shift to a modular design to increase bandwidth capacity.

The project aims to be the fastest and most efficient execution layer of the modular blockchain stack, while being highly secure and flexible.

Zooming out, Fuel's technology is built on three core pillars: parallel transaction execution, the Fuel Virtual Machine (FuelVM), and a user-friendly developer experience using Sway. Parallel transaction execution allows for better computation and processing speed, FuelVM reduces wasteful processing and expands the potential design space for developers, and Sway provides a powerful development experience.

How to interact with Fuel

Fuel L2 is currently in the Beta-3 testnet stage. So to try this scaling solution you first need to do the following steps:

• Download the Fuel wallet and follow the installation instructions at https://wallet.fuel.network/docs/install/

• Go to Fuel Beta-3 Faucet and get test ETH at https://faucet-beta-3.fuel.network/

With your initial preparations in place, you can start exploring early Fuel use cases. To see what options are currently available, it is recommended to look at the "Ecosystem" tab on fuel.build. You might consider SwaySwap, the first decentralized exchange on Fuel.

3. Linea

Ethereum software giant ConsenSys recently launched a public testnet for its zero-knowledge Ethereum Virtual Machine (zkEVM), now renamed Linea, after previously launching a private testnet for the new L2 in January 2023.

Linea aims to power a new generation of decentralized applications built on top of Ethereum, and notably, the scaling solution will natively integrate with ConsenSys’ widely used MetaMask wallet and Truffle developer toolkit.

How to interact with Linea

Support for the Linea testnet can be easily added to wallets like MetaMask using ChainList. Once that's done, you can use the Goerli deployment of the Hop bridge to send some Goerli test ETH to Linea to try out the upcoming L2. As for what to test, the aforementioned cygaar created an NFT contract and two ERC 20 on Linea, you can try to interact with it.

4.Scroll

Scroll is a zkEVM, one of the next-generation upstarts in the Ethereum L2 scaling scene. The project's architecture consists of three main infrastructure components: Scroll Node, Roller Network, and Rollup and Bridge Contracts.

The Scroll Node builds L2 blocks starting from user transactions, submits them to the Ethereum base layer, and manages messaging between L1 and L2. It consists of three modules: Sequencer, Coordinator and Relayer. Roller Network generates proof of zkEVM validity to ensure correct execution of transactions. Finally, Rollup and Bridge Contracts provide data availability and allow users to move assets between Ethereum and Scroll.

By leveraging Scroll's infrastructure, developers will be able to execute native EVM bytecode in an advanced L2 environment while maintaining the strong security guarantees from Ethereum's base layer.

How to interact with Scroll

In February 2023, the Scroll team launched an Alpha testnet for its zkEVM. To try out the testnet, you can visit https://scroll.io/alpha and add support for Scroll to your wallet using the "Connect Wallet" button provided. Once done, you can test sending Goerli ETH over Scroll Bridge, a fork of Hop.

5. Taiko

Taiko is another zkEVM in development that aims to extend Ethereum by eventually supporting all EVM opcodes in its L2 architecture. Taiko is designed to run Ethereum smart contract code without any changes, allowing developers to easily migrate their existing applications to L2 without implementing new code.

Technically, Taiko consists of three main parts: the zkEVM system for proof generation, L2 rollup nodes for managing the rollup chain, and the L1 protocol for rollup protocol verification.

How to try Taiko

Summarize

Summarize

In conclusion, the Ethereum L2 ecosystem is rapidly expanding, and in addition to the L2 "big five" mentioned at the beginning of this article, new and promising scaling solutions are on the horizon.

The emerging L2s highlighted in this article — Base, Fuel, Linea, Scroll, and Taiko — demonstrate the growing diversity of competitors and the potential to enhance scalability, efficiency, and user experience in the Ethereum network.

As these projects progress through their testnet phases and into production, they are likely to play a key role in shaping the future of Ethereum, driving adoption, and enabling a more prosperous, interconnected ecosystem. Keep an eye on these L2s, explore their testnets, and take advantage of potential L2 airdrops!