The beginning of 2024 saw the emergence of multiple layer2; each promising to scale Ethereum, offer a high transaction throughput and reduce network fees. We will go over the major solutions and compare their performance.
The beginning
Polygon (Matic) was the first layer2 to get mass adoption. It is designed to improve the scalability and efficiency of Ethereum by offering faster and cheaper transactions while retaining the security and decentralization of the Ethereum blockchain. Polygon acts as a Proof of stake sidechain that does commit all transactions to Ethereum. It uses a technique called checkpointing to periodically batch and commit information about the state of the sidechain (transaction summary) to the Ethereum.
Zero-Knowledge Proofs
Zero-knowledge proofs are a well-established cryptographic concept that has been researched and developed by cryptographers for several decades. ZK-proofs are based on the idea that a party (the “prover”) can demonstrate to a different party (the “verifier”) that a statement is true without disclosing any specifics about the information itself. ZK-Rollup solutions will be developed by many players for scaling Ethereum
Polygon zkEVM
In order for Polygon to offer all the benefits of Ethereum’s security and compatibility with existing smart contracts, a new zkEVM solution is offered. zkEVM is a specific implementation of ZK-proofs on Ethereum Virtual Machine. The focus shifts to using ZK-proofs to commit transactions directly to Ethereum in a more efficient and secure way, rather than relying on periodic checkpoints. Polygon is not moving entirely to zkEVM but rather positioning it as one of several options within its broader ecosystem.
zkSync
zkSync uses ZK-Rollups but incorporates a unique virtual machine and transaction logic to optimize for scalability and developer flexibility. zkSync aims to provide compatibility with many Ethereum-based tools and smart contracts, but it does so by using a custom virtual machine called the zkSync VM. Since it’s a custom VM, developers might need to make slight modifications to their smart contracts. zkSync focuses on providing a developer-friendly environment while striving to support more advanced features. It is not as deeply tied to Ethereum’s architecture as zkEVM. zkSync is focused on more complex use cases such as account abstraction and native layer3 support.
Polygon POS vs zkEVM vs zkSync
Transactions fees on zkEVM and zkSync are paid in ETH. This lowers the demand on the native tokens MATIC and ZK. Polygon POS still uses MATIC as its transaction fee token.
MATIC will be migrated to POL. The goal is to use it as a core utility token that can help secure and scale multiple chains inclusing zkEVM. POL’s primary goal is to be used for staking to secure all of Polygon’s chains and may be used as a transaction token.
zkSync just launched its native token ZK. For now, it is mostly a governance token that allows users to vote on protocol upgrades. It is used for staking and securing the network, but it’s still not used for transaction fees. It might be used to pay for transaction fees on the different chains that launch of zkSync, so its future depends on new interconnected ZK chains.
The price of ZK token has not performed well following the airdrop, probably because of lack of utility. The migration from MATIC to POL did not help the token gain in value. POL and ZK have a potential, but they greatly depend on the chain’s adoption. Polygon will be more suited for general purpose applications while Zksync will be more suited for specific applications.
Let’s do a comparison of Polygon vs Zksync:
token price
total supply
Fully diluted Market Cap
TVL
zksync
0.13$
21b
2.6b
136M
Polygon
0.38$
10.2b
3.9b
900M Polygon + 14M Zkevm
In terms of zk technology, we can see that zksync has more adoption, while polygon relies more on its legacy. However, both chains are facing stiff competition.
Optimistic rollups
Optimistic Rollups is a Layer 2 scaling solution that garnered considerable interest due to its ability to process more transactions efficiently while utilizing Ethereum’s security. Unlike ZK-Rollups, which employ cryptographic proofs for transaction validation, Optimistic Rollups operate on the premise that transactions are inherently valid but incorporate a dispute resolution mechanism (fraud proofs) to address any disputes. If a transaction is fraudulent, the fraud proof triggers a challenge period, and the invalid transaction can be reverted. ZK-Rollups deliver quicker finality by eliminating the challenge period. On the other hand, Optimistic Rollups are typically more convenient for developers to develop and maintain in terms of EVM-compatibility, making them more developer-friendly in the immediate future.
Optimism and Arbitrum One
Both optimism and arbitrum are implementations of Optimistic rollups. Both are very fast, low fee and more fluid to use compared to zkSync. Let’s compare them:
token price
total supply
Fully diluted Market Cap
TVL
Optimism
1.6$
4.3b
6.8b
640M
Arbitrum
0.55$
10b
5.5b
2.4b
Considering the total supply, OP token is performing better than ARB token, however Arbitrum has much more adoption. This might be because OP is considered by many as an exposure to the Base network. Both chains use ETH as transaction fee, which makes their token more of a governance/staking rather than a utility token.
Superchains
Optimism developed the OP stack, which is an open source modular framework developed that enables the creation and deployment of custom Layer 2 solutions (or Optimistic Rollups) on Ethereum. It is part of Optimism’s vision of a superchain to foster a vibrant ecosystem of Layer 2 networks, allowing developers to easily build their own scaling solutions tailored to specific use cases. The OP token does not benefit directly from the OPStack.
We can find a similarity with the Cosmos ecosystem, where blockchains can use Cosmos to spin off new interconnected chains. The ATOM token was not directly benefiting from the ecosystem growth. Some proposals were made to inscease the utility of the ATOM token, but it did not have a great traction so far. OP and ATOM token both get their value from speculation and their future role in their ecosystem. For example, while Base network reached a profit sharing agreement with Optimism, it does not translate directly to profits for the OP token.
Arbitrum orbit offers an alternative to the OPstack that enables developers to create and deploy custom Layer 2 solutions (also known as rollups) on the Arbitrum ecosystem.
Base and Mode
Base and Mode are two chains that are developed using the OPstack. While Base is developed by Coinbase with a goal of mass retail adoption, Mode is a chain dedicated initially for gaming.
token price
total supply
Fully diluted Market Cap
TVL
Mode
0.01$
10b
112M
303M
Base
No token
–
–
2.24b
We can see that the Mode network is not getting much traction. Most of the remaining TVL is temporary and aiming at the season 2 of the airdrop. Season 2 will dilute the token even more. Mode has received many fundings from optimism and it’s switching its narrative to AI-powered financial applications. This new niche might help it recover for the future.
Base continues to attract widespread retail adoption despite not offering an airdrop. Its achievements can be attributed to effective marketing strategies, a reliable network, and the adoption of meme coins. Although Scroll and Linea incentivize liquidity provision with airdrops, Base’s higher Total Value Locked (TVL) sets it apart as a network.
Linea and scroll
Linea and Scroll are the two leading zkRollup solutions. Scroll is more focused on zkEVM for full compatibility with Ethereum. Linea is developed by Consensys, a leading blockchain software company, which works on products like MetaMask and Infura. As of today, Linea is more fluid than Scroll.
Both have a competing airdrop campaign which is supposed to attract a lot of liquidity. Linea expecting as much as 3b. However, Linea has a 500 M TVL while Scroll has around 700M. This TVL does not compare this the 2.24b that is locked at Base, which does not offer a clear airdrop. Most of the TVL in Linea and Scroll will probably go towards newer projects once the airdrop campaigns end.
Mantle
Mantle is an optimistic rollup layer2. Mantle’s primary use cases include supporting DeFi applications, NFT platforms, and gaming dApps that require fast, low-cost transactions while maintaining security.
token price
total supply
Fully diluted Market Cap
TVL
Mantle
0.6$
6.2b
3.7b
415M + 1.2b ETH LRT
Mantle looks like a strong contender in the layer2 market. It was able to capture a good chunk of Ethereum’s LRT market with its meTH token and the COOK airdrop. Mantle’s marketing around the PUFF meme coin was brilliant. Another distinction is the usage of MNT token for transaction fees, which shows confidence at this early stage.
Dapps are launching their own chain
An increasing number of decentralized applications (dapps) are opting to create their own blockchain. This gives them more options and adaptability for their offerings. For instance, prominent decentralized exchanges (DEXs) and perpetual exchanges are establishing their blockchains. Logx has launched using the Arbitrum orbit stack, while Aevo is utilizing the OP stack. This move will strengthen the positions of both Arbitrum and Optimism as superchains rather than just Layer 2 solutions. The success of their respective tokens within the Superchain ecosystem will be crucial in determining their success, as the primary focus now lies in innovation rather than revenue generation.
Upcoming Layer2 – Does the market need more solutions?
New Layer2 projects such as Mintchain, redstone, fraxtal, ZetaChain, and Taiko are emerging. Each chain is targeting a specific market niche and many of them are built on a superchain. Platforms like Dymension are simplifying the process of launching new rollups. The market is rapidly becoming saturated, while Solana continues to thrive without requiring layer2 solutions. Several layer2 projects on Ethereum are expected to shift their focus to serve as a layer2 solution for Bitcoin. The layer2s that will stand out after the bull run and airdrop hype are over will probably be Base, Mantle and Linea.
The $COOK token is the future governance token for Mantle’s LRT token $mETH. Mantle eth is an LRT similar to EtherFi’s eeth implemented by Mantel. $mETH appreciates over time from staking and restaking rewards.
We will go through 4 easy ways to farm the $COOK airdrop.
Methamorphosis campaign
The first step is to register to Metamorphosis campaign and start accumulating powder. You can accumulate powder by simply holding mETH in your wallet. You can get multipliers by participating in DEFI. Depending on your risk tolerance, you can also loop your assets and use leverage to maximize your powder. You can also deposit mETH in Karak (invite code absd6, Egi8A) and farm Karak at the same time.
Mantle reward station
If you are bullish on Mantle’s MNT token, you can head to Mantle’s reward station and lock your tokens. The longer you lock your tokens, the more rewards you get. By using the reward station, you know exactly how many COOK token you are getting every day. With the Methamorphosis campaign, we still don’t know the conversion rate between powder and COOK.
Pendle.finance
You can participate in pendle’s liquidity pools for an extra multiplier. With pendle, you have the interesting YT option where you can literally “buy” points. So by buying even a small portion of YT, it is equivalent to depositing a much larger amount of mETH. However note that any YT you buy will have 0$ value at maturity (25 dec) and the value decreases every day, so you are literally buying powder.
$PUFF token
A portion of the $COOK token will go to the PUFF community. So holding the $PUFF token might make you eligible for the $COOK airdrop, however, we do not know if there’s a minimum to hold, what is the earning potential or whether you will have to exchange your PUFF for COOK. However if you are bullish on PUFF, it might be a good option.
Don’t forget to do your own research since there’s a lot of layers of risk involved in farming.
Layer3 offers unique interactive experiences that help users discover new blockchain protocols and earn via perpetual incentives. By completing quests, users get the chance to interact with new token less protocols and get the chance to be eligible for future airdrops while building their online identities.
For new projects, Layer3 offers an engaging platform where they can build their communities, drive adoption and network growth. Layer3 has many solid competitors, however it distinguishes itself with smaller easy to complete quests.
Layer3 and Mercle both have hinted that they are aiming for a decentralized model that is user owned. This means that a potential airdrop is possible. For layer3, to be eligible, you will have to complete at least 100 quests that offer a CUBE NFT. Each cube costs around 0.25$ excluding network fees. To complete each quest, you will have to complete some tasks on different platforms, provide liquidity, do some bridging, some swapping, etc…
Each quest will have a cost and a small capital will be needed. On average, you should expect to burn between 100 to 200$, so you will have to do your own research and see if it’s worth it to embark on this journey. As of today, there’s 18 days left for season 1. It’s important to note that the first 100 cube will get you eligible for season 1, so you will have to expect more seasons to follow. Once the 100 cubes are collected, you will get the following message:
Comparison
What would a future token be worth? It’s impossible to predict, but let’s compare with Galxe which already have a token:
Users: 17M users for Galxe versus 1.1M for Layer3
Layer3 has over 49M quest completion, while Galxe has over 73k campaigns launched by 5k different brands.
We can see that Galxe is more advanced than layer3 and it offers more products such as a galxe passport for sybil protection.
Presently Galxe’s token is worth 4.32$. It is up from the 1$ range during the bear market. It has 200M total supply with 50% of the tokens already in circulation. The market cap is around 0.5b with a diluted market cap of 0.86b.
While it is not clear what is the net revenue of Layer3 or Galxe, so the token price is based solely on speculation. However GAL token is used for the following:
Governance token
Paying for application module fee
Paying for Galxe oracle engine and credential API
Curating Digital credentials
We can see that the GAL token is not simply a governance token, but is also a utility token used to pay for Galxe core services. This could drive the price up when Galxe services are in high demand. So the platform adoption is directly correlated with the token price.
Most of the protocol fee will go to credential curators and the rest goes to All the protocol fees go to the Galxe Community treasury. It would be interesting if a portion of the fees goes to the GAL token holders.
By comparing Layer3 to Galxe, Layer3 will have a smaller market cap and the value of its potential future token will depend on the utility it will have within the ecosystem and what benefits it will have for token holders.
ZetaChain is the first “omnichain” layer1 blockchain. Applications deployed on ZetaChain can access most of crypto chains. Instead of deploying an application on every chain, developers can now deploy on ZetaChain and target any blockchain. This simplifies the interoperability and messaging between chains. This also helps the development of smart contracts on a blockchain that does not support them natively, like dogecoin.
In short, ZetaChain is a full blockchain that can tap into any blockchain, bridge and transfer assets between blockchains.
Zeta coin
Unlike other emerging layer 2 solutions for Ethereum, Zetachain has its own utility token. Zeta token is used to pay for transaction fees. This keeps gas fees relatively cheap on Zetachain and removes any dependance on Ethereum.
However, if an interaction with another chain has to be done, that part of the interaction has to be be paid in the native token. More information about the fees could be found on that page.
To facilitate the payment of transaction in the native tokens, ZetaChain uses core liquidiy pools. Anyone can contribute to the pools and earn fees.
How it works
ZetaChain is a Proof-of-Stake blockchain built on the Cosmos SDK and Tendermint Consensus. In order for ZetaChain to be able to interact with many blockchains, it needs to have an account on each chain. ZetaChain smart contract layer orchestrates the logic and if an interaction with an external blockchain has to be done, it will be done through this privileged account. This account can custody assets on that chain, mint tokens, burn and NFT to transfer it, etc… The concept is simple, however this has to be done in a decentralized manner without a single point of failure. For example, if any validator has access to the private keys of this account, it has full access to the assets and can compromise them.
To counter this, ZetaChain uses a multi-party threshold signature. In short, the private key is generated without a dealer and it is distributed in all the validators. So no validator can reconstitute the full private key and use it independently. So the generation of the key and the signing procedures are done by Multi-Party Computation (MPC) and no secrets are revealed to any participating node.
Risks
ZetaChain is a new blockchain that is still not battle tested. An extensive research should be done before investing in the platform.
Airdrop
ZetaChain is conducting a second round of its token airdrop. To participate, in the airdrop, you can complete simple tasks on ZetaHub and earn experience points that could make you eligible.
Where to get ZETA
Many centralized exchange offer ZETA coin. The token is available on MEXC. As of today, the cost of withdrawing ZETA from MEXC is 0.1 ZETA, which is reasonable. If you need to transfer the token on chain to experiment with the blockchain, make sure you withdraw on the ZETA network and that your offline wallet supports the ZETA chain. Only withdraw the ERC20 ZETA on the Ethereum network if you need it on that chain for some, however, this could be costly.
Ethereum staking is the process of participating in the proof-of-stake consensus mechanism of the Ethereum blockchain. Staking became possible since the blockchain transitioned from proof-of-work to a proof-of-stake as part of Ethereum 2.0 upgrade.
In a proof-of-stake system, validators are chosen to create new blocks and validate transactions based on the number of coins they stake as collateral. Validators have a financial interest in the correct validation of transactions, as they risk losing their staked funds if they act maliciously.
Users can participate by becoming validators or by delegating their coins to existing validators. In return for their participation, validators and delegators may receive rewards in the form of additional cryptocurrency.
Liquid staking
Liquid staking makes the process of staking more flexible. Instead of locking their funds, users obtain staking tokens indicating their staked position. Because these coins are not locked up for a predetermined amount of time, they can be exchanged on different platforms. They can also be utilized in other decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols. By using liquid staking, users can maintain their liquidity without having to wait for a set amount of time for the unstaking period to end. However this may include more levels of complexity and hazards, despite its flexibility.
Liquid staked tokens are most of the time reward bearing token. So native rewards that are generated from staking are captured by the protocol and reflected in the price of the token. However, liquid staking offers generally less rewards compared to native staking.
Restaking
Restaking is a new concept that lets users restake their staked ETH to secure new protocols. In other words, Ethereum’s secure network can be reused or rented to power new projects. Because of the extra utility of the tokens, the advantage for restakers is additionnal yields.
Risks
There’s a lot of risks in staking, so you will have to do a deep research. Here’s a short list:
Slashing Risk: Validators may be subject to penalties, including the potential loss of staked funds, if they behave maliciously or fail to follow network rule.
Network Security: Malicious actors could attempt to compromise the network’s security
Market Volatility: The value of the staked cryptocurrency may fluctuate with market conditions
Bugs or vulnerabilities in the protocol
For liquid staking:
Smart Contract Risks: The code for interacting with liquid staking could contain vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers.
Liquidity Risks: Liquidity in the secondary market for liquid staking tokens may be lower than for the native staked tokens, leading to potential challenges in buying or selling these tokens.
Custodial Risks if applicable
Protocol Upgrades
How to stake your ETH
Staking your ETH on Ethereum’s main network can be expensive depending of gas fees. We will look at different ways to stake your Ethereum and cheaper alternatives.
Ether.fi
Ether.fi is a leading liquid staking platform. What makes ether.fi stand out is that they will natively restake your liquid staked tokens on EigenLayer in the background, which will provide you with additional rewards.
The staking process is simple, you can even provide stETH or cbETH (staked tokens with other platforms):
For now, ether.fi is only available on the Ethereum mainnet, so staking a small amount could not be profitable considering the gas fees.
As of today, staking with ether.fi gives you points for ether.fi and Eigenlayer. These loyalty points could be eligible for a future airdrop by both platforms.
Renzo Protocol
Renzo protocol is similar to ether.fi. It uses Figment as a validator and it will enable restaking for additional yields.
However, Renzo now supports Arbitrum and Binance chain. Staking your ETH on these chains is much more affordable.
Renzo also offers Eigenlayer loyalty points as well as its own Renzo ezPoints for possible future airdrops.
Kelp DAO
KelpDAO is a similar platform that offers Eigenlayer points and its own loyalty points as well. For now it’s only available on Ethereum mainnet.
Pendle Finance
Pendle.finance offers a diverse way to get exposure for ethereum restaking and for the different loyalty points exposure. It also offers these programs on the Ethereum mainnet as well as Arbitrum:
Here are the programs for Arbitrum network:
Pendle.finance offers a multiplier for the points and for each program it offers 3 ways of getting involved:
Purchase YT: Basically you are purchasing the points and giving up your deposit. The downside is that when you “purchase” the points you don’t know exactly how much they are worth.
Provide liquidity to the pool: This will help you to retains most points and earn additional revenue from the pool swapping fees. However, you have additional risk of impermanent loss.
Purchase PT: By purchasing PT, you give up on the points you are eligible to for a fixed yield. The downside is that the points might make you eligible for an an airdrop that is worth more than the yield.
As we can see, pendle offers many options, each with its own risk/reward level.
In our last article, we talked about Rainbow wallet, which is a good alternative to metamask. In this article, we will talk about Rabby wallet, another solid alternative to metamask.
Rabby wallet is an open source crypto wallet built by DeBank. DeBank is a Web3 messenger that lets you send and receive messages to a Web3 address. Debank offers a powerful dashboard that gives you a summary of your assets and investments. You will be able to find all the liquidity pools that you contributed to on many chains. That is very helpful in case we lost track to which pools and protocols we have already deposited to. DeBank also flags the scam transactions in your transaction history. We can’t prevent our wallet from receiving scam transactions for now, so it’s very important to understand them and not to fall to the promising scam NFT we keep receiving:
Rabby wallet offers a seamless multi-chain experience for DeFi users. It uses a pre-transaction potential risk scanning to prevent you of any risk and before you sign a transaction, the balance change will be displayed.
Rabby offers a points system that rewards users for different actions like swapping through the wallet. You can use this code RBYPOINTS to boost your points.
Once you install the wallet, you can connect your hardware wallet, create a new wallet or import an existing one. After the initial setup, you can claim your rabby badge from debank by clicking on the More icon:
And claim your badge:
There are a few steps to complete, essentially making a swap transaction:
Once completed, you can claim DeBank testnet tokens:
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