Marc Boiron, CEO of Polygon, an Ethereum Layer 2 scaling solution, has voiced skepticism about the current push to develop Layer 3 (L3) applications, a new kind of Ethereum scaling solution.
In a social media post published on May 9, 2024, Boiron cited concerns that these L3 networks may heighten security risks for Ethereum by siphoning value from the network.
Boiron claimed that “L3s are worse than L2s” due to the inability to settle back to Ethereum quickly. He noted that L3 applications “always need to pass through their L2 overlords.”
Boiron’s comes after Optimism’s recent move to boost its blockchain throughput by integrating Layer 3 (L3) applications into its OP Stack. The team of Layer 2 Ethereum scaling solution provider, in a May 8 blog post, invited layer-3 application builders to join its “Superchain” and build their products on its “OP Stack.” They offered incentives for added revenue-sharing with the Optimism Collective.
According to the blog post, integrating layer-3 applications onto the OP Stack offers developers several benefits, including eligibility for retro funding, airdrops, and developer grant programs.
To support L3 builders, the Optimism team noted that they will introduce two key features on the OP stack: custom gas tokens and “Plasma Mode.” Custom gas tokens will enable developers to use a layer-2 token as the native gas token for a layer-3 protocol, reducing onboarding costs. Plasma Mode, on the other hand, will serve as an alternative to the data availability layer and help decrease the fixed overhead cost of operating an L3 compared to an L2.
According to Boiron, Layer 3 networks are built on Layer 2 networks only to benefit Layer 2 developers. In his words: “Why would anyone try to have L3s built on an L2? Devs of L2s do it to increase demand for block space on their L2 and lock in L3 network effects.”
Boiron, however, acknowledged that he can’t stop people from building Layer 3 networks even though he thinks it unnecessary. “Crypto is about freedom. Neither I nor Polygon Labs will try to dictate what people can build.”
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