Blockchain technology is undergoing a silent — but decisive — transformation. The promise of a decentralized and secure internet remains alive, but for it to become truly scalable and accessible, new layers of innovation have been developed. And that's where the advances of the so-called 'Layer 2' solutions like Optimism and Arbitrum come in, along with the consolidation of Ethereum 2.0.

These technologies are radically changing how blockchain networks handle transactions, fees, and performance. But how do they work in practice? And why does it matter for the future of decentralized applications? We will tell you more about all this in this article.

The root of the problem: scalability

Blockchain was born to be secure and decentralized. But this security and decentralization come at a cost: performance. In the case of Ethereum, for example, the traditional network (Layer 1) can only process about 15 transactions per second — which is low compared to centralized systems like Visa's, which processes thousands per second.

In addition, network congestion leads to very high fees (gas fees), making it unfeasible for the average user to use simple applications like games, NFT marketplaces, or decentralized finance (DeFi) services.

That said, it's easy to understand how the bottleneck of expansion in the use of blockchain-based systems is precisely in the capacity to perform transactions simultaneously.

Layer 2: solutions that work in conjunction with the blockchain

Layer 2 solutions are protocols built on top of blockchains like Ethereum, aimed at relieving the load on the main network. Instead of recording each transaction directly on the blockchain, these solutions process the data 'off-chain' and then bundle and send it compactly to the main network.

Among the main types of Layer 2, we have:

  • Rollups: aggregate multiple transactions into a single proof. There are two main types:

    • Optimistic Rollups (ex: Optimism e Arbitrum): are based on the principle that transactions are valid but allow for dispute.
      ZK-Rollups: use mathematical proofs (zero-knowledge) to ensure the validity of transactions.

With these systems, it is possible to increase the transaction volume to thousands per second, at a fraction of the cost in fees. That is: expansion on both ends that until then represented real bottlenecks.

Ethereum 2.0: a new consensus model

Another advance that is changing the game is Ethereum's transition from the proof-of-work (PoW) model to proof-of-stake (PoS), completed with the so-called 'Merge'. Now, instead of relying on miners, the network is maintained by validators who lock (or 'stake') their ETH to process transactions and ensure security.

This update — part of the broader vision of Ethereum 2.0 — brings considerable gains:

  • Lower energy consumption (over 99% reduction);

  • Greater economic security;

  • Base ready for future upgrades, such as 'danksharding', which should further improve scalability.

Another recent change that draws attention and should unfold value by improving scalability is the so-called Pectra Update, a hard fork of Ethereum initiated in April 2025 that aims precisely to improve the usability of the network in terms of transactions per second and costs of each transaction.

The direct impact on decentralized applications (dApps)

With lower fees and faster transactions, the door is open for the growth of a new generation of decentralized applications. DeFi projects, blockchain-based games (GameFi), NFT marketplaces, and corporate solutions gain space to operate efficiently and scale to thousands (or millions) of users.

The Ethereum ecosystem, which already concentrates most of the DeFi applications in the market, can now expand with fewer barriers to entry for users and developers.

And this happens for a reasonably simple reason: if the limitation for using a technology is its capacity (and that capacity can be expanded), innovative solutions that use that technology become more accessible.

If that sounded like Greek, think of the comparison with the traditional financial system: one thing was buying Brazilian government bonds in the 1990s, which required having contacts and buying a huge amount through the bank, and another very different thing is making such acquisitions after the invention of Tesouro Direto, which allows the purchase of fractions of bonds (i.e., less value involved) in a market that operates 24 hours a day.

There are still some challenges for Layer 2

Despite the advances, mass adoption of Layer 2 still faces some obstacles:

  • User experience: integration between dApps, wallets, and different L2 networks still needs improvement;

  • Liquidity fragmentation: users and assets are spread across various solutions, making interoperability difficult;

  • Security and trust: although the fundamentals are solid, technical complexity still raises doubts for new participants.

With this, you now know that blockchain scalability solutions are not yet perfect, but you’ve learned about the points that have advanced and which still need improvement in the coming periods.

Layer 3: the new frontier of customization in blockchain

More recently, a new stage in this evolution is beginning to emerge: Layer 3. This layer is focused on more specific use cases, such as games, social networks, or corporate apps, offering more personalized environments on the infrastructure of L2 and Ethereum.

Projects like Xai (linked to Arbitrum) and zkSync Hyperchains are examples of this trend. The idea is to create lighter, scalable, and integrated applications while maintaining the underlying security but with a total focus on user experience.

Where do we go from here?

The combination of Ethereum 2.0 with the rise of Layer 2 represents a turning point for blockchain. We are moving away from the era of slow and expensive networks and entering a new moment, where scalability, efficiency, and decentralization can walk hand in hand.

And the story doesn't stop there. With the emergence of Layer 3, the ecosystem expands even further, allowing the creation of highly customized environments on top of the already optimized L2 structures. This paves the way for tailored solutions for sectors like gaming, social networks, and corporate platforms — always maintaining the security of the base layer.

As these innovations become more accessible, it's possible to imagine a future where interacting with the blockchain will be as simple as using a regular app. And perhaps you won't even realize you're doing it.

#blockchain #Layer2 #Layer3Networks

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