Linea, as an Ethereum Layer 2 network, was founded by ConsenSys and employs Type 2 zkEVM technology. This article delves into its technology, ecosystem development, unique tokenomics, and future roadmap. This article is sourced from a piece written by Jinse Finance, organized, translated, and authored by PANews. (Background: Countdown to Linea Airdrop: When L2 Starts to Benefit Ethereum) (Background Supplement: Will Etherex Take the First Shot Before Linea's Token Generation Event (TGE)?) Linea positions itself as "the Ethereum Layer 2 network born to enhance Ethereum." The mission seems simple, yet powerful. With Ethereum's price rebounding significantly over the past two months, nearing new highs, Linea has quickly become one of the most anticipated projects in the crypto space, especially with its upcoming token generation event (TGE). Essentially, Linea is not just another Layer 2 network — it is a zkEVM project designed to fully align with the Ethereum ecosystem while pushing Ethereum further. Founded by ConsenSys, the company behind crucial Ethereum infrastructure such as MetaMask and Infura, Linea benefits from strong institutional support and years of experience, underpinning core tools used by over 30 million users worldwide. Led by Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin, ConsenSys has raised $725 million from institutions like Microsoft, SoftBank, and Coinbase Ventures, providing solid backing for Linea's long-term development. Linea's Technology and Ethereum's Challenges The core challenge of Ethereum has always been scalability. Competing chains like Solana excel in speed and throughput, forcing Ethereum to rely on Rollups for scalability. The principle of Rollups is to bundle numerous Layer 2 transactions and submit them to Ethereum for settlement, with two methods: optimistic fraud proofs (requiring up to 7 days for final confirmation) and validity proofs (also known as ZK proofs), which are faster and more secure. Linea utilizes Type 2 zkEVM, meaning it is fully equivalent to EVM but not entirely equivalent to Ethereum. In practical applications, this allows developers to deploy Ethereum dApps on Linea without rewriting code while enjoying faster proof generation and lower costs. Linea aims to gradually transition to Type 1 zkEVM by 2026, achieving perfect compatibility with Ethereum. Reducing Costs and Enhancing User Experience Linea has already demonstrated its ability to enhance user experience, most notably by significantly reducing gas fees. In the Alpha V2 upgrade, it introduced a mechanism that aggregates multiple batches into a single proof, thereby reducing fixed costs, resulting in an average gas fee reduction of 66%. This positions Linea as one of the Layer 2 networks with the lowest transaction costs, establishing an advantage in attracting and retaining users. Core Features Driving Adoption Linea's design revolves around three main pillars: Ethereum Alignment—using ETH to pay gas fees to maintain consistency with Ethereum's native design; Native Yield—introducing token economic incentives at the network level; Multi-Rollup Network Architecture—building an ecosystem through interconnected different Rollups. Additionally, Linea employs a dual-burning mechanism: ETH transaction fees used in trades will burn both ETH and LINEA tokens. This mechanism tightly binds Linea's success to the health of Ethereum. Native Yield Mechanism and Ecosystem Flywheel Another major differentiated advantage of Linea is its native yield mechanism. Through integration with Lido, ETH bridged to Linea can be automatically staked, and the generated yield will flow back into the ecosystem to support liquidity and incentivize growth. This design creates a liquidity flywheel effect, which is expected to support Linea's long-term development, avoiding the boom and bust seen in other projects driven by short-term incentives. Linea positions itself not only as a Layer 2 network but also provides a complete set of tools through Linea Stack to help other projects build their own Rollups. This strategy is similar to Optimism's Superchain route, aiming to create broader network effects, ensure interoperability, and enhance cohesion across the ecosystem. Ecosystem Momentum and Tokenomics Linea's ecosystem is rapidly accumulating momentum. It has established connections with over 400 partners across DeFi, NFT, infrastructure, and AI sectors, including heavyweight protocols like Aave, PancakeSwap, SushiSwap, and Stargate. During the Surge event in 2024, its TVL reached $1.2 billion. Although there was a decline after the incentives ended, funds are flowing back as the TGE approaches. The decentralized exchange Etherex, which launched only a few weeks ago, saw its TVL surpass $120 million, indicating that ecosystem capital is recovering. Unlike many projects, Linea deliberately avoids allocating tokens to venture capital firms. Instead, it allocates 85% of tokens to the ecosystem, with only 15% reserved for ConsenSys, and has a five-year lockup period. In governance, Linea intentionally excludes token governance, with a Linea Consortium composed of trusted Ethereum organizations managing token issuance, allocations, and incentives. This design reduces regulatory risks and ensures a high degree of alignment with Linea's long-term vision for Ethereum. Outlook According to the roadmap, Linea plans to launch a series of key upgrades in the third and fourth quarters of 2025, including a new burning mechanism, gas limit increases, and the full implementation of the native yield mechanism. By 2026, Linea aims to achieve Type 1 zkEVM and increase network throughput to 5,000 transactions per second (TPS), while advancing more ambitious Ethereum instant proofs. Summary Linea is a bold experiment: without VC backing, ETH native yield, and Ethereum-first design, it is not just a scaling solution. Although there are still questions about its token model and long-term value capture, one thing is certain as the TGE approaches: Linea's goal is not just to expand Ethereum but to strengthen it.

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