Ethereum remains the core of Web3, but its scalability depends on Layer 2. In 2025, the battle between Arbitrum, Optimism, zkSync, and Starknet reached a new level — with billions in TVL, thousands of dApps, and the implementation of EIP-4844.
Arbitrum remains the leader in TVL — around $19.3 billion, with over 2,200 dApps and fees ranging from $0.05 to $0.42. It uses an optimistic architecture and is actively developing DAO infrastructure.
zkSync is the leader in speed and transaction costs: over 100 TPS, fees below $0.01, around 1,100 dApps. It is built on a SNARK basis and integrates zkPorter for scaling.
Starknet offers cryptographic depth through STARK rollup, with TPS in the range of 30–60, fees around $0.03, and Validium mechanics.
Optimism is a stable player with ~1,300 dApps, fees around $0.10, and OP Stack architecture, actively used in corporate solutions.
With the launch of EIP-4844 (proto-danksharding) in July 2025, all L2s gained access to cheaper blob data. This reduced fees by 30–60% and accelerated finalization. zk solutions (especially zkSync and Starknet) scale better — they have already integrated blob storage and Validium mechanics.
Danksharding is in the testing phase but is already impacting architecture: L2s are starting to build Layer 3 (Arbitrum Orbit, zkSync Hyperchains) to isolate load and customize security.
There is currently no single leader. Arbitrum is the leader in TVL and ecosystem, zkSync in speed and fees, Starknet in cryptographic depth. Fragmentation persists, but multi-chain connectivity is emerging: LayerZero, Wormhole, Hyperlane are uniting L2 into a single network.
#Layer2Wars #Arbitrum #zkSync. #starknet #eip4844 #Danksharding #Write2Earn
