How Etherlink expands Tezos without replacing what made it matter.
A familiar library, upgraded quietly: sunlight warms the shelves while new tools sit ready on every desk.
I remember when the internet finally showed up at my local library.
Until then, it had always been this calm, reliable place. Rows of books, that soft shuffle of the card catalog, and a librarian who always knew where to find whatever odd subject I was into.
That was more than enough.
When the Library Changed
Then, one day, a few bulky monitors showed up, and they set up a public terminal near the reference desk. You had to sign up for 30-minute slots. The connection was slow. The screens flickered. But to me, the walls had shifted a little. It felt like the library had opened up to something bigger.
The library stayed the same, but its reach expanded.
Things didn’t change all at once. The books were still there, even with a web browser on the screen. Some got scanned and put online. Others didn’t. Audiobooks showed up on CDs, then as downloads. DVDs had their shelf. The formats changed, but the purpose stayed the same: providing people access to their needs.
That’s what Etherlink feels like to me.
Still the same blueprint. Just with more room to build. What Etherlink Actually Is
Etherlink isn’t a reset or a rebrand. It’s an addition: a new format, another way in. The Tezos main chain stays right where it is, still doing what it does best. Etherlink allows people to build with the tools they already know and how they’re used to working. It’s like a new road that just opened that takes you to the same place, but with a different route.
People call Etherlink a “Layer 2,” and technically, that’s true. It runs on top of the Tezos main chain using smart rollup technology and posts its data and finality back to Layer 1.
But when most people hear “L2,” they picture something else: sidechains loosely attached to a network or systems that only occasionally check in with the base chain.
That’s not how Tezos does things. Etherlink doesn’t drift off on its own. Etherlink relies on Tezos for security, governance, upgrades, and finality. Every transaction, every confirmation, and every permanent record still flows through the main chain.
The system is layered, but it holds together. That’s the difference.
Calling Etherlink an “L2” can set the wrong expectation. It sounds like a separate network when it’s just another way to use the same one. Structurally, it stays aligned with Tezos. That’s what makes it different.
A modern entrance in a familiar building. New doors, same foundation. Why It Still Feels Like Tezos
I’ve heard people say, “It doesn’t even feel like Tezos,” and I get why. It’s fast. It works with Ethereum tools. It has its branding. The entry point feels different, like a separate door with glass panels and motion sensors.
But that door leads into the same building. And if you look closely, the support beams are all still there.
So what do you find on the other side? First, it’s fast. Not just at handling transactions but also at helping people test and deploy. On the Tezos base layer, things move more deliberately. That’s by design. It’s focused on long-term thinking and keeping the system stable.
But if you’re trying something new or shipping an early version of an dApp, waiting weeks for approvals isn’t always an option. Sometimes, you need to try it and see what happens.
A new interface on the same shelves. Faster access, same collection. Faster, Yes. But Also Familiar
Etherlink is fast, but speed isn’t the only thing that matters. It changes how people build. On Tezos L1, developers often use specialized tools like Michelson or SmartPy and design around the chain’s careful architecture. Etherlink lowers that bar. It supports familiar Ethereum-based tools, shortens dev cycles, and skips the need to relearn a new stack. It’s like adding a self-checkout kiosk to the library. Familiar tools speed things up, but the books come from the same shelves.
Etherlink speaks Ethereum’s language, letting you bring your code, wallet, and setup to start building with minimal changes. No relearning is required.
It simplifies joining, contributing, and inviting newcomers to Tezos. Etherlink is a new floor: a bit sleeker, a little brighter. But the plumbing, power, and foundation all run through the Tezos core layer. The foundation of the house is built and powered by Tezos.
Libraries have always adapted to what people need quietly and reliably. None of this is all that new.
A snapshot of the quiet transition: old tools alongside newer ones, each serving the same purpose in a changing library. Libraries Grow This Way
There was a time when a library meant printed books, maybe a VHS tape if you were lucky. Then came microfiche for researchers. Then, internet access. Later, it was DVDs, downloadable audiobooks, and even a 3D printer in the corner. Even with new tools and formats, its role stayed the same.
Those additions didn’t replace the shelves or wipe out the archives. They added more ways to learn, create, and share. Different tools for different people.
Etherlink is the same kind of shift. The original structure is still there. What’s changed is that you don’t need the same setup to do something useful. And sometimes, adding a new tool brings in new people.
That doesn’t take anything away from the library. It just adds another floor.
Looking up at the new tower, wondering what it means for the quiet room below. Concerns from Downstairs
Still, a few folks are raising eyebrows at what’s happening upstairs. A few longtime Tezos users have been watching the buzz around Etherlink. With the sudden focus, the branding, and the pace, they’re left wondering what happened to the base layer.
If you’ve spent years building on Tezos, it hits differently. You helped shape the quiet reading room. You showed up during the bear markets. You waited through every upgrade, proposal, and drawn-out debate. And now there’s a new tower going up, and it feels like everyone’s looking at that instead.
That concern deserves serious attention. Dismissing it only deepens the disconnect.
What’s new only works because the foundation still holds. The Foundation Still Holds
The truth is, Etherlink doesn’t stand on its own. It depends on Tezos doing precisely what it is supposed to do. The main chain isn’t some forgotten basement. It’s where transactions finalize. It’s the foundation of trust. It’s the part that holds everything together.
The base layer hasn’t gone quiet. People are still building: launching apps, joining in governance, baking blocks, and testing new rollup frameworks. They’re not packing up. They’re just taking up more space. And that added activity benefits everyone. More apps mean more transactions, attention, and, ultimately, more value flowing back into the core network.
Etherlink doesn’t lessen the role of the L1. If anything, it leans on it more. The higher you build, the more you need the foundation to hold. You don’t add floors to a building with cracks underneath. You reinforce it first.
Tezos L1 hasn’t faded into the background. It matters now more than ever. It’s not just the starting point. It allows Tezos to scale while holding on to the core principles that made it worth building on.
You don’t have to guess what Etherlink might lead to. It’s already taking shape, quietly and steadily.
These aren’t mockups. Apps are live, tested, and in use. Right now. What’s Already Being Built
Take Superlend, for example. It lets you lend or borrow digital assets like stablecoins and crypto without leaving the Tezos network. No bridging, no jumping between chains. Just one system, one interface, one place to manage it all.
Hanji Protocol is for traders who care about speed and accuracy. It’s already live, and the team is thinking ahead. They want DeFi on Tezos to feel more stable in performance, user experience, and trust. If you’ve dealt with slow or clunky interfaces before, this is a change of pace. It’s faster, smoother, and easier to rely on.
IguanaDEX is a token swap platform that lets you trade one asset for another in just a few clicks. It’ll feel familiar if you’ve used crypto exchanges before. But what sets it apart is what you don’t see. Every trade settles on the same Tezos core layer that keeps everything else secure.
These aren’t test runs. They’re live, and people are already using them. More importantly, they’re bringing in folks who didn’t start with Tezos. They came for familiar tools and later discovered Tezos as the bedrock.
That’s worth paying attention to. Not because it’s loud, but because it fits. For many developers, it simply works. Once they’re in, they start to see what’s holding it all together.
Some people will stay in the library. They like the quiet. They want the structure. They prefer building on something they trust. Others will spend their time in the tower, moving fast and using the tools that fit their needs. There’s room for both. What matters is that both places exist and that they’re connected.
Tezos hasn’t moved or rebranded. It’s making space for new builders, new ideas, and more than one way to come in.
An elevator between floors: New tools above, quiet foundations below. Both part of the same building. The Elevator Goes Both Ways
Some who enter through the tower might wander downstairs, curious about the quiet. And some in the library might take the elevator up to see what’s happening upstairs. And just because you might not see the cables pulling the elevator up and down, trust me, it’s there, and it’s powered by Tezos.
Real systems don’t abandon what’s working. They grow by layering on what’s next, inviting everyone to explore the library and the tower.
Etherlink Feels New, But It’s Still Tezos. was originally published in Tezos Commons on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.