Linea is building not just a fast layer 2 but also a flexible gas model that changes how users pay for transactions. As part of its roadmap, Linea is enabling gas payments with ERC‑20 tokens instead of only ETH. This innovation opens the door to a smoother user experience, especially for those who rely on stablecoins or other token holdings.
ERC‑20 Gas Token Support
One of Linea’s product roadmap milestones is the support for paying gas using ERC‑20 tokens. Rather than forcing users to hold ETH specifically to pay fees, they will be able to pay using tokens like stablecoins or even the native LINEA token, depending on support. This change leverages the ability to bundle transactions directly into the sequencer using a private submission mechanism.
Improving On‑Ramp and User Onboarding
Allowing ERC‑20 tokens to pay for gas removes one of the bigger obstacles for users entering the Linea network. Many users may not want to buy ETH just to pay fees, or they may already hold stablecoins or other tokens. With this feature, Linea makes onboarding more accessible and lowers the friction of moving capital on chain.
MetaMask Integration and Day One Support
Linea’s team worked with MetaMask to provide early support for this gas model. MetaMask users will benefit from this flexibility, particularly those using MetaMask Card or other token‑based wallets. This kind of integration shows Linea’s commitment to making gas payment options user friendly and broadly available.
Building a Gas Abstraction Layer
By supporting ERC‑20 gas payments, Linea is effectively building a simple gas abstraction layer. Users and developers can treat transaction costs more like a fee charged in whichever token they prefer, rather than being forced to convert to or hold ETH. This abstraction opens new use cases for wallets, decentralized apps, and even automated payment tools.
The Economic Alignment with Ethereum
Linea’s economic model remains closely aligned with Ethereum’s long‑term interests. According to Linea’s website, a portion of transaction costs is burned, reducing ETH supply and driving greater value alignment between Linea and Ethereum. When users pay gas in tokens other than ETH, this flexibility does not break the underlying economic model — instead, it broadens who can participate without weakening ETH’s role.
A New Revenue Model with Status Network
Status Network, built on Linea, is implementing a gasless transaction model on testnet where users don’t pay traditional transaction fees. This system reimagines how Layer 2 networks generate revenue: instead of charging sequencer fees, the network captures yield from bridged ETH and stablecoins, and shares that yield with liquidity providers and application builders. This is possible because of the flexibility Linea builds into its economic and gas models.
Sustainable Yield Instead of Gas Fees
In the gasless model, Status Network converts bridged ETH and stablecoins into yield bearing versions (for example stETH) to generate sustainable income. That yield then funds network operations, rewards participants, and subsidizes transactions. The result is a flywheel: no gas costs attract users, usage drives yield, and that yield supports growth and sustainability.
Aligning Incentives for Builders and Users
Because revenue comes from yield and native app activity rather than sequencer fees, builders and liquidity providers have aligned incentives. They earn rewards based on usage and deposits rather than gas consumption. This alignment helps foster a more cooperative and economically healthy ecosystem.
Improving UX for Games and Social Apps
Removing or minimizing the burden of gas enables a “play now, pay later” feel for onchain games and social applications. Users can interact with apps without needing to manage ETH exclusively for fees. This changes how developers think about adoption, as they can build with a user experience that feels more like Web2 while retaining Web3’s decentralization benefits.
Bridged Yield Extended Across Linea
The model pioneered by Status Network — using bridged yield to enable gasless or flexible-fee experiences is expected to expand to more parts of the Linea ecosystem. As more projects adopt this model, the “pay with tokens” concept can become a standard on Linea, not just a one-off.
Roadmap and Technical Challenges
Implementing ERC‑20 gas payment and yield‑based models is not trivial. Linea’s roadmap shows the plan to support these features progressively, balancing the need for strong safety, low latency, and economic alignment. The team will need to manage gas abstraction, sequencing logic, bundler tools, and user interfaces carefully.
On‑Chain Effects and Tokenomics
Linea’s tokenomics also support this model. The use of ERC‑20 tokens for gas introduces a new utility for the native Linea token itself: it can be used to pay gas, increasing its real‑world functionality. Meanwhile, the ETH burn mechanism supports long term scarcity for Ethereum.
Future Impact on Web3 Adoption
By making gas payment more flexible, Linea is lowering a major barrier to adoption. Users who are comfortable with stablecoins or other tokens will find it easier to use the network. Developers can build more inclusive dApps, as they no longer have to ask users to hold ETH just to interact. This could significantly accelerate onboarding for Web3 applications particularly in underserved markets.
Linea’s plan to enable gas payment via ERC‑20 tokens and its support of yield‑funded, gasless models represent a profound rethinking of how transaction costs should work in a modern Layer 2. Rather than forcing users into ETH-centric economics, Linea blends usability, flexibility, and alignment with Ethereum’s long term value. This approach gives both developers and users a more welcoming, efficient, and experimental space one where the cost of interaction no longer stands in the way of adoption.
