Combined Ethereum Layer 2 networks — Arbitrum, Optimism, Base, and zkSync — are now processing more daily transactions than the Visa network, marking a watershed moment for blockchain scalability.
The Numbers
- L2 combined daily transactions: 450 million (vs Visa's 400 million)
- Average L2 transaction fee: $0.002 (vs $0.20 on Ethereum mainnet)
- Total Value Locked on L2s: $85 billion
Leading L2s
Base (Coinbase): 180M daily transactions, primarily from social and gaming apps. Zero-knowledge proofs make it the fastest.
Arbitrum: 120M daily, strongest DeFi ecosystem on L2.
Optimism: 90M daily, powering the Superchain vision with 30+ chains using its tech.
What This Means
Ethereum has effectively solved its scalability problem through L2 technology. The "Ethereum is too expensive" narrative is dead — transactions now cost fractions of a penny while inheriting Ethereum's security.
