Ethereum Layer-2 Usage Hits Record $135B Monthly Volume—Base, Arbitrum Lead

Ethereum Layer-2 Usage Hits Record $135B Monthly Volume—Base, Arbitrum Lead

Ethereum may be the undisputed hub of decentralized finance, but now it's the Layer-2s doing the heavy lifting.

This July, Ethereum’s Layer-2 networks processed over $135 billion in transaction volume, marking a new all-time high and a pivotal moment for Ethereum’s scaling journey.

Leading the charge were Base and Arbitrum, which together accounted for more than 70% of total L2 volume, followed by Optimism, zkSync, and StarkNet.

🔍 Layer-2s: Ethereum's Scalable Future

As Ethereum’s mainnet continues to face scalability challenges, Layer-2 solutions have stepped in to offer faster, cheaper, and more efficient transactions, while inheriting Ethereum’s security through rollup technology.

There are two main types of Layer-2s:

• Optimistic Rollups (e.g., Arbitrum, Optimism)

• ZK-Rollups (e.g., zkSync, StarkNet)

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Both methods compress Ethereum transactions, allowing users to interact with DeFi, NFTs, and games at a fraction of the cost and time.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin commented last month:

“The future of Ethereum is rollups. We're already seeing the mainnet becoming a settlement layer.”

📊 Breakdown of the $135B Volume

According to data from L2Beat and Dune Analytics, here's how the $135 billion was distributed:

• Base (Coinbase’s L2): $52.3B

• Arbitrum One: $42.7B

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• Optimism (OP Mainnet + Superchain): $20.1B

• zkSync Era: $10.4B

• StarkNet: $4.6B

• Linea & Scroll: $5.1B combined

Base’s explosive growth is largely attributed to:

• Daily active users spiking past 1 million

• On-chain meme coin activity and airdrops

• GameFi launches and friend.tech-style social apps

Arbitrum saw an influx of institutional DeFi integrations, including native USDC issuance and protocol launches by established teams.

🔥 What’s Driving the Surge?

Several key factors are pushing Ethereum Layer-2s to all-time highs:

✅ 1. Lower Gas Fees

Users pay just $0.01–$0.10 per transaction, compared to $5–$30 on mainnet.

✅ 2. Token Incentives & Airdrops

Projects are rewarding users on L2s. zkSync, StarkNet, and Blast have airdrop strategies that encourage migration.

✅ 3. Native Protocols

Protocols like Synthetix v3, GMX, Pendle, and Uniswap v4 are prioritizing L2 deployments.

✅ 4. Coinbase Effect

The popularity of Base has opened Layer-2 access to millions of retail users via Coinbase Wallet and CEX bridges.

✅ 5. DeFi 2.0 Migration

TVL is rapidly shifting to L2s, as they offer higher yields and faster composability with lower cost.

🧠 Developers Flock to L2s

According to Electric Capital’s July developer report, over 65% of Ethereum-based developers now deploy primarily on L2 networks. This is accelerating the growth of L2-native ecosystems:

• Base is becoming the meme coin playground

• Arbitrum is focused on serious DeFi and real-world assets

• zkSync is exploring AI and ZKML integrations

• Optimism’s Superchain initiative is expanding modular rollups

Solidity dev @punkETH tweeted:

“If you're building on mainnet in 2025, you're burning money. L2s are the new default.”

🌐 Global Usage Expands

The L2 revolution isn’t limited to DeFi whales and Degen traders. Projects are now launching real-world applications on Layer-2s:

• ID tools for emerging markets

• On-chain payroll systems in Latin America

• Loyalty rewards programs from global brands like Starbucks and Nike

• Gaming titles using zkSync and Arbitrum Orbit chains

With Ethereum L2s reaching $135B monthly throughput, they now process more economic activity than most Layer-1 blockchains combined—including Avalanche, Cardano, and even Solana in some months.

💡 What It Means for Ethereum

Layer-2 adoption confirms Ethereum’s transition into a settlement layer, handling core validation and data availability while delegating execution to scalable rollups.

Vitalik Buterin summarized the shift succinctly:

“The rollup-centric roadmap is no longer theoretical—it’s happening.”

And with EIP-4844 (proto-danksharding) arriving soon, rollup costs will fall even further, possibly making gas fees under 1 cent the norm for all L2 transactions.

🏁 Final Thoughts

Ethereum’s Layer-2 ecosystem is no longer a beta experiment—it’s a financial engine handling over $4 billion per day. With explosive growth in users, TVL, developer activity, and protocol launches, the rollup era has arrived.

As Base, Arbitrum, and zkSync battle for dominance, one thing is clear:

Ethereum is scaling—and it’s working.