Optimistic to release new Superchain features for layer-3 devs

Ethereum scaling solution provider Optimism wants to take the blockchain effect a step further by building layer-3 applications on top of the OP Stack.

On May 8th, the Optisism Collective announced that they are welcoming layer-3s to the Superchain, where they can build on the OP Stack and share revenue with the Optisism Collective.

The OP Stack is an open standard codebase that encourages development on Superchain, but is “not limited to L2 chain deployers and application developers,” the team says, before adding that it “can also be used by the L3s ecosystem.”

Optimism Superchain is a network of layer-2 chains, known as OP Chains, that share security, communication layers and open source technology.

Layer-3s get benefits like retro funding, airdrops and eligibility for developer grant programs, but he points out that they may have limitations on some features like interoperability.

Layer-3 protocols are built upon Layer-2s to accommodate application-specific decentralized applications, providing improved solutions for scalability, performance, interoperability, customization, and costs.

There are two key features coming to OP Stack to support L3 builders – custom gas tokens and “Plasma Mode.

Custom Gas Token, a highly requested feature in the final stages of development, allows developers to use a Layer-2 token as a native Gas token for the Layer-3 protocol. This reduces onboarding costs as there is no need to carry out expensive transactions bringing gas tokens from L1 to L2 and then to L3.

Plasma mode is an alternative to the data availability layer that can reduce the overhead of running L3 compared to L2. Data availability refers to the ability of network participants to access and verify data stored on the blockchain.

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The goal is to make Optimum Superchain more accessible to developers by providing layer-3 features and functionality.

However, not everyone is convinced that L3 is the way forward for Ethereum scaling. In April, Polygon CEO Marc Boyron argued that layer-3 networks are unnecessary and could increase security risks for Ethereum by taking value from the network.

On May 9, Boiron reiterated his position that “L3s are worse than L2s” before adding:

“L2s allow you to settle into Ethereum frequently and quickly. L3s don't. They always have to go through their L2 buyers.”

Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin commented on L3s in late 2022, stating that they serve a specific purpose for simplicity, providing “customized functionality.”

Rollup-based Optimism, or OP Mainnet, is the second largest layer-2 network, with a total value of $6.76 billion, giving it an 18% market share, according to L2beat.

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