Optimism, the provider of Ethereum scaling solutions, is seeking to enhance blockchain throughput by introducing layer-3 applications on the OP Stack. The team announced on May 8 that they are inviting layer-3s to join the Superchain, where they can build on the OP Stack and share revenue with the Optimism Collective. The OP Stack, which powers development on Superchain, is an open standard codebase that is not limited to L2 chain deployers and app builders but can also be utilized by an ecosystem of L3s. The Optimism Superchain consists of layer-2 chains called OP Chains, which share security, communication layers, and open-source technology.
Layer-3s that join will have access to various benefits, including eligibility for retro funding, airdrops, and developer grant programs. However, they may face limitations on certain features such as interoperability. Layer-3 protocols are built on top of layer-2s to host application-specific decentralized applications, providing solutions for scaling, performance, interoperability, customization, and costs.
To support L3 builders, the OP Stack will introduce two key features: custom gas tokens and “Plasma Mode.” Custom gas tokens, a highly requested feature in the final stages of development, allow developers to use a layer-2 token as the native gas token for a layer-3 protocol. This reduces onboarding costs by eliminating the need for costly transactions to bring gas tokens from L1 to L2 and then to L3. Plasma Mode is an alternative to the data availability layer, which can lower the fixed overhead cost of operating an L3 compared to an L2. Data availability refers to the ability of network participants to access and verify the data stored on the blockchain.
The goal is to make the Optimism Superchain more accessible to developers by offering layer-3 features and functionality. However, some skeptics, like Polygon CEO Marc Boiron, argue that layer-3 networks are unnecessary and could pose security risks by capturing value from the Ethereum network. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin commented that L3s will serve a different purpose than scaling by providing customized functionality.
Optimism’s rollup-based OP Mainnet is currently the second-largest layer-2 network, with a total value locked of $6.76 billion and a market share of around 18%, according to L2beat.