Best Layer 2 Protocols for Ethereum

Meter is a high-performance infrastructure that allows smart contract to scale and travel seamlessly across heterogeneous blockchain networks. Meter is a Layer 1 or Layer 2 blockchain protocol. The Meter system consists two tokens: MTRG (the governance token; eMTRG is an ERC20 version) and MTR (the low-volatility currency to token). Financial assets should be able to flow freely between blockchains. Meter's HotStuff-based consensus permits 1000s of validator nosdes, making it the most decentralized Layer 2 Ethereum. Meter processes thousands upon thousands of transactions per second, and transactions are confirmed almost immediately. Meter Passport allows assets, smart contracts and smart contracts to travel and communicate across heterogeneous Blockchains for the best price and liquidity. Meter is an Ethereum compatible with unique enhancements. Meter is a Layer 2 DEX that is front-running/MEV resistant and fast.

Loopring is an open protocol that allows you to build scalable, non-custodial Ethereum exchanges. It leverages zero-knowledge proofs, zkRollup, to allow high-performance trading (high throughput and low settlement cost), without compromising Ethereum-level security guarantees. Throughout the trade lifecycle, users always have 100% control over their assets. Loopring allows you to trade on it. Loopring is an open-sourced and audited non-custodial exchange protocol. This means that no one in the Loopring ecosystem has to trust anyone else. With 100% Ethereum-level security guarantees, cryptoassets can be managed by users. Loopring is a highly scalable, decentralized exchange that batch-processes thousands of requests off-chain. This allows for verifiable correct execution via ZKPs. The performance of the underlying blockchains are no longer the bottleneck. Loopring is able to perform most operations, including order matching and trade settlement, using the Ethereum blockchain.

Next generation layer 2 for Ethereum DApps. Scale your dApp with your favorite tools at the lowest possible cost. An aggregator is the same role as a node in Ethereum. Client software can make remote procedure calls (RPCs), to an aggregator using the standard API to interact with an Arbitrum network. The aggregator will then call the EthBridge to produce transaction results to the client just like an Ethereum node. Although it is common for clients to use an aggregator to submit transactions to an Arbitrum Chain, this is not mandatory. There is no limit to the number of aggregators that can exist or who can be an aggregater. In order to improve efficiency, aggregators often combine multiple client transactions into one message that can be submitted to Arbitrum. Arbitrum also supports a privileged Sequencer, which can order transactions and provide low latency transaction receipts.

COMBO is a leader in scaling solutions for Web3 games. COMBO builds an open-source, decentralized protocol for games that is accessible to all by leveraging the top game engine in the world. It aims at maximising the potential of Web3-based games by connecting developers with the ecosystem in a secure, efficient, and affordable way. COMBO has formed partnerships with the leading Web3 infrastructure projects in order to provide comprehensive development tools and integrated game engines. These advanced tools will help game developers easily enter the Web3 world and simplify and speed up their game development processes. By using optimistic rollup we can achieve 5,000 TPS and keep the gas price as low as 0.000000008 Gwei. COMBO has established full-fledged partnership with leading Web3 Infrastructure projects to provide comprehensive toolchains for development and built-in games engines.

Open source community dedicated towards scaling Bitcoin, particularly its proof-of work security, in order to meet global needs, and emerging use cases while staying as close to Bitcoin's original ideas as possible. Syscoin has evolved over ten years on the mainnet and the foresight in its design gives it an advantage. It provides a comprehensive network for projects that aim to achieve Bitcoin L2. Syscoin, a mainnet Bitcoin L2, provides a data-availability protocol that scales. This makes EVM and AltVM rollsups possible on Bitcoin. Syscoin, which is merge-mined using a majority of Bitcoin hash rate to anchor rollups with Bitcoin's proof-ofwork, works with the existing sequencer architectures for rollups. Syscoin gives Bitcoin a scalable data layer that is required for rollups and other EVM or AltVM to tap into Bitcoin’s network in a secure and scalable manner.

Polkadot, a blockchain network, is being built to enable Web3.0. This will allow users to control their data and ensure that markets benefit from network efficiency. Gavin Wood, a former co-founder and CTO at Ethereum, founded Polkadot in 2016. Polkadot's technology solves the major problems that have hindered blockchain adoption over the past few years. Parity Technologies created Polkadot's Substrate software development toolkit that allows blockchain developers to create their own custom, fit for use blockchains. Polkadot allows multiple blockchains to communicate with each other, allows for easy upgrades, and introduces "shared Security", a plug and play network security model that allows developers focus on the technology instead of spending time and resources recruiting operators to run a new Blockchain.

Carbon is a cross-chain protocol which acts as a building block to DeFi. Anyone can bootstrap open financial markets on any blockchain, for any asset type, using the Carbon protocol. Carbon powers Demex, a popular and fully decentralized exchange that allows trading of a wide range of financial instruments. Interoperable between blockchains such as Ethereum, Cosmos and BSC. It also powers the PolyNetwork bridge, which allows for true cross-chain liquidity pools. Any DeFi innovation is supported with native support for crypto derivatives, Balancer style liquidity pools, AMMs and on-chain orders books. Cosmos-SDK custom-built and secured by a large network validators through Tendermint PoS to ensure trustless and secure transactions.

ChainX, the first project to be launched in the polkadot ecosystem.ChainX is dedicated to the research, application and development of Bitcoin layer 2, digital asset gateway, and Polkadot second layer relay chain. To realize cross-chain asset exchanging, ChainX will be leading the new direction of Bitcoin Cross -DEFi. The key to the digital currency market is Bitcoin, which has a market capitalization of US$1 Trillion. Its value proposition allows for further and deeper blockchain technology breakthroughs. This validates Bitcoin as a payment option and a superior method of transferring and storing values. Many believe we have only seen the tip. ChainX is committed to the research and expansion of Bitcoin's Layer2 financial platform. We strive to increase Bitcoin's value flow and enrich financial derivative opportunities.

Celer Network is a layer-2 scale platform that provides fast, secure, and low-cost applications on Ethereum, Polkadot, and other blockchains for mass adoption. Celer created the first generalized state channel network in the world and continues to push the boundaries of layer2 scaling using advanced Rollup technology. Core applications and middlewares such as cBridge, Layer2.finance, and many more ecosystem applications built on Celer, have attracted larger audiences in DeFi and blockchain interoperability. Layer2.finance addresses the two biggest obstacles to DeFi's mass adoption: the extremely high transaction fees and the difficulty of using and navigating the platform. cBridge, a multi-chain network, allows instant, low-cost, ANY-to-ANY value transfers between and within Ethereum's layer-2 chains. This includes Ethereum main chain, as well as other layer-1s and layer-2s.

Raydius is a middleware platform that aims to connect the blockchain ecosystem. Building cross-chain applications can be difficult due to the different layer 1 and 2 protocols that support different development frameworks. Raydius addresses this problem by providing cross-layer support for developers, so they can concentrate on creating the products that users need. Raydius provides an EVM compatible layer 2-POS side chain on Substrate. It connects to different layer 1 or layer 2 blockchains via bi-directional bridges. Cross-chain bridge aggregators are available to provide a single-stop solution for users who want to use dApps from different chains. Raydius bridge aggregator connects to popular asset bridges such as multichain.xyz and Matic to provide the best routing possible for users who want to switch assets between blockchains.

Godwoken is an optimistic rollup that inherits security from layer 1. Godwoken offers instant transaction finality, low fees, and an entirely Ethereum compatible environment on Nervos. Nervos will allow Ethereum blockchain developers to seamlessly port dApps, making them part of the next generation DeFi ecosystem. Godwoken is an inherently multi-chain solution that uses advanced account abstraction. This allows for flexible wallet support or traditional user accounts for an internet-like experience. Nervos' Force Bridge allows cross-chain assets like ETH and ERC-20 tokens to be used on deployed dApps.

Liquidity allows you to manage your money and cryptocurrency coins better from anywhere you are. We can't freeze money like banks. We speak to customers like people, don't charge hidden fees, and place technology and research at its core. Users have full control over their funds, and user security is our top priority. The blockchain does not limit Liquidity Network's transaction speed. Liquidity Network allows gasless swaps and transfers. Developers can use the intuitive API to create usable dApps. Our work is openly available, based on peer-reviewed research. We hope to bring a secure and scalable solution for the community. The smart contracts of Liquidity Network are completely open-source and licensed under the GNU General Public License (v3.0). LQD is the main utility token used to pay Liquidity Network's services. Instant transfers, direct spending notifications and swapping cryptocurrencies are all possible. It's also a simple way to send money to friends and spend it.

Loom Network gives developers the flexibility and usability to create high-performance, user-facing dapps. Loom Network allows you to future-proof your app by deploying once to Loom. It integrates seamlessly to Bitcoin, Ethereum and Binance Chain. Loom Network is a multichain interop system that has been in production since early 2018. The network is optimized for scaling high-performance apps that require a smooth user experience. It allows dapps offer a UX comparable with traditional applications and onboard new customers without the need to download crypto wallet software. Developers can integrate assets from all major blockchains, and also create a dapp once and make it available to all users across all platforms. Developers can also use the token to pay for Loom Network dapp hosting. Developers pay a flat monthly fee to host dapps on Loom, which is different from Ethereum.

Every day, millions of transactions are being conducted on blockchain. However, people must expose their personal privacy as anyone with access to your address can see your entire financial history. Suterusu created a universal layer-2 privacy-protection protocol that is trustless and universal. Suter Shield links the sender address and the receiver address. This will give you complete protection for your transaction data using advanced cryptography. Layer-1 sender and receiver addresses are delinked. Layer-2 provides complete privacy protection for both user identities as well as transaction details. We designed and integrated a ZK-ConSNARK scheme that is almost constant in size, efficient proof generation, and verification.

Base is an Ethereum L2 that is low-cost, secure, and developer-friendly. It was created to bring the next billion people to the web3. Base has the security and scalability that you need to power your apps. It leverages Ethereum's underlying security and allows you to confidently access Base from Coinbase, Ethereum L1, or other interoperable chains. The EVM environment is available at a fraction the price. Get early access to Ethereum features such as Account Abstraction (ERC4337), simple APIs for gasless transactions and smart contract wallets. Base is built on Optimism’s open-source OP Stack. Base allows decentralized apps to easily leverage Coinbase's products distribution and products. Easy fiat onramps and seamless Coinbase integrations are all possible.

The Raiden Network, an off-chain scaling solution that enables near-instant, low cost, and scalable payments, is the Raiden Network. It works with any ERC20 compatible token and is complementary to the Ethereum blockchain. The Raiden project continues to be developed. Its mission is to research state channel technology and define protocols. The Raiden Network is an infrastructure layer that sits on top of Ethereum's blockchain. Although the idea is simple, it is complex and difficult to implement. The technicalities can be simplified so developers can use a simple API to create scalable, decentralized applications that are based on Raiden Network. The Raiden Network's basic goal is to eliminate the blockchain consensus bottleneck. This is achieved by leveraging a network payment channels that allow secure transfer of value off-chain.

We are collaborating with some of the most prominent names in cryptoart, fine art, and entertainment to create a new creative studio on Ethereum. This NFT ecosystem is both scalable, and sustainable. Palm NFT Studio is a platform that brings together platforms and creatives from all walks of the Palm ecosystem. It supports and collaborates with artists, marketplaces and rights holders. Palm was built from the ground up to allow artists to be as flexible and adaptable as possible. We are making NFTs more efficient and easier to use with an Ethereum Sidechain. We also have a roadmap for the transition to an Ethereum Layer 2. Creators who use the Palm ecosystem will enjoy super low gas fees. The Palm ecosystem will also reward both participants and creators.

Truebit is a blockchain-enhancement that allows smart contracts to securely execute complex computations in standard programming language languages at lower gas costs. Although smart contracts can correctly perform small computations, large computation tasks pose security threats for blockchains. Truebit addresses this problem by providing a trustless retrofitting oracle that correctly executes computation tasks. Any smart contract can issue a computation task via WebAssembly bycode to this oracle, while anonymous "miners," receive rewards for solving the task correctly. The protocol of the oracle guarantees correctness in two layers. There is a consensus layer where anyone can object if there are faulty solutions and an on-chain mechanism that incentivizes participation and ensures fair compensation. These components are formalized through a combination off-chain architecture and smart contracts on-chain.

Smart contracts can be built using mainstream software stacks. You can make a leap from Solidity to the vast array of Linux-supported software components. You can achieve a million-fold increase in computational scalability, large file data availability, and low transaction costs. All this while maintaining the strong security guarantees offered by Ethereum. You can keep your DApps private, from games that hide players' data to Enterprise applications that use sensitive data. Descartes performs large computational tasks off-chain on a Linux virtual computer fully specified by smart contracts. The computations are fully verifiable, and can be enforceable on-chain by Descartes node runners. This preserves the strong security guarantees of underlying blockchain. With multimillion-fold computational gains and strong security guarantees, you can overcome the Ethereum scalability limitations.

Your dApps can be run in a modular cloud decentralized for real-world requirements and configured to your specifications. SKALE Networks' modular protocol allows developers to quickly and easily create highly configurable blockchains. This provides the benefits of decentralization without compromising computation, storage, security, or both. Elastic blockchains are highly efficient, decentralized, configurable and Ethereum compatible. They also use the most recent advances in cryptography to provide security. BFT is the standard for security in distributed systems. It guarantees that the network can reach consensus, even if up to one-third of participants are malicious. This protocol is based on the Internet's model and recognizes the latencies of the network and nodes. This allows messages to take indefinite time to reach their intended recipients. BLS Threshold Signatures allow efficient interchain communication and support randomness for node allocation.

Starknet is an unrestricted decentralized ZK Rollup that operates as an L2 network on Ethereum. Any dApp may achieve unlimited computation scale without compromising Ethereum’s composability or security. Starknet maintains the security of L1 Ethereum while achieving scale. It does this by producing STARK Proofs off-chain and verifying these proofs on-chain. Starknet Contracts allow developers to deploy any business logic. Starknet will offer composability at Ethereum's level, allowing for easy development and compounding of innovation. The STARK Prover is the engine that powers StarkEx's scalability engine. It has already demonstrated its ability to process 600K transactions on Mainnet in a single proof.

Early internet applications were built on separate networks that required different access and interaction methods. Today, we see this segregation again in a decentralized world with poor interoperability. Nervos Network provides a suite integrated solutions that enable developers to create Universal Apps. You can choose your interface, choose your crypto, and then stick with it. However, you can still access the entire space. Nervos eliminates the frustration of multiple wallets and exchanges as well as seed phrases. Nervos allows you to target any Virtual Machines (VM) and build on it. You can easily port your dApp to other platforms and have instant access to the entire Blockchain ecosystem. Sustainable crypto-economics that includes a built-in store-of-value mechanism to solve the most difficult sustainability problems for public blockchains.

Connext is the most popular protocol for fast, fully custodial transfers and contract calling between EVM-compatible system. Connext is a network that connects liquidity pools on different chains. These pools can be swapped by users, much like AMM DEXes such as Uniswap. Connext routers are the backbone of the network. They provide liquidity for user swaps and earn fees in return. Connext can be used by developers to create seamless crosschain experiences. Simply drop-in our Widget and you can enable crosschain swaps in just five minutes. Integrate with our API at a lower level for even more powerful features, such as crosschain contract calls.

StarkEx generates validity verifications to ensure that only valid data is committed on-chain from computations that have been performed with integrity. StarkEx's huge scaling capabilities are due to the uneven division of computation between the off-chain prover (or on-chain verifier). StarkEx powers self custodial dApps and employs innovative anticensorship mechanisms that ensure that users' funds remain in their custody. StarkEx was designed to meet a wide range of user and application requirements. Applications that want to integrate with StarkEx will arrive on Mainnet in a few weeks, depending on their maturity. State updates can be considered finalized once they have been verified on-chain with validity proofs. This is often quicker than fraud proofs which can take up to a few hours.

Boba is the next-generation Ethereum Layer 2 Optimizmistic Rollup scaling solution. It reduces gas fees, increases transaction throughput, and expands smart contract capabilities. Boba provides fast exits backed with community-driven liquidity pools. This reduces the Optimistic Rollup exit time from seven days to just a few minutes and gives LPs incentive yield farming opportunities. Boba's extensible smart contract will allow developers from all over the Ethereum ecosystem to create dApps that invoke code on web-scale infrastructure like AWS Lambda. This allows them to use algorithms that are too expensive or impossible on-chain. We are building Boba with our users and developers in mind. Our goal is to create a pragmatic L2 which is the first step towards opening Ethereum up to the next billion users. Join us in our mission to grow the community.