Activity and total value locked (TVL) on Ethereum Layer 2s have seen significant growth in 2024, with transactions per second (TPS) and TVL steadily increasing over the past six months.
However, the continuous announcement of new Layer 2 solutions raises concerns among analysts regarding liquidity fragmentation issues.
The surge in Layer 2 usage coincided with notable events such as the implementation of EIP-4844 and the launch of Blast. Since its launch on February 29, Blast has become the 6th largest chain by TVL. Additionally, the introduction of EIP-4844 resulted in a substantial increase in transactions per block on other Layer 2s.
DeFi Maestro, a strategist at Mantle, expressed concern about the proliferation of individual chains in the DeFi space, highlighting the growing problem of liquidity fragmentation and user attention.
Liquidity fragmentation refers to the dispersion of active liquidity across various chains and protocols, leading to market and protocol inefficiencies due to low volume concentration.
These concerns arise as Aave unveils its vision for Aave Network, a native Layer 2 solution for the Aave Protocol and its GHO stablecoin.
Despite the rising adoption of Layer 2 solutions, Ethereum (ETH) has experienced inflation over the past 30 days. ETH’s supply is currently increasing at a rate of 0.51% per year, resulting in a projected surplus of 612,000 ETH annually.
While Ethereum Layer 2s benefit from increased transactional value and inherit the security of the ETH mainnet, the total amount of ETH burned remains notably lower compared to similar activity on the mainnet.
