Opinion by: Igor Mandrigin, Co-founder and CTPO of Gateway.fm
Every two weeks, it seems that another Layer 2 deploys, to the chagrin of certain commentators of the web3 industry who are concerned about fragmentation. A recent gemini Institutional Insights report in fact noted how a new Ethereum L2 solution is launched approximately every 19 days. In response to the apparently endless conveyor’s belt of new zkevms and optimistic rollers arriving on the market, the choir of criticism continues to become stronger: “It is definitely the saturation point, more channels are necessary.”
Some of the most frank Critics of the L2 argue that the L2 are redundant, but it is a narrow thought. In many ways, the idea that the creation of new L2 should be slowed down is like arguing that there were too many websites in 1998. The proliferation of L2 is not at all web3. The number of channels today is not too much. It is ridiculously little, and at the moment is the first heats of an explosion of several decades in a specialized and modular blockchain infrastructure.
The rise of L2S is far from a fashion that passes
Although some maintain that this increase in L2 that we have known is only a temporary frenzy led by Defi degenerate, it is really an expansion of business quality infrastructure, because banks (including Deutsche Bank), play studios (logistics networks and world manufacturers have increased by more than 20,000% in February 2025), Logistical Networks Get on the plateau.
Industries such as bank and logistics, which are generally opposed to risk, do not slightly pivot technological. They do it because they owe, and in many cases, public blockchains do not meet their needs. The return to their DNA inherent in risk, large companies and institutions in these sectors will not generally want to rely on L1 for shared general use. Instead, they will want to deploy their own chains where they can take advantage of personalized performance, predictable costs, jurisdictional compliance and confidentiality at the granular level.
This concentration on proprietary networks is not only a web3 thing. Let’s think about it. Facebook, Netflix and JPMorgan co-host on Geocities? Of course not, so why would we Web3 be different? L1 and shared monolithic architectures could have worked for early token experiences and composable challenge primitives. However, in reality, they cannot support the complexity of companies, businesses, regulatory burden or contractual requirements for businesses.
The growing viability of L2S
Thanks to modular batteries, Rollup platforms as a service and technology of proof of zero pierced knowledge, the spinning of a dedicated chain becomes more and more viable and accessible to a wide range of companies through the spectrum of industry. As the infrastructure improves, the cost of launching and maintaining specialized channels will also reduce, so that a substantial increase in the number of L2 can be expected over time.
Recent: Developers introduce the layer 2 scaling solution of Ethereum R1
Some spectators will say that this future will be complicated for users forced to jump between channels while expressing concerns concerning the liquidity fragmentation and the dispersion of negotiable assets on several platforms. These are short -sighted concerns. We are heading towards transparent interoperability through shared settlements, minimized bridges in trust and unified account abstraction. In the end, the end user does not care if they are on Rollup # 4,318 or Chain # 9 072; They will simply transform with ease and will be satisfied with this.
In the same way that the hyper-scale unlocking cloud computing in abstraction of the material layer, the modular blockchains unlock hyperscal for the transfer of value, the emission of assets and the programmable confidence. Regardless of what skeptics say, specialized L2 will not be able to cannibalize. They will serve different verticals, jurisdictions and use cases. There is no reason why a L2 for high frequency trade cannot easily coexist with an L2 for national land registers.
We are not drowning in channels – we are barely falsified in the great scheme of things. Anyone who is seriously betting on consolidation or a “win-win” magic chain is only betting against the scale and sovereignty. The real bet is hundreds of L2 and thousands of use cases in the context of a modular and scalable future.
Opinion of: Igor Mandrigin, co-founder and CTPO of Gateway.fm.
This article is for general information purposes and is not intended to be and must not be considered as legal or investment advice. The points of view, the thoughts and opinions expressed here are the only of the author and do not reflect or do not necessarily represent the opinions and opinions of Cointellegraph.
