🚀 Layer 2 Kings
1. Arbitrum (ARB)
Daily volume: $50B+ | Token: ARB | TVL: $4B+
Optimistic rollup. Fastest growing. Most dApps (Uniswap, Aave, USDC live). Fees <$0.10. Gaming dominant.
2. Optimism (OP)
Daily volume: $20B | Token: OP | TVL: $2.5B
Optimistic rollup (same tech as Arbitrum). Good UX. Superchain ecosystem building. Base (Coinbase) L3 = momentum.
3. Polygon (MATIC)
Daily volume: $8B | Token: MATIC | TVL: $1.2B
Sidechain (different tech, more centralized). Cheapest fees. Gaming + NFT dominant. Losing to optimistic rollups.
4. Starknet (STRK)
Daily volume: $2B | Token: STRK | TVL: $600M
ZK-rollup (Cairo language). Cutting-edge. Scalability winner (1000x Ethereum). Risk: immature ecosystem.
📊 Speed & Cost Showdown
| L2 | Avg Fee | TPS | Finality |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arbitrum | <$0.05 | 4,000+ | ~1 min |
| Optimism | <$0.10 | 4,000+ | ~7 days |
| Polygon | <$0.01 | 7,000+ | ~2 sec |
| Starknet | <$0.01 | 20,000+ | ~1 min |
🏆 Verdict: Arbitrum wins 2026. Optimism growing. Starknet future tech. Polygon = legacy.