Currently, the popularity of Ethereum Layer2 networks remains high, but among the OP series, Optimism and Arbitrum are leading in terms of development. The ZK series, including Starknet and zkSync, have a much lower level of popularity. The reason for this can be attributed to the lack of token incentives and wealth expectations to attract projects to settle in the ZK series.
In the Ethereum ecosystem, Layer2 scaling solutions have always been a hot topic. The community has divided them into two factions: the OP series and the ZK series, with the “Four Heavenly Kings” leading each faction. The community has long discussed and compared the strengths and weaknesses of these two factions. However, it seems that a consensus has been reached that the development and prosperity of the OP series far surpass that of the ZK series.
Compared to the ZK series, the OP series is easier to build, has higher replicability, and quickly captures the heat and traffic of Layer2. For ordinary users, the wealth effect of its tokens and continuous ecological incentives are more important. The leaders of the OP series, Optimism and Arbitrum, have already launched their tokens and established long-term ecological incentive models, attracting a large number of projects to join.
On the other hand, the ZK series, although Starknet has recently made frequent moves, such as testing the functionality of STRK on the Testnet and testing airdrop claims, it has been a constant story of “crying wolf”. zkSync, another one of the Four Heavenly Kings, has kept everyone waiting for three years, and its mainnet has been online for almost a year, but there has been no movement in its token.
However, on February 3rd, Twitter KOL Maran’s Crypto observed a new folder called “Snapshot Creator” in the Github repository of Matter Labs, the parent company of zkSync. This inevitably filled everyone with expectations for the upcoming token snapshot. Twitter KOL gm 365 even consulted ChatGPT for its interpretation of the document.
GPT: “It’s an ordinary dockerfile document and does not have such a snapshot. It looks more like an airdrop snapshot on a blockchain.”
A whistleblower clarified the situation, stating that on February 4th, Twitter KOL gm 365 debunked the rumors and admitted that his previous statements were all speculative.
Although this token release for zkSync is another “crying wolf” story, the community’s expectations for the token launch can be seen, and some zkSync ecosystem projects have revealed to Odaily that there are token launch plans for zkSync in 2024.
Currently, the heat of Ethereum Layer2 networks remains strong, but besides Optimism and Arbitrum leading in development, the actual popularity of Starknet and zkSync is even lower than that of the new L2 Base and opBNB built using the OP system.
The lack of token incentives and wealth expectations is clearly one of the reasons for the ZK series’ lower popularity. The “fortune” of the ZK series may come in the near future, and at that time, the Layer2 landscape will rise again, becoming a major boost for the bull market.