The Role of L1s in the Era of L2s: An Interview with Polygon's Head of Growth

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What’s the role of L1s in the era of L2s? I interviewed Polygon's Head of Growth, Sanket, to find out. He also shared Polygon's endgame vision and how Polygon zkEVM stacks up against zkSync. Here's what he had to say: 🧵

L2 solutions are scaling Ethereum with fast transactions & lower fees. But that's exactly why L1s were introduced amid high gas fees. So, what's the role of L1s now? Will they fade, evolve or still offer something unique?

Here you’ll get the answer from Polygon’s point of view. With Sanket @sourcex44 we cover other questions: • Polygon's endgame • Comparing Polygon zkEVM & zkSync • Present & future role of Polygon PoS Chain • The secret to Polygon's success to attract Web2 partners

You can read the full interview on my blog or continue reading the thread for key quotes from our conversation. Click on this tweet for the link to the full interview blog post. twitter.com/DefiIgnas/status/1648300504336973825

Why do we need Layer 1s in the age of Layer 2s? "Ethereum has already won the Layer 1 game and serves as a settlement layer, while Ethereum's scaling ecosystem comprises Layer 2 solutions like Polygon, StarkWare, and others."

Ethereum transforming into a B2B chain: "Ethereum is moving from a B2C chain to a B2B chain, where high-value transactions will still use Ethereum as the settlement layer.

[Continued] On the other hand, all other transactions will leverage Ethereum's security, with other layer tools like Polygon becoming the transaction layer."

Polygon's endgame mission: "Our primary objective is to scale Ethereum and expand its block space. Most activity will take place on Layer 2, while still maintaining the full security of Ethereum."

Why did Polygon build multiple scaling solutions? "Since zkEVM and other ZK solutions are new technologies, it was difficult to know which approach would be the best. That's why we acquired several teams, each working on using different approaches."

Polygon's current main products: "Polygon has three main products: • Polygon PoS Chain • Polygon zkEVM (a ZK-based layer 2 scaling solution) • Polygon Supernets (a framework that allows creating dedicated blockchains for specific use cases)"

Polygon zkEVM vs zkSync: "Our team has developed the world's fastest and most cost-efficient prover... Polygon zkEVM offers a more developer-friendly and robust solution compared to zkSync Era."

On the path to decentralizing zkEVM: "We also have a clear path to decentralization, but it takes time. Decentralizing on day one reduces flexibility if something goes wrong, so we don't want to rush decentralization. We prioritize launching a functional chain first."

Native account abstraction: "Account abstraction is still new, and we are working on it with partners like Stackup and Alchemy. Native implementation will take time because we wanted to prioritize launching a working chain first."

Building a long-term solution: "When building an ecosystem, you can't expect everything on day one... We want to grow slowly and steadily. The only true audit is standing the test of time."

The future of Polygon PoS L1 Chain: "A big upgrade will happen to the Polygon PoS chain... We're upgrading it to become a true layer 2 to Ethereum."

The secret sauce for Polygon's success to attract partners: "We're pragmatic and focused on scaling solutions that just work... We believe crypto is a philosophical endeavor, and this mindset sets us apart from others."