By Brian Green, updated July 25, 2025
As Ethereum continues to grow in popularity and usage, the need for faster and cheaper transactions has never been more urgent. That’s where Layer-2 solutions come in. These networks are built on top of Ethereum to help scale the ecosystem, reduce fees, and improve user experience — all without sacrificing security. With multiple options now available, many users are asking a critical question: what is the best Layer-2 for 2025?
In 2025, the Layer-2 landscape is more competitive than ever. Among the top players are Arbitrum, Base, and zkSync. Each one has unique features, communities, and trade-offs. So, which one should users choose in 2025? Here’s a detailed comparison of their strengths, use cases, and limitations.
Understanding Layer-2 Solutions
Ethereum is often compared to a congested highway. As more transactions enter the network, gas fees rise and wait times increase. Layer-2 solutions function like express lanes, handling traffic off the main Ethereum chain. They bundle transactions and post them to Ethereum in batches, significantly improving efficiency.
These solutions are critical for decentralized finance (DeFi), NFT platforms, blockchain gaming, and mainstream applications that require scalability without sacrificing decentralization or security.
Arbitrum: A Mature Ecosystem for DeFi
Launched early in the Layer-2 race, Arbitrum has positioned itself as a leading network for DeFi protocols and developer tooling. It uses Optimistic Rollup technology, allowing Ethereum-compatible smart contracts to operate with lower fees and faster speeds.
In 2025, Arbitrum continues to maintain a strong presence with one of the highest total value locked (TVL) figures among Layer-2s. Its compatibility with Ethereum makes it easy for developers to deploy existing smart contracts, and the Arbitrum Orbit framework now allows the creation of custom Layer-3 networks.
Arbitrum’s strengths lie in its maturity, reliability, and broad dApp ecosystem. However, it still faces the drawback of a delay in fund withdrawals due to the nature of optimistic rollups, although third-party bridges have made this less of a concern.
For users focused on DeFi or those building complex applications, Arbitrum remains a top choice.
Base: Onboarding the Next Billion Users
Base, developed by Coinbase and built on Optimism’s OP Stack, aims to make Layer-2 technology accessible to a wider audience. With direct integration into Coinbase’s platform, Base is one of the easiest networks for retail users to access and use.
By mid-2025, Base has seen explosive growth in web3 social apps, gaming platforms, and lightweight DeFi tools. Its simplified onboarding, fast transaction speeds, and low costs have made it particularly attractive to newcomers and consumer-facing developers.
However, Base’s relative youth means that its ecosystem is still catching up in terms of infrastructure and tooling. Despite this, Coinbase’s brand trust and user base have given it an undeniable edge in adoption.
For beginners and those interested in building or using user-friendly web3 apps, Base is an increasingly strong candidate.
zkSync Era: The Future of Performance and Privacy
zkSync Era distinguishes itself with the use of zero-knowledge rollups (ZK-rollups), a more advanced and secure type of Layer-2 technology. ZK-rollups offer instant finality, lower latency, and enhanced privacy through cryptographic proofs.
Unlike optimistic rollups, zkSync allows near-instant withdrawals and is especially efficient for high-volume use cases. In 2025, zkSync has introduced Hyperchains — customizable Layer-3 networks built with zkStack — aimed at scaling specific applications and even enterprises.
zkSync has also been a leader in adopting account abstraction, enabling features like seedless wallets and native paymaster systems, which simplify UX for both developers and users.
Despite its technical advantages, zkSync’s ecosystem remains less developed compared to Arbitrum. The number of live DeFi protocols is smaller, and developer tooling is still evolving. Still, its innovative architecture makes it highly appealing for projects requiring maximum scalability, privacy, and security.
Choosing the Right Layer-2 in 2025
The decision on which Layer-2 to use in 2025 depends largely on a user’s goals and technical requirements.
Those deeply involved in DeFi or developing complex dApps will likely gravitate toward Arbitrum due to its mature ecosystem and proven infrastructure. For users new to crypto, or for developers aiming to build apps with a seamless user experience, Base offers a simple, integrated environment backed by a trusted name.
Meanwhile, those focused on advanced use cases — including privacy, high-frequency trading, or enterprise deployments — may find zkSync Era the most future-ready option, especially with its emphasis on ZK technology and modular design.
It’s also important to note that using multiple Layer-2s is no longer a complicated task. Many wallets now support seamless switching and bridging between networks. In practice, most experienced users and teams adopt a multi-chain strategy depending on the needs of each project or transaction.
Looking Ahead: The Rise of Layer-3s
While Layer-2s are a major step forward in Ethereum scaling, 2025 has seen the emergence of Layer-3 solutions — specialized blockchains built on top of Layer-2s. These networks, such as Arbitrum Orbit chains and zkSync Hyperchains, offer developers greater flexibility to tailor performance, governance, and security to specific applications.
This new model of modular architecture enables projects to scale horizontally, optimize user experience, and deploy faster without overloading the base Layer-2.
Conclusion
Ethereum’s Layer-2 landscape in 2025 is defined by specialization and maturity. Arbitrum offers depth and stability for DeFi. Base delivers accessibility and speed for newcomers and consumer apps. zkSync provides cutting-edge infrastructure for performance, privacy, and enterprise solutions.
There is no one-size-fits-all answer. The best Layer-2 solution depends on what you’re building, how you want users to interact with it, and the trade-offs you’re willing to make in terms of cost, complexity, and decentralization.
As multi-chain tools improve and Layer-3s evolve, users will increasingly engage with multiple networks — not out of necessity, but by design.
