Arbitrum One ARB Layer 2 Performance Guide

Arbitrum One leads as the premier Ethereum Layer 2 rollup for DeFi users seeking mature ecosystem depth and high composability, but faces competition from Base, Optimism, and zkSync Era in transaction volume and fees. This guide compares 10 top Layer 2 options by performance metrics like TPS, fees, TVL, and finality to help you pick the best for DeFi, gaming, or high throughput needs. Focus on Arbitrum One's ARB token ecosystem while evaluating rollup alternatives for optimal Ethereum scaling.

Arbitrum One processes 4,000-8,000 real world TPS with 250ms block times, hosting $3.86B TVL across 400+ protocols like GMX and Camelot. Its optimistic rollup batches transactions off chain, posting compressed data to Ethereum for security while enabling parallel execution via the Arbitrum Virtual Machine.

• Multi round fraud proofs enhance security over single challenges.
• Nitro upgrade cuts calldata costs by 95% in some cases.
• Stylus supports Rust/WASM contracts beyond Solidity.
• ARB token governs via on chain DAO.
• Recent 40% on chain activity surge in early 2025 from apps like Uniswap and Aave.

Bridge assets during low Ethereum gas; watch sequencer fees which spike under heavy DeFi load to $0.40. Operation Slowmo now extends blocks to 2 seconds for better UX on mobile.

Base as Arbitrum One Competitor in 2025

TVL edge: $4.32B surpasses Arbitrum One, driven by Aerodrome's $1.68B liquidity pool. Base handles 50M monthly transactions and 1M+ daily users, outpacing Arbitrum's 40M txns and 250K-300K users.

Fees stay low at $0.05-$0.15 thanks to OP Stack efficiency and Coinbase backing. Value transferred shares hit 55%, with top profit margins after L1 costs.

• Consumer focus suits social dApps and fiat ramps.
• Shorter history means less security data than Arbitrum One.
• Rapid 400% TVL growth in 2024.

Use Base for retail volume; migrate from Arbitrum One easily via shared bridges, but expect off chain governance until decentralization ramps up.

Optimism Layer 2 Rollup Breakdown

Optimism mirrors Arbitrum One's optimistic rollup but emphasizes public goods with $8B TVL. Block times hit 2 seconds, fees range $0.10-$0.30, and it trails in value transferred at third place behind Base and Arbitrum One.

• Grant funding accelerates ecosystem projects.
• Superchain links chains for shared security.
• 7-day challenge period for finality.
• Ties Arbitrum One in major DeFi like Aave.
• High value per wallet txn despite Sybil risks.

Ideal for grant backed dApps; monitor revenue per txn where it lags Linea but beats Polygon zkEVM.

How fast is finality? Sub second on zkSync Era's ZK rollup, with fees at $0.01-$0.05 and account abstraction for gasless UX. It leads efficiency in gas units transferred alongside Arbitrum One and Scroll.

Growing ecosystem supports privacy dApps, though smaller than Arbitrum One's DeFi density.

• Crypto proofs compress data for lower costs.
• Beats optimistic rollups in settlement certainty.
• Strong in revenue per transaction.
• Complex for EVM devs vs Arbitrum One.

Choose over Arbitrum One for payment systems; test SDK for high throughput needs.

Starknet Compute Heavy Arbitrum Alternative

Starknet pushes beyond 8,000 TPS under ideal loads with STARK proofs and fees under $0.01. Suited for compute intensive apps, it contrasts Arbitrum One's DeFi focus by prioritizing raw performance over EVM compatibility.

• Sub second blocks enable real time apps.
• Developer tools lag mature Arbitrum One docs.
• Growing TVL trails leaders.
• High theoretical throughput.

Port compute tasks from Ethereum here; fees drop further at scale unlike Arbitrum One's sequencer variability.

Linea ZK Rollup Efficiency Guide

Revenue leader: Linea tops profit per transaction, with $0.01-$0.05 fees and $202M TVL. Sub second finality secures high value transfers better than Arbitrum One's 10-15 minute periods.

Privacy features shine for sensitive txns in a compact ecosystem.

• ZK compression keeps L1 posts cheap.
• Excels in L2 profit metrics.
• Smaller dApp count than Arbitrum One.
• Trailblazer in txn value efficiency.

Linea fits settlement critical use; compare ARB governance exposure before committing liquidity.

Arbitrum Nova Ultra Low Cost Option

Arbitrum Nova slashes fees to $0.001-$0.01 via AnyTrust data availability, matching One's 250ms blocks and TPS for gaming. Costs drop 95% for transfers versus Arbitrum One's $0.15 baseline.

• Same AVM compatibility eases migration.
• Committee trust trades decentralization.
• Perfect for social volume.
• Lower security than full rollups.
• High txn throughput preserved.

Run social dApps here to avoid Arbitrum One fees; monitor committee for data availability risks.

Scroll ZK for EVM on Layer 2

Scroll delivers EVM equivalent ZK rollups at $0.02-$0.08 fees with sub second times. Efficiency matches zkSync in gas units, positioning it as Arbitrum One rival for devs needing ZK without Cairo learning curve.

Growing fast in 2025 metrics.

• Bytecode level EVM match.
• Lower fees than optimistic peers.
• Trailblazing in value per gas.

Deploy Solidity contracts; scale beyond Arbitrum One's fraud proof delays.

Polygon PoS Sidechain vs Rollups

Polygon PoS achieves $0.001-$0.01 fees and 2-second blocks with highest user base, but sidechain validators differ from Ethereum secured rollups like Arbitrum One. High volume retail thrives here over DeFi liquidity.

• Extreme cost for consumer dApps.
• No Ethereum DA security inheritance.
• Leads in raw user count.
• zkEVM variant trails Linea in revenue.

Use for non critical volume; bridge back to Arbitrum One for secure liquidity pools.

Blast L2 Yield and Activity Metrics

Blast excels in value per unique wallet txn, with $0.05-$0.20 fees and yield mechanics boosting retention. It shares 2025 leadership with Base and Arbitrum One in select Dune metrics despite Sybil distortions.

• Native yield on deposits.
• High per wallet efficiency.
• Emerging vs Arbitrum One maturity.
• Profit competitive.

Park funds for yields; watch for attack vectors in wallet metrics before heavy use.

Understanding Layer 2 Rollups vs Ethereum

Layer 2 rollups like Arbitrum One batch Ethereum transactions off chain, posting proofs or data to Layer 1 for security while slashing fees 90-99%. Optimistic rollups assume validity with fraud challenges, while ZK rollups prove correctness upfront.

• TVL signals liquidity: Arbitrum One's $3.86B vs Base $4.32B shows DeFi depth.
• TPS reality check: 4,000-8,000 on Arbitrum One drops under real load vs theoretical peaks.
• Finality tradeoffs: 7 days optimistic vs instant ZK impacts high stakes apps.
• ARB role: Governs Arbitrum chains, captures sequencer revenue potential.

Metrics for Arbitrum One vs Competitors

Transaction fees vary: Arbitrum One $0.15-$0.40 includes sequencer costs, Base undercuts at $0.05-$0.15 for volume plays. Profit after L1: Base leads, Arbitrum One close second per Dune 2025 data.

• Value transferred: Base 55%, Arbitrum One 35% dominance.
• Daily users: Base 1M+ crushes Arbitrum One's 250K-300K.
• Block times: Arbitrum One 250ms (now 2s Slowmo) vs zkSync sub second.
• Ecosystem density: 400+ Arbitrum One protocols vs emerging ZK chains.

Pick by use: DeFi stays Arbitrum One, consumer shifts Base, compute favors Starknet.

Actionable Tips for Layer 2 Deployment

1. Check L2Beat for real time TVL, fees, and sequencer status before bridging from Ethereum.
2. Start with Arbitrum One for DeFi; test Nova for cost sensitive gaming via same AVM tools.
3. Monitor Dune dashboards for 2025 metrics like Base's 50M monthly txns vs Arbitrum One's surge.
4. Use bridges like Across or Hop during low gas; avoid peak Ethereum hours for 10x fee savings.
5. Enable account abstraction on zkSync/Linea for gas sponsorship in consumer apps.
6. Gauge finality needs: ZK for instant, optimistic for composability with Arbitrum One liquidity.
7. Leverage ARB staking or governance for yield; compare Base's Aerodrome pools at 20-50% APY.
8. Migrate EVM code to Scroll unchanged; audit AVM diffs for Arbitrum One Rust ports.
9. Batch transactions in multisends to hit under $0.01 effective on Nova/Polygon.
10. Track Operation Slowmo impact: 2s blocks aid mobile UX on Arbitrum One without TPS loss.