Ink Chain Kraken's Layer 2 Blockchain

Choosing the best Layer 2 blockchain depends on your needs, whether you prioritize speed, low fees, DeFi integration, or developer tools. Ink Chain, Kraken's Layer 2 blockchain on the Optimism Superchain, stands out for its 1-second block times and bridge between centralized exchanges and DeFi. This comparison evaluates Ink against top Layer 2 options to help you select the optimal platform for trading, staking, or building in 2025.

Ink Chain delivers 1-second block times from launch, built on Optimism's OP Stack as part of the Superchain for Ethereum scaling. Kraken users transfer assets directly from exchange accounts to DeFi apps like a white label Aave V3 without bridges or extra wallets. Its mainnet went live ahead of early 2025 schedule, targeting onchain wealth management.

Transactions settle in under a second at sub cent costs, inheriting Ethereum security with upcoming permissionless fault proofs in January 2025. TVL sits at $3.38 million as of April 2025, with INK token supply capped at 1 billion for liquidity incentives, not governance. SuperchainERC20 enables token moves across ecosystems for DEX trading and staking.

• Direct Kraken integration cuts setup time to minutes.
• INK airdrops reward early liquidity providers.
• Sub second block goals enhance real time DeFi.
• Lower friction than standalone L2s for CeFi to DeFi shifts.
• Early TVL growth limited by recent launch.

Test bridges before large transfers; watch for Stage 1 decentralization upgrades to boost contestable transactions.

Arbitrum: Leading Ethereum Layer 2

Peak throughput: 2,000-4,000 TPS with optimistic rollups batching off chain for 95% gas savings. TVL exceeds $10.7 billion, holding 51% market share among L2s. Processes trades 10x faster than Ethereum mainnet.

Arbitrum Orbit allows custom chains, supporting DeFi giants like Uniswap. Fees average $0.01, dropping with volume tiers-over $100K monthly nears zero for makers.

• Dominates TVL for reliable liquidity.
• Market cap over $2.37 billion signals maturity.
• EVM compatibility speeds dApp ports.
• High sequencer centralization risks during peaks.
• Challenge windows delay finality to 7 days.

Monitor sequencer uptime; use Nitro upgrade paths for latest fee optimizations in high TVL pools.

Optimism OP Mainnet: Superchain Foundation

Lightning fast Ethereum L2 with low costs, powering chains like Ink and Base. Batches transactions off chain, posting to Ethereum for security. Focuses on unified tooling across Superchain.

• Fees under $0.005 support frequent interactions.
• 1-second blocks match Ink's speed profile.
• Revenue sharing with Optimism Collective.
• Developer grants accelerate ecosystem growth.

Bedrock upgrade slashed costs 40x; pair with Superchain bridges for multi L2 asset flows. Avoid peak hours if bridging large sums to minimize wait times.

Polygon zkEVM: Zero Knowledge Scaling

Each transaction costs $0.001 to $0.01 using zk proofs for full EVM equivalence and privacy. Handles 65,000 TPS in ecosystem tests, with TVL around $4 billion. Sidechains like Mumbai add PoS for extra speed.

• MATIC staking yields fees plus governance.
• zk tech proves validity without full data reveal.
• High throughput suits NFT minting rushes.
• Multi chain setup fragments liquidity.
• Fees spike under network stress.

Stake MATIC for discounts; verify zk proofs on explorers before high value zkEVM deploys.

Base: Coinbase's Affordable L2

Target TPS: 2,000 with OP Stack for near instant tx at 95% Ethereum savings. TVL at $729 million draws NFT and DeFi retail. Coinbase wallet integration simplifies onboarding.

No market cap token yet emphasizes utility over speculation. Processes off chain, settles on Ethereum securely.

• Free tools for devs cut deployment barriers.
• Large user base from Coinbase fuels adoption.
• 95% fee cuts enable micro transactions.
• Relies on Optimism sequencer uptime.
• Ecosystem still maturing post launch.

Link Coinbase accounts for deposits; test small trades to gauge current gas during hype cycles.

Starknet: Validity Rollup Powerhouse

Operates as Ethereum L2 with STARK proofs for massive scalability and near zero fees at volume. Handles complex Cairo language contracts beyond EVM limits. Ideal for DeFi math heavy apps.

• Sequencer fees drop below $0.001 with scale.
• Native account abstraction skips seed phrases.
• High privacy from proof compression.
• Learning curve for non Cairo devs.
• Finality lags optimistic peers.

Start with Starknet Foundry kit; budget for initial Cairo audits on custom contracts.

zkSync: Privacy First ZK Rollups

Fees range $0.0001 per simple tx to $0.01 for batches, processing thousands off chain. Zero knowledge ensures privacy and low costs for payments or DeFi. Elastic chain supports custom rollups.

TVL growth ties to payment dApps; PoS secures network.

• Privacy beats optimistic fraud proofs.
• Account abstraction standard from launch.
• Fast finality under 1 hour.
• Smaller ecosystem than Arbitrum.
• ZK gas limits complex ops.

Use native bridges for Ethereum hops; enable paymasters to waive user fees in apps.

ImmutableX: NFT and Gaming Specialist

Zero gas fees for minting, trading, or transfers on Ethereum L2. High throughput backs game economies with true ownership. TVL reflects NFT marketplace volume.

• Free tx unlock mass adoption.
• Interoperable NFTs across games.
• Carbon neutral operations appeal to greens.
• Narrow focus limits general DeFi.
• Relies on StarkEx for scaling.

Batch mint during off peak; integrate IMX token for protocol perks without extra costs.

Metis: Scalable Ethereum Extension

Average fees hover at $0.002 with optimistic rollups and DAC for decentralization. Supports governance dApps like Agora. Sustainable design cuts energy per tx.

Andromeda network hosts scalable projects.

• Light nodes boost permissionless access.
• Low latency for real time apps.
• METIS staking offers yields.
• TVL lags top L2s.
• Hybrid compute needs API tuning.

Join DACs for sequencer influence; stake early for higher APYs in nascent pools.

Loopring: DEX Optimized ZK Layer

Trades cost $0.0001 using zkRollups for Ethereum secured DEX. Handles order books at high speed without front running. Layer 3 potential adds app chains.

• Ultra low fees for high frequency trading.
• Non custodial wallet relayers.
• ZK preserves privacy in books.
• Limited beyond DEX use cases.
• Adoption tied to Loopring exchange.

Route via relayers for gasless trades; watch L2-to L3 upgrades for custom DEX forks.

Layer 2 Blockchain Fundamentals

Layer 2 blockchains like Ink Chain scale Ethereum by handling transactions off mainnet while settling there for security. Optimistic rollups assume validity, challenging frauds later; zk rollups prove correctness upfront. Ink uses OP Stack for 1-second blocks, beating Ethereum's 12-second average.

• TVL measures locked value-higher signals trust, like Arbitrum's $10B+.
• TPS tracks speed: Polygon's 65K suits bursts, Base's 2K daily use.
• Fees vary: ImmutableX zeros them for NFTs, zkSync hits sub millicent levels.

Choosing Between Optimistic and ZK Layer 2s

Optimistic options like Ink, Arbitrum excel in EVM ease and current speed, with fees under $0.01 but 7-day challenges. ZK chains such as Polygon zkEVM or zkSync offer instant finality and privacy at $0.001, trading dev simplicity for proof compute.

• Ink bridges CeFi DeFi best for exchange users.
• Arbitrum leads liquidity for pro traders.
• NFT/gaming picks ImmutableX for free ops.
• Privacy needs zkSync or Starknet.

Getting Started with Ink Chain and Top Layer 2s

1. Fund a wallet like Kraken or Coinbase for direct L2 deposits-avoids Ethereum gas spikes.
2. Bridge small test amounts first: use SuperchainERC20 on Ink for instant Superchain moves.
3. Explore DeFi entry points-Aave V3 on Ink, Uniswap on Arbitrum; start with $50 stakes.
4. Track fees live via L2Beat dashboard; pick under $0.01 averages for daily use.
5. Stake native tokens where possible: ARB for governance votes, INK for liquidity rewards.
6. Enable account abstraction on zkSync or Starknet to ditch seed phrases.
7. Batch transactions on Polygon for 65K TPS bursts during NFT drops.
8. Monitor TVL growth-Ink's $3M+ rising favors early liquidity farming.
9. Set alerts for sequencer downtimes on Optimism based chains like Base.
10. Diversify across 2-3 L2s: Ink for Kraken synergy, ImmutableX for gaming side.