Polygon Labs CEO Condemns Ethereum Layer 3 Networks Amid Surge in Meme Coin Trading

In a recent post on X, Polygon Labs CEO Marc Boiron has lashed out at Layer 3 (L3) networks on the Ethereum blockchain. Boiron claims that these networks are unnecessary for scaling the Ethereum network and serve only to drain value from the mainnet.

The L3 Controversy

Boiron expressed skepticism about L3 networks, emphasizing that Polygon Labs, a prominent Layer 2 (L2) scaling network for Ethereum, does not work on L3s because they are not essential for scaling existing networks. According to him, L3s exist solely to take value away from Ethereum and onto the L2s on which the L3s are built. This stance has sparked a debate among industry participants.

Community Divided

While some argue that L2s on Ethereum are indeed valuable to the network, Boiron counters that “L2 value is not necessarily Ethereum value.” He warns that if all L3s settled to one L2, Ethereum would capture minimal value, jeopardizing its security. Despite the growing interest in L3 networks, the sector remains relatively small, with only four L3 tokens listed on CoinGecko.

The Counterarguments

Peter Haymond, senior partnership manager at Offchain Labs, highlights the benefits of L3s that don’t deplete Ethereum’s value. These advantages include low-cost native bridging from L2, cost-effective on-chain proofs, custom gas tokens, and specialized state transition functions. Patrick McCorry, a researcher at the Arbitrum Foundation, also supports L3s, emphasizing their role in enabling L2 networks to become settlement layers and leveraging Ethereum as a global ordering service.