Base, Ink, World: what is Superchain, the layer-2 network?

Single networks hosting multiple chains are one of the potential solutions to the blockchain trilemma, which forces developers to make tradeoffs between scalability, security and decentralization. Most protocols prioritise the latter two features, threatening adoption because users are accustomed to the speed of the traditional finance system.

However, current approaches to the multichain model present two challenges: the bridges they use to communicate and transfer assets are vulnerable to attacks, and each chain relying on its own set of validators increases costs.

To address these challenges, the Optimism Collective has launched the Superchain, a network of chains that share security and technology.

A multichain solution

The Superchain is a network of several layer 2 (L2) blockchains which process transactions on behalf of Ethereum to reduce congestion that slows the network and raises transaction fees. Despite gaining significant traction over the last four years, the Optimism Collective recognised that individual L2s won’t help Ethereum compete with the internet, so it launched the Superchain in February 2023.

The vision for the Superchain is a single network consisting of OP Mainnet and other chains that share decentralised governance and infrastructure upgrades. These ‘OP chains’ effectively become interchangeable because they also share the OP Stack, the software powering Optimism, which ensures compatibility with Ethereum, among other things. This means developers can build decentralised apps (dapps) that run on the whole network.

One of the earliest projects built on Superchain was Base, deployed by leading crypto exchange Coinbase to provide a platform for building dapps and hosting its on-chain products, such as lending protocol Seamless and memecoin generator and marketplace Toshi Mart. 

A key component of the OP Stack are rollups, a scalability solution that reduces congestion by processing transactions off-chain before submitting them in a single batch to the base layer, where they’re finalised. Superchain uses optimistic rollups where ‘sequencers’ process batches of transactions and send them to Ethereum. As the name suggests, optimistic rollups assume all transactions are legitimate unless a user challenges one during the dispute window (usually seven days) by submitting a fraud proof, a cryptographic mechanism used to check its validity. In contrast, ZK rollups use a cryptographic technique known as zero-knowledge proofs to validate transactions before sending them to the base layer. 

The Superchain Ecosystem

The 30 OP chains in the Superchain ecosystem account for over 40% of all L2 transactions. In addition to Base, some of the highest-profile projects include:

• Ink, deployed by crypto exchange Kraken at the end of 2024. Ink bridges the gap between centralised platforms that users are familiar with, primarily its parent company, and decentralised finance (DeFi) apps such as liquidity provider Velodrome and staking protocol Dinero.

• Soneium is audio manufacturer Sony’s first foray into blockchain technology. Despite launching in January 2025, Soneium has already recruited 32 apps through its incubator, offering a range of services including DeFi, gaming and content streaming. Sony also plans to explore use cases leveraging its intellectual property and businesses within the larger group.

• World is a ‘proof of humanity’ project, which lets users verify their identity, launched by Open AI co-founder and CEO Sam Altman in July 2023. It initially caused controversy because users earn its native token (WLD) for sharing biometric data, raising concerns about privacy. World Chain, its L2, went live in October 2024 and prioritises holders of a ‘World ID’, for instance by allowing them to conduct a certain number of transactions without paying fees. 

Some of the most popular dapps running on Superchain include social media platform Farcaster, exchange Uniswap and Chainlink, an ‘oracle’ which connects blockchains with real-world data.

Governance

Superchain’s unique approach to governance consists of two ‘houses’. The Collective describes this model as an experiment that aims to avoid concentration of power, establish checks and balances and encourage broader decision making.

Holders of OP, OP Mainnet’s native token, can join the Token House which entitles them to submit, debate and vote on governance proposals such as adjusting OP’s inflation rate. Members can either vote directly or use a proxy called a ‘delegate’, a member who volunteers to actively contribute to the protocol’s governance.

The Citizens House allocates Retroactive Public Goods Funding based on a one person, one vote system. Retro funding rewards positive contributions to Superchain and the Collective based on the premise that what has been useful in the past is easier than predicting what might be useful in the future. 

Votes in both houses are subject to a quorum (a minimum number of participating members), an approval threshold and a veto threshold. For instance, 30% of Token House members must take part in a vote for a protocol upgrade with 76% in favour to implement it. 30% of Citizens House members are required to veto the proposal.    

Growth

2024 was a pivotal year for Superchain, with the protocol experiencing substantial growth. As reported in the annual review:

• More than 30 chains joined the network.

• Superchain processed nearly half of all L2 transactions conducted on behalf of Ethereum.

• Total value locked, a metric used to measure the volume of user funds deposited on DeFi apps, rose by more than 240% from $1.4 billion to $4.8 billion.

• 145 new dapps went live on the network, an increase of over 80%.

• Perhaps most notably, daily transactions soared by 1,600% from 650,000 to 11.1 million.

Andrew Koller, founder of Ink, summed up some of the reasons for Superchain’s recent success when interviewed by crypto media platform CoinDesk:

"Do I want to worry too much about security and the protocol upgrades, and having to manage that myself, or do I want to be able to use resources effectively and just make good UX, good tooling, and bring our clients on-chain and make the applications? Let's just focus on experience so we don't have to worry about the complexities of running a blockchain. I think that's why Optimism was a clear choice.”

Challenges

Interoperability- the ability of blockchains to communicate with each other- is one of the main technical challenges facing Superchain. As things stand, chains have to send messages and move assets and data via Ethereum. Not only does this approach slow transactions and add costs, it creates silos that hamper growth and participation. Limited interoperability also causes problems for developers who must grow their projects on different chains and create a user-friendly interface across different infrastructure.   

Another of Superchain’s technical challenges is the amount of centralised control retained by developers. While this control is useful in the early days to fix glitches, OP chains must be decentralised to benefit from the base layer’s security. 

The problem for the L2 ecosystem- not just Superchain- is most protocols are still at stage zero of their deployment and very much centralised. L2Beat tracks 60 L2s (as of February 2025): only four have reached stage one (including Optimism and Ink), while three have reached stage two.

Superchain also faces stiff competition from other networks seeking to scale Ethereum. The biggest competitor is Arbitrum with a market capitalisation of nearly $1.8 billion (as of February 2025). Starknet (market cap $450 million) and ZKsync ($358 million), which both use ZK rollups, provide further competition.    

Future

Native interoperability is the Optimism Collective’s key strategic goal for the first half of 2025, targeting $250 million per month in asset transfers between chains. Achieving it involves adding a new layer to the OP stack, consisting of an interchain messaging protocol, a standard for a Superchain native token (SuperchainERC20, used to issue the OpenUSDT stablecoin) and a universal fraud proof. 

Ecosystem growth and governance enhancements are also on Superchain’s roadmap for H1, backed by up to 35 million OP ($37.4 million as of February 2025). Some of the biggest growth projects will involve airdrops- distributing free tokens to specific wallets to raise awareness and reward activity- and partnerships to support achieving interoperability. Governance projects include improving the credibility of elections and increasing the votable supply of OP.