Unprecedented Transaction Speed Recorded

The Ethereum ecosystem has achieved an unprecedented transactions-per-second benchmark, reaching 24,192 TPS in a single moment. This significant milestone was recorded as Growthepie began incorporating data from Lighter, a high-speed layer 2 network, into its metrics. This marks the highest transaction throughput ever recorded for Ethereum's combined infrastructure.

Lighter's Impact on Transaction Capacity

Lighter, a layer 2 solution that launched on October 1, processes approximately 4,000 transactions per second. This performance dramatically outpaces other networks, such as Base Chain, which operates in the 100 to 200 TPS range. Since its launch, Lighter has quickly become a dominant contributor to Ethereum's overall transaction capacity.

Key Figures React to Scaling Achievement

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin celebrated the achievement on social media, declaring that "Ethereum is scaling" as the network continued to post record numbers. Ryan Sean Adams, host of the Bankless podcast, attributes this substantial scaling improvement, a 200x increase since October, to Lighter's extensive implementation of zero-knowledge proofs. Adams projects that Ethereum layer 2 networks could reach 100,000 TPS within months and potentially hit 1 million TPS as the technology matures.

Challenges and Compensations with Lighter

Despite its exceptional speed, Lighter has encountered multiple network disruptions since its launch last month. These challenges have drawn comparisons to the early operational difficulties experienced by Solana. The platform's October 28 outage was among its most significant technical failures to date. Following this incident, the Lighter team compensated nearly 3,900 affected wallets with $774,872 in $USDC.

Debate on Value Distribution in Layer 2 Ecosystem

Questions persist within the community regarding value distribution between layer 2 networks and the Ethereum mainnet. Rezso Schmiedt of ₿RRR Capital has raised concerns about where additional revenue will accrue. Layer 2 solutions capture transaction fees directly rather than directing them to Ethereum, which has created an ongoing debate about the long-term sustainability of this model.

Community Support and Proposed Solutions

The Ethereum community largely supports the development of layer 2 solutions but also recognizes the need for better alignment between the mainnet and these scaling technologies. Several mechanisms have been proposed to address the value distribution challenge. These include fee-sharing arrangements, MEV capture systems, and deeper protocol integrations designed to ensure that sustainable value flows back to Ethereum holders.