Which L2s boosted ETH usage?

TLDR

Arbitrum (ARB), ethereum/">Optimism (OP), Base, and ZKsync (ZK) are the Layer 2s most directly boosting Ethereum usage this week, with settlement activity flowing back to L1. See the rollout impact noted for Arbitrum, Optimism, and Base in the upgrade coverage.

1. Ethereums on-chain activity hit a record, largely driven by L2 settlement back to L1 per a market update.
2. Arbitrum reported scale milestones (2.1 billion lifetime transactions, $20 billion secured), underscoring L2-led throughput in DeFi per a network note.
3. Upcoming Ethereum improvements expand data blobs for rollups, enabling higher L2 throughput; ZKsyncs design is highlighted in a technical overview.

Deep Dive

1. Leading L2s

Arbitrum, Optimism, Base, and ZKsync are the main L2s pushing usage back to Ethereum via rollup settlement. The Pectra upgrade specifically optimized how Arbitrum, Optimism, and Base interact with L1, making settlement cheaper and smoother (see the report above).

• Arbitrum, the largest L2 by share, crossed 2.1 billion lifetime transactions and $20 billion secured, reinforcing its role as a primary venue for DeFi throughput per a network note.
• Bases rising application activity and institutional lean (for example, consumer platforms building on Ethereum via L2) have accelerated usage aggregation on L1 through settlement.
• ZKsyncs push toward elastic networks aligns with the trend of faster execution off-chain with finality anchored on Ethereum, supporting L1 usage via data-availability.

2. Evidence Of The Boost

Ethereums recent usage records align with L2s settling more data and transactions on L1. A seven-day average transaction count reached a new high, with coverage attributing the jump to rollups, DeFi, and stablecoin flows in an activity update.

• The December record day was driven by expanded blob capacity and lower-cost data settlement, consistent with the throughput gains described in the upgrade coverage above.
• Crucially, record usage appeared without sharp fee spikes, highlighting improved efficiency as L2s carry data cheaply and settle back on L1.

3. Why Now: Upgrades And Throughput

2025 upgrades (like Pectra) doubled blobs per block, cutting L2 settlement costs. Forthcoming changes aim to expand blob space further, letting L2s process hundreds of thousands of transactions per second, with ZKsyncs Elastic design as a reference in a technical overview.

• More blobs per block increase rollup data capacity, directly boosting L2 throughput and the amount settled back onto Ethereum.
• Design improvements focus on usability and interoperability across L2s, addressing fragmentation risks that have historically made bridging complex.

Conclusion

The L2s most visibly boosting ETH usage now are Arbitrum, Optimism, Base, and ZKsync. Upgrades that expand blob capacity and optimize L2L1 interactions have turned rollup growth into higher Ethereum settlement without fee spikes. The causal link is clear: more L2 activity, more data settled on L1, stronger ETH usage fundamentals.