What is Etherlink?
Etherlink is an EVM-compatible, non-custodial Layer 2 blockchain powered by Tezos Smart Rollup technology. It enables seamless integration with existing Ethereum tools, including wallets and indexers, and facilitates asset transfers to and from other EVM-compatible chains.
Built upon the secure foundation of Tezos layer 1, Etherlink delivers a fast, fair, and (nearly) free experience. This permissionless and censorship-resistant environment empowers developers to actively create and participate in the next generation of decentralized applications.
It's fast
Experience a developer-friendly environment that minimizes wait times. Etherlink provides low latency with sub-second (< 500ms) confirmation times, delivered by the sequencer.
Leveraging the Tezos 2-block finality guarantee and the high-speed execution of Smart Rollups, Etherlink ensures your transactions are confirmed quickly and securely.
| Chain | L2 confirmation time | Data posted on L1 |
|---|---|---|
| Etherlink | ~ 500 ms | ~ 10 seconds |
| Optimism Bedrock | ~ 2 seconds | ~ 2 minutes |
| Arbitrum One | ~ 300 ms | ~ 7 minutes |
It's fair
Etherlink's governance is integrated with the permissionless and robust fraud-proof system of the Tezos protocol, ensuring transparency and fairness in decision making.
Stakeholders can propose and vote on protocol changes, including kernel updates, security patches, and changes to the sequencer operator. To accurately reflect community consensus, all governance processes are equipped with robust safeguards.
Out of the box, anyone can participate and run a node, post commitments about the current state of Etherlink, challenge other node operators' commitments, and contribute to network security. With no administrative keys or centralized bridges, users retain complete control over their assets, which helps ensure a fair environment free from exploitation.
It's (nearly) free
On Etherlink, an ERC-20 transaction costs $0.001 or less, making it nearly free to use. These minimal fees enable cost-effective transactions necessary to foster innovation and development.
Security is enhanced on Etherlink in part because it is built on Tezos Smart Rollups, which are enshrined on the platform, meaning they are implemented directly on Layer 1 of the protocol.
Because Smart Rollups run in separate environments, they avoid the per-transaction gas fees of Layer 1 and incur only minimal costs when publishing their state to Layer 1. This unique architecture allows you to build and deploy applications without worrying about prohibitive transaction costs.
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