⚡️Friends, the Ethereum community is being drained by L2, while becoming a mere tool, and the value of the security layer is gradually being weakened.

L2 earns a lot, taking away fees, MEV, and liquidity, while ETH stakers can only stare blankly. This model is indeed a bit abnormal, with ETH providing security, while L2 hardly pays rent, enjoying the benefits.

For example, Base earned $2.5 million last month, but only gave ETH less than $11,000; Optimism is outrageous, making $321 for every $1 paid to ETH. Doesn't this model sound very wrong?

This asymmetric profit distribution is Ether Square working for L2 with its own security value. Not to mention the future upgrade of EIP-4844 (reduce L1 data costs through blobs), which may further lower the L1 fees of Ether Square, the problem will only get worse.

The prosperity of L2, of course, cannot do without the security endorsement of Ether, but the fees and profits they pay are not directly proportional. In the long run, not only will the economic incentives of Ether be weakened, but even its core status may be shaken, becoming a dumb security layer, while L2 continues to forge ahead. This situation is obviously unsustainable.

To change the status quo, Ether Square needs to take the initiative to ensure that it can share value from the prosperity of L2. How to do it? Several ideas:

1. ETH Staking Deposit: Requires the L2 sequencer to stake a certain amount of Ether as collateral to participate in network activities. This not only enhances the security contribution of L2 to the Ether network, but also extends the security of the Ether network to all L2 through the re-staking mechanism.

2. Settlement fee sharing: stipulate that a portion of the L2 transaction fees (such as 5-10%) goes directly to the ETH stakers, or establish an ETH treasury, which L2 fills by contributing tokens or fees, serving as the financial layer of the L2 ecosystem.

3. MEV Redistribution: The MEV generated by L2 (such as additional revenue brought by transaction ordering) should flow back to the Ethereum network, enhancing the economic incentives of L1. For example, a portion of the MEV revenue can be distributed to Ethereum validators through smart contract mechanisms.

4. Rental mechanism: Introduce the concept of paying rent for L2, and the rent can be calculated based on the transaction volume, TVL (Total Value Locked), or user activity of L2, ensuring that the ETH chain obtains a reasonable return. For example, Base can pay rent monthly based on 10% of its revenue.

The implementation of these measures needs to balance the profitability of L2 and the sustainable development of Ether Square. For example, mandatory staking of ETH may increase the operating costs of L2, while fee sharing needs to consider user experience and the competitiveness of L2.

The following is a comparison of L1 fees and estimated L2 income for part of L2 from February 16, 2025, to March 17, 2025 (based on L2Beat data and assuming L2 execution fees account for 10% of total fees):

The current relationship between L2 and Ether is indeed asymmetrical. L2 relies on the security of Ether, but the fees it pays are not proportional to its profits, leading to the risk of Ether becoming a tool. L2 has strong profitability, but its contribution to Ether is insufficient, threatening its long-term sustainability.

Now is the window of opportunity for the ETH community to fight back. If you do not take action, you may be marginalized by L2. If you act properly, you can maintain your position, increase your income, and strengthen the ecosystem. L2 does not need to completely change its model, but the ETH community must toughen up, set rules, reclaim rewards, and let L2 pay for the security value, otherwise the day when Rollup takes the lead is not far away.