Ethereum’s broader ecosystem is showing increasing momentum as Layer 2 networks and decentralized finance tokens outperform several major crypto sectors, while blockchain activity continues shifting from the mainnet to scaling networks.
Market trader Daan Crypto highlighted the trend, noting that Ethereum, Layer 2 networks and DeFi had been among the strongest-performing major sectors over the previous week, excluding smaller memecoins. The performance suggests the move may reflect a broader shift in market positioning rather than a short-lived rally among alternative crypto assets.
Recent blockchain data indicates that Ethereum’s scaling networks now process about 94% of all transactions across the combined Ethereum Layer 1 and Layer 2 ecosystem. The growing share provides a fundamental backdrop for the recent strength in Layer 2 and DeFi-related tokens.
Ethereum Layer 2 networks are now processing nearly 30 million transactions per day, compared with less than 2 million on the Ethereum mainnet, highlighting how rapidly activity has migrated to scaling networks.
L2 Networks Handle 97% of Ecosystem Throughput
According to data from GrowthePie, Ethereum Layer 2 networks processed approximately 29.95 million transactions per day, while the mainnet handled about 1.97 million transactions.
The gap becomes even more pronounced when measuring computational throughput. Layer 2 networks account for approximately 97% of total throughput across the Ethereum ecosystem, processing around 92.4 million gas units per second compared with about 2.52 million on Ethereum’s mainnet.
Capital is also increasingly flowing into major Layer 2 networks. Base currently secures approximately $14.51 billion, representing about 41% of the value secured across Ethereum’s Layer 2 ecosystem. Arbitrum follows with roughly $12.47 billion.
Robinhood Chain has also recorded substantial growth, reaching about $2.8 billion in secured value after increasing more than 150% over a 30-day period. The rise in network activity has coincided with stronger performance among related tokens. ARB, for example, recently gained more than 120%, with accelerating activity around Robinhood Chain contributing to the broader market narrative.
DeFi Activity Moves to L2s as Capital Stays on Mainnet
The shift toward Layer 2 networks is particularly pronounced in decentralized finance. Over the past 30 days, Ethereum Layer 2 networks processed approximately 337 million DeFi transactions, accounting for about 99% of combined DeFi transaction activity across Ethereum’s mainnet and scaling networks.
Uniswap was among the most heavily used applications, recording more than 57 million Layer 2 transactions during the period. The figures demonstrate that users are increasingly conducting routine DeFi activity on networks built to reduce the costs and congestion associated with Ethereum’s mainnet.
However, transaction activity and capital distribution remain significantly different. Ethereum’s mainnet continues to hold the majority of the ecosystem’s liquidity, with approximately $162 billion in stablecoins compared with about $12 billion across Layer 2 networks.
Ethereum’s institutional data hub also places decentralized finance total value locked on the mainnet at close to $49 billion. This suggests that Layer 2 networks have become the primary venue for transaction activity, while the mainnet continues to serve as the principal location for capital and settlement.
Ethereum Maintains Institutional Momentum
Ether was trading near $2,500 after recovering from approximately $2,390 earlier in the week. Institutional demand has remained another factor supporting the broader ecosystem, with Ethereum exchange-traded funds extending an inflow streak as demand for crypto investment products returned.
The data points to an increasingly complementary Ethereum structure in which Layer 2 networks handle the bulk of transactions and computational activity, while the mainnet remains the ecosystem’s dominant capital and settlement layer.
That division is helping shape market performance across Ethereum-related assets. Rather than relying solely on gains in Ether, investors are increasingly focusing on infrastructure and applications benefiting from the expansion of on-chain activity.
The continued growth of Layer 2 transaction volumes, rising secured value, and strong DeFi usage could strengthen Ethereum’s position as a multi-layer blockchain ecosystem. At the same time, the significant concentration of stablecoins and DeFi capital on the mainnet shows that scaling networks have yet to replicate Ethereum’s role as the primary liquidity and settlement hub.
The widening use of Layer 2 networks could provide a structural foundation for continued growth in Ethereum‘s DeFi and scaling sectors as activity increasingly separates into high-throughput execution and mainnet-based settlement.