These days, some people are again debating whether to go on the mainnet or run Layer 2. My mirror ball feeling: when you’re staring at gas, you’re mostly just staring at your own anxiety. Actually, ordinary people have only one compromise: high-frequency small transactions should use L2, while low-frequency large transactions that require “no messing up” should go back to the mainnet. Don’t argue with yourself. To put it simply, the mainnet is like a settlement layer—expensive but reassuring; L2 is like daily card swipes—cheap and convenient but involves some uncertainty with “bridges” and operators.

I usually look at the chain first: whether the net inflow of bridges suddenly spikes, whether active addresses on popular L2s are surging. If both are pushing in, and spot/contract funding rates are extreme, I tend to give slightly less weight to the “good experience” side, leaving some room to wait for emotions to cool down before acting. You think you’re choosing a network, but really you’re choosing the cost you can sleep soundly over.