The access framework for Ethereum L2 “federations” has become increasingly clear. Core members and potential members are establishing their positions along three paths: “technological ownership, economic binding, and standard unification.” Below is an analysis of each project’s positioning:

1. Clear Core Federation Members

These projects are the foundation of the federation, deeply integrated with Ethereum at the technical, economic, and community levels.

Arbitrum

Positioning: The economic capital of the federation. Its long-standing TVL leader, Arbitrum One, and the gaming and social-focused Arbitrum Nova form the largest and most mature DeFi and application ecosystem, serving as the liquidity anchor for the federation.

OP Mainnet and OP Stack Superchain

Positioning: The rulemakers and standard setters of the federation. OP Stack is not only a technical framework but also a governance and interoperability standard. The superchain camp, represented by Base, Worldcoin, and others, is building a highly standardized “L2 federation state cluster.”

zkSync Era

Positioning: The federation’s technological pioneer. With years of experience in zkEVM, it aims to provide developers with the most native-like Ethereum ZK development experience and is a key force in upgrading the federation’s overall technical paradigm to ZK.

Starknet

Positioning: The federation’s high-performance computing zone. Its Cairo language and unique VM design give it innate advantages in handling complex logic (such as AI inference and high-performance gaming), making it a core area for exploring differentiated functionalities within the federation.

Scroll

Positioning: The model of security and compatibility within the federation. Through extreme bytecode-level EVM compatibility and a decentralized proof network, it aims to be Ethereum’s safest extension, attracting users and assets with the highest security requirements.

Linea

Positioning: The federation’s official infrastructure. Developed by Ethereum core developer company ConsenSys and seamlessly integrated with core infrastructure like MetaMask and Infura, it is one of the federation’s “default channels” and a preferred platform for developers.

2. Potential Members to Watch

These projects are at a critical strategic crossroads, with their final positioning depending on how deeply they bind to the Ethereum ecosystem.

Polygon: The “Swiss” of the federation. Its strategy is to build a large Polygon 2.0 aggregation layer connecting multiple chains via ZK technology. The key question is whether its ecosystem focus is on serving as a bridge connecting Ethereum with other ecosystems or as a deeply integrated L2 network within Ethereum’s settlement layer. The adoption of its CDK chain will be a key indicator.

Manta, Coti, and other emerging ZK Rollups: The federation’s technical partners. They have their own innovations in the ZK space, but face challenges in ecosystem scale and uniqueness. If their economic models overly depend on their own tokens or adopt external DA schemes, they may be viewed as “semi-federated allies” rather than core members.

Blast, Mode, and other “staking-driven” new chains: The federation’s “economic special zones.” They attract significant capital and users through innovative token distribution and incentive mechanisms in the short term. However, their relatively centralized early architecture and strong “mining” attributes make them more like licensed zones for economic experimentation under federation rules, with long-term stability to be tested.

3. Federation “Constitution” Principles

Determining whether an L2 can become a federation member will follow these strict criteria in the future:

Sovereignty: Must be a validated Ethereum rollup, anchoring transaction data and validity proofs ultimately on Ethereum L1, sharing its security.

Economic Unity: Use ETH as the underlying gas currency. This is the ultimate expression of value capture and loyalty. The widespread adoption of account abstraction (AA) will make “paying gas with ETH on any chain” a seamless experience.

Interoperability: Follow federation-level interoperability standards (such as cross-chain frameworks based on ERC-7683) to enable trustless cross-chain communication, allowing assets and information to flow freely within the federation.

In summary, the landscape of Ethereum L2 “federations” has shifted from a “battle of hundreds of chains” to a “camp alliance” stage. Arbitrum, OP superchains, and major ZK giants form the core power circle. Future competition will be about how each member creates the most attractive “differentiated zones” within this unified security and economic framework.