According to Binance, Layer 1 scaling prioritizes base-chain security and decentralization while increasing throughput more conservatively, which directly affects gas costs and settlement assurance for ETH users, source: Binance Academy. Binance explains that rollups bundle many transactions off-chain and post compressed data to Layer 1, aiming to lower fees and raise throughput while inheriting L1 security, which impacts execution costs and reliability for active traders, source: Binance Academy. Binance adds that sidechains run in parallel with their own consensus and rely on bridges to connect to the main chain, typically offering lower fees but with distinct security assumptions traders must price in, source: Binance Academy. Binance states that Optimistic rollups use fraud proofs and typically involve longer withdrawal times due to challenge periods, affecting capital mobility and settlement timing across venues, source: Binance Academy. Binance notes that ZK-rollups use validity proofs for faster finality and generally quicker withdrawals back to Layer 1, improving capital efficiency relative to long challenge windows, source: Binance Academy. Binance emphasizes that bridges and smart contracts introduce additional risk and costs when moving assets between Layer 1, rollups, and sidechains, which traders should factor into strategy execution and hedging, source: Binance Academy.

According to @alice_und_bob, a Stage 2 L2 is fully controlled by code with no centralized points of failure, source: @alice_und_bob on X and L2BEAT Stages documentation. L2BEAT defines Stage 2 networks as having live trustless state validation via fraud or validity proofs, permissionless exits and censorship resistance, and no privileged upgrade keys that can seize or halt user funds, source: L2BEAT Stages framework. For trading risk assessment on ETH L2s, L2BEAT’s dashboard classifies each network’s stage so Stage 2 denotes lower trust assumptions versus Stage 0 or Stage 1, enabling objective comparison across rollups, source: L2BEAT dashboard and Stages documentation.

According to Lex Sokolin, the current Ethereum Layer 2 solutions, including zkRollups and optimistic rollups, are not only scaling the network for human users but are also laying the groundwork for future AI-driven economies on ETH. These scaling technologies are positioning Ethereum as the foundation for automated, high-frequency transactions necessary for AI agents, which could increase network activity and liquidity, potentially driving higher trading volumes and volatility for ETH and related tokens. Source: Lex Sokolin.