The following is a guest post from Rostyslav Bortman, Founder at Ethereum Ukraine.
If you’re planning to launch a stablecoin or preparing for a token generation event (TGE), your choice of blockchain likely comes down to two major contenders: Ethereum or Solana.
At first glance, the decision seems straightforward—Solana is faster and cheaper, while Ethereum’s Layer 1 (L1) remains costly and slow. But is it really that simple?
Ethereum today is no longer just an L1 blockchain; it’s part of a much larger, modular ecosystem that includes a growing Layer 2 (L2) infrastructure.
The real issue? The market hasn’t fully adapted to this modular paradigm yet. Many users still associate Ethereum with high fees and limited scalability, even though its technology has already evolved beyond those constraints.
Mass adoption always lags behind innovation. If you’re not deeply involved in tech, you likely don’t perceive the modular architecture of the internet—yet it’s the backbone of the digital world. The internet itself never aimed to solve UX problems. Instead, applications abstracted the complexity, delivering a seamless experience to users.
The same must happen with Ethereum. As long as L2s feel like separate networks rather than native extensions of Ethereum, mainstream users will struggle to embrace them.
So how do we make Ethereum more user-friendly? Three critical issues need to be addressed:
- Interoperability – seamless interaction between L1 and L2
- DApps & Wallet UX – a user experience that doesn’t require technical knowledge
- Scalability – improved network efficiency and lower fees
Until these challenges are fully resolved, Ethereum will continue to face resistance in mainstream adoption—despite being technologically prepared for the next phase of growth.
This article explores how these issues can be tackled and what it will take to position Ethereum for mass adoption.
Interoperability: From Bridges to Seamless Compatibility
One of Ethereum’s biggest hurdles today is the lack of native interoperability between L2 solutions. Users still have to manually bridge assets between networks, a process that remains clunky and inconvenient.
Intent-based bridges like Across have significantly improved transaction speed, cutting down L1 → L2 transfers to 15 seconds and L2 → L2 swaps to under 5 seconds. However, these solutions are only viable for highly liquid assets. For memecoins and niche tokens, they remain out of reach.
This is why the Ethereum ecosystem is pushing toward native interoperability—first between L2 chains and, ultimately, between L1 and L2.
Basically, this is how the interoperability looks like in 2025:
- Arbitrum: cross-chain transactions and swaps expected by Q1 2025 (<3 sec transfers).
- Optimism: developing its own solution, but no set deadlines.
- ZKSync: tentative launch by late 2025.
- Polygon Aggregation Layer: already connecting chains built on Polygon CDK (v0.2).
Most projects are still in development, but Q2 2025 should see the first releases of ERC-20 cross-chain transfers between L2 clusters (Arbitrum, Superchain (Optimism), Elastic Chain (ZKSync), Agglayer (Polygon)).
Ultimately, what is going to be the endgame for rollup adaptation are:
- Based rollups, which redistribute MEV back to Ethereum L1 validators, integrating at the sequencer level.
- Native rollups that restore synchronous composability, executing transactions directly on Ethereum L1.
When will this fully materialize? No clear timeline yet. None of the existing rollups have confirmed plans to transition into Based or Native models. However, the direction is set—Ethereum Foundation recently introduced an open-source framework for building intent-based bridges under the ERC-7683 standard.
For wallets, this is a major breakthrough. A unified integration standard means that intent-based bridges like Across could see widespread adoption within the next 1-2 months. This will drastically simplify asset transfers, making Ethereum’s modular architecture feel far more seamless and intuitive for users.
dApps & Wallet UX: The Next Step Toward Mass Adoption
Fragmentation between L2 chains isn’t the only UX hurdle in the Ethereum ecosystem. The inability to batch transactions and sponsor gas fees for regular EOA wallets remains a major barrier.
Previous efforts to fix this—most notably EIP-4337 (Account Abstraction)—failed to see widespread adoption.
The reason? A lack of a unified standard, which slowed down integration. However, that’s finally changing.
EIP-7702 introduces a breakthrough solution by allowing EOA wallets to temporarily function as smart contracts within a single transaction. This essentially creates a lightweight alternative to Account Abstraction, improving gas fee management and user experience.
What does this mean for users?
- Fewer transactions, greater efficiency. Approvals and swaps can now be bundled into a single action.
- Flexible gas payments. Users will be able to pay transaction fees in tokens other than ETH.
- Enhanced security. Wallets can adopt temporary smart contract functionalities, unlocking advanced authorization mechanisms.
EIP-7702 is expected to be integrated into wallets and dApps within two months of Pectra’s launch. This estimate comes from Offchain Labs, whose representatives confirmed to me that updates will hit L2 chains within 1-2 weeks after Ethereum Mainnet (currently set for early April).
With the rollout of intent-based bridges and EIP-7702, Ethereum UX will drastically improve. Wallets and dApps that integrate these updates first will gain a significant competitive advantage, offering a seamless cross-chain experience.
Uniswap has already started—who’s going to be next?
Scalability: How Pectra Pushes Ethereum’s Limits
Ethereum’s modular design splits its ecosystem into distinct layers—Execution (L1), Data Availability (DA), and Layer 2 solutions—each influencing the network’s scalability. The key challenge? Optimizing the right components first.
Vitalik Buterin recently emphasized this in his blog, arguing that even with Ethereum’s focus on rollups, L1 scaling remains crucial. A 20% boost to L1 execution efficiency automatically improves all rollups, just as increasing DA blobs enhances transaction speed across L2s.
What’s changing now?
- Base handled peak loads during the Kaito airdrop, reaching 160 TPS with an average fee of $0.02.
- Ethereum developers plan to double blobs from 3 to 6 in Pectra, further easing congestion.
- Validiums now offer Solana-level speeds with sub-cent fees.
Still, DA expansion remains a bottleneck. Interest in EigenDA as an alternative scaling solution is growing. Some suggest that Ethereum roll ups might temporarily transition to validiums to accelerate scaling. Even Dankrad Feist (one of the most renowned Ethereum researchers) proposed Jesse Polak, core developer of Base, becoming a validium to achieve faster growth.
While the ecosystem is far from its final form, one thing is clear: this is the best time to build. Ethereum’s evolving infrastructure provides projects with seamless deployment and a significantly improved user experience, making mass adoption closer than ever.
Conclusion: Ethereum on the Brink of a New Era
Ethereum is undergoing one of the most transformative phases in its history. Fundamental shifts in scalability, user experience, and interoperability are already taking shape, setting the stage for a more efficient and accessible network.
The next 2-3 months will be pivotal. EIP-7702 is set to revolutionize wallets, making Ethereum interactions seamless and intuitive, while intent-powered bridges will eliminate friction in cross-chain transfers. These upgrades will redefine how users interact with the Ethereum ecosystem.
The market is shifting toward UX optimization, and competition between wallets and protocols for the best cross-chain experience is about to intensify. The projects that deliver the fastest, most user-friendly, and most secure solutions will take the lead, shaping Ethereum’s path toward mass adoption.
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