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Lighter Layer 2 Pushes Ethereum to All-Time High in Transactions per Second
The Ethereum (ETH) ecosystem just set a new all-time high in transactions per second (TPS) — surpassing 24,000 TPS — thanks to the inclusion of the high-speed Layer 2 network Lighter, which has quickly become one of the fastest scaling solutions in the crypto world.
Ethereum Smashes Through Previous Speed Limits
According to data from Growthepie, Ethereum reached a record-breaking 24,192 transactions per second within the last 24 hours, marking the network’s fastest performance to date. The surge came after metrics began factoring in transactions from Lighter, a decentralized perpetual futures platform operating on Ethereum Layer 2.
For comparison, Lighter alone is processing around 4,000 TPS, dwarfing Base Chain’s current range of 100–200 TPS. This milestone underscores Ethereum’s evolving scalability, which has been a top priority alongside its focus on decentralization and security.
Ethereum’s Scaling Revolution: L2s Lead the Way
Recent upgrades such as Pectra and Dencun have significantly improved transaction throughput across Ethereum’s Layer 2 ecosystem. Commenting on the achievement, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin posted on X, “Ethereum is scaling.”
Ryan Sean Adams, host of the Bankless Podcast, highlighted that Layer 2s have added a “200x scaling factor to Ethereum” since October, largely driven by the rise of Lighter and its heavy reliance on zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs). He predicted that Ethereum could soon reach 100,000 TPS — and potentially 1 million TPS — in the near future.
Lighter’s Speed Comes at a Cost
Despite its blistering speed, Lighter has faced multiple network outages since launching on October 1. The team recently compensated 3,900 wallets with $774,872 in USDC following a major October 28 disruption, drawing comparisons to Solana’s early network struggles.
Debate Over Value Accrual to Ethereum Mainnet
Not everyone is convinced that faster Layer 2s benefit Ethereum directly. ₿RRR Capital founding partner Rezso Schmiedt questioned where the value accrual for Ethereum’s mainnet comes from, pointing out that Layer 2s capture most of the fees, not ETH itself.
While Layer 2s are undeniably enhancing scalability, many in the community argue that aligning incentives — through mechanisms like fee sharing, MEV capture, and protocol integrations — will be key to ensuring sustainable value continues to flow back to Ethereum (ETH).
