You might have heard these statements:
Solana is about to overtake Ethereum
Ethereum's transaction fees are high, and its ecosystem is declining
Ethereum's upgrades are too slow, lacking narrative, and can't support token prices...
But, is that really the case?
If you're an OG who entered the space in 2017, you might still remember the crypto experience back then: fast transactions, low fees, simple operations, and no need to switch wallets—everything was simple and direct.
Today, Ethereum is returning to a "simple yet powerful" user experience—and even going further. Just as in the Qin Dynasty with "same chariot tracks, same writing," Ethereum is reshaping its underlying structure through a modular strategy: the mainnet focuses on security and settlement, while Layer 2 carries performance and experience.
Can you imagine:
Smart contract wallets becoming increasingly common?
Transferring on Ethereum with fees less than 1 cent?
Enjoying a Web2-like smooth application experience on-chain?
These are happening now. Technologies like Rollup, EIP-4844, and account abstraction are building a smooth, flexible, secure, and unified Ethereum.
The Foundation of Trust: Unshakeable Ethereum Mainnet
We observe that despite high-frequency trading flowing to Layer 2 and TRON's increasing stablecoin market share, the Ethereum mainnet remains the core gathering place for capital, protocols, and developers.
1. Data Speaks: Economic Dominance
On-chain data doesn't lie. Ethereum's total locked value is around $62 billion, far exceeding other blockchains; its stablecoin market cap is over $126 billion, making it the world's largest stablecoin issuance and circulation network; its ecosystem is a major contributor to thousands of billions of dollars in monthly decentralized exchange (DEX) trading volume.
2. Strategic Shift: Moving Towards a Trillion-Dollar Asset Security Base
Currently, Ethereum's vision as the "World Computer" has unearthed the pioneering scenario of "World Ledger"—focusing on becoming the most neutral and secure settlement layer for global finance and digital assets. The foundation's "Trillion-Dollar Security" plan aims to build it into a solid base capable of carrying assets equivalent to the entire UK stock market, paving the way for "World Onchain".
3. Institutional Entry: Traditional Finance is Building the Future on Ethereum
From JPMorgan's JPM Coin to Franklin Templeton's on-chain fund, and BlackRock's BUIDL, Wall Street is building the future on Ethereum. Regulatory frameworks like MiCA (Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation) have also cleared obstacles for large-scale compliant capital entry.
The Engine of Growth: Layer 2 Comprehensive Explosion
Ethereum's scaling has transformed from concept to reality, with the blockchain world forming a new division of labor:
1. Dramatically Reduced Costs, Transaction Volume Surpassing Mainnet
Today, the total daily transaction volume of mainstream Layer 2 solutions like Base, Arbitrum, and OP far exceeds the mainnet, with key cost reductions of 10 to 100 times. This makes "free transactions" a possible business vision. As brokers like Robinhood enter tokenized stocks, Layer 2 will usher in a higher-frequency, more diverse trading wave.
2. Dencun Upgrade: Paving a Dedicated Highway for Layer 2
The Dencun upgrade introduced "Blob"—a temporary data space designed specifically for Layer 2. Independent of the mainnet's expensive permanent storage, it dramatically reduces Layer 2 data publication costs by 100-200 times, a crucial link in the scaling revolution. Subsequent technologies like PeerDAS and ePBS will further expand this data highway.
Experience Revolution: Account Abstraction, the Last Mile to the Mass Market
If Layer 2 solves the "expensive" problem, account abstraction is dedicated to solving the "difficult to use" problem. This is the final gate for Web3 to welcome the next billion users.
Account abstraction aims to transform your wallet into a programmable "smart account," bringing a disruptive experience:
1. Completely Bid Farewell to Gas Fee Troubles
In the future, using a DApp, you won't need to worry about gas or buying ETH. Through the Paymaster mechanism, DApps can pay gas for you, or you can directly pay with stablecoins like USDT. Transactions will be as natural as breathing.
2. End Seed Phrase Anxiety
Forget that nerve-wracking seed phrase! Through social recovery (verified by friends and family) or email recovery (using zk-Email technology), account recovery will become simple and secure.
3. Web2-Level Smooth Login and Payment
Say goodbye to the tedious process of popping up signatures for every operation!
Passkey: Directly authorize transactions using face or fingerprint, with complex concepts like private keys and signatures completely invisible.
Session keys: When playing blockchain games or performing high-frequency operations, one authorization allows unlimited play within a specified time without being interrupted by frequent signatures.
Unified Territory: When "On-Chain Islands" Connect into a Continent
Having solved "expensive" and "difficult," the final challenge for the Ethereum ecosystem is fragmentation. Assets and identities are trapped in different Layer 2 islands, with cross-chain experiences still complex and slow.
Interoperability technologies are the key puzzle pieces connecting these islands and building a unified continent.
Intents: From "How to Do" to "What to Do"
In the future, you won't need to care about complex cross-chain steps. Just express your ultimate goal, such as "I want to exchange 100 USDC on Arbitrum for as much ETH as possible on Base". Professional "Solvers" in the system will automatically calculate and execute the optimal path, with the entire process completed in the background, completely imperceptible to you.
Shared Sequencers: Making Cross-Chain Operations Atomic
It can ensure that a complex cross-chain transaction (like cross-chain arbitrage or lending) either completely succeeds or completely fails, completely eliminating the risk of asset loss during cross-chain processes, providing a solid foundation for complex cross-chain applications.
Cross-Chain Session Keys: Ultimate Combination of Account Abstraction and Interoperability
One authorization allows DApps to automatically execute tasks across multiple chains. Imagine automatically staking idle assets from multiple Layer 2s to the protocol with the highest network yield with a single click.
The ultimate future experience will be: In imToken, you initiate an "intent" with one fingerprint verification. Then, Paymaster covers your gas, Solver plans the path, shared sequencers ensure safety, assets flow seamlessly between Layer 2s, and finally settle on the Ethereum mainnet.
The frontend is as smooth as Web2, with a highly collaborative modular backend. This is "Unified Ethereum".
Welcome to "Unified Ethereum"
Unified Ethereum is no longer future tense; it's already underfoot. The mainnet guarantees trust, Layer 2 provides performance, account abstraction opens the entrance, and interoperability technologies seamlessly connect everything.
Wallets like imToken will play a role far beyond being just wallets in this new paradigm—they will be smart gateways to the unified ecosystem, personal assistants for managing programmable accounts, and reliable guides to achieving the best experience in a multi-chain world.
We stand at the starting point of an entirely new value internet—unified, open, and user-friendly, unprecedented.
