第三层网络：以太坊扩容争论中的激烈争论

Polygon 首席执行官马克·布瓦龙 (Marc Boiron) 在 Twitter 上引发了关于第 3 层网络必要性的争论，认为它们“存在只是为了将价值从以太坊转移到构建 L3 的 L2 上”。这一声明引发了争议，一些人认为 L3 提供了较低的桥接成本和专门的状态转换功能等好处，而其他人则同意 Boiron 的观点，即它们可能会分裂以太坊生态系统。

Layer-3 Networks: A Contentious Debate in Ethereum's Scaling Journey

第三层网络：以太坊扩容之旅中的一场有争议的争论

A recent statement by Polygon CEO Marc Boiron ignited a heated discussion within the Ethereum community regarding the necessity and potential impact of layer-3 networks in scaling the Ethereum blockchain. Boiron's assertion that layer-3s are superfluous and merely serve to detract value from the Ethereum mainnet sparked a flurry of responses and counterarguments.

Polygon 首席执行官 Marc Boiron 最近发表的声明在以太坊社区内引发了关于第三层网络在扩展以太坊区块链方面的必要性和潜在影响的激烈讨论。 Boiron 断言第 3 层是多余的，只会降低以太坊主网的价值，引发了一系列回应和反驳。

Boiron's Perspective: Layer-3 Redundancy

Boiron 的观点：第 3 层冗余

On April 1st, Boiron unequivocally declared that Polygon Labs, a layer-2 scaling solution for Ethereum, disregards layer-3s as they are deemed unnecessary for enhancing existing networks. He firmly stated, "L3s exist only to redirect value away from Ethereum and concentrate it on the L2s upon which they are built."

4 月 1 日，Boiron 明确声明 Polygon Labs（以太坊的第 2 层扩展解决方案）忽略第 3 层，因为它们被认为对于增强现有网络是不必要的。他坚定地表示，“L3 的存在只是为了将价值从以太坊转移出去，并将其集中到它们所构建的 L2 上。”

However, Boiron's perspective did not remain unchallenged. One respondent asserted that layer-2 solutions on Ethereum "ARE value on Ethereum," to which Boiron partially agreed, but maintained his stance.

然而，布瓦龙的观点并非没有受到挑战。一位受访者声称，以太坊上的第 2 层解决方案“是以太坊上的价值”，布瓦龙部分同意这一观点，但维持了自己的立场。

"I dissent from the notion that L2 value equates to Ethereum value. Consider the extreme scenario. If all L3s gravitated towards a solitary L2, Ethereum would capture virtually no value, jeopardizing its security."

“我不同意 L2 价值等同于以太坊价值的观点。考虑一下极端情况。如果所有 L3 都倾向于孤立的 L2，那么以太坊几乎不会获得任何价值，从而危及其安全性。”

Boiron emphasized that Polygon's mission has always been to expand Ethereum's scalability, pioneering innovative techniques utilizing parallelization of the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) and privacy enhancements. He contended that "L3s are antithetical to this mission."

Boiron 强调，Polygon 的使命始终是扩展以太坊的可扩展性，利用以太坊虚拟机 (EVM) 的并行化和隐私增强来开拓创新技术。他认为“L3 与这次任务是对立的”。

The Role of Layer-3 Protocols

第三层协议的作用

Layer-3 protocols are constructed atop layer-2 solutions, hosting application-specific decentralized applications (DApps) that provide a spectrum of advancements in scaling, performance, interoperability, customization, and cost-effectiveness.

第 3 层协议构建在第 2 层解决方案之上，托管特定于应用程序的去中心化应用程序 (DApp)，这些应用程序在扩展、性能、互操作性、定制和成本效益方面提供了一系列进步。

Presently, the L3 ecosystem is relatively nascent, with only four L3 tokens listed on the prominent cryptocurrency data aggregator CoinGecko. Notable players in this field include Orbs, Xai, zkSync Hyperchains, and the newly launched Degen Chain on Arbitrum Orbit.

目前，L3 生态系统还处于起步阶段，著名的加密货币数据聚合商 CoinGecko 上只列出了四种 L3 代币。该领域的著名参与者包括 Orbs、Xai、zkSync Hyperchains 以及 Arbitrum Orbit 上新推出的 Degen Chain。

Counterarguments and Benefits of Layer-3s

Layer-3 的反驳和优点

Peter Haymond, senior partnership manager at Offchain Labs, countered Boiron's assertions, highlighting the numerous advantages of L3s that do not detract value from Ethereum. These include reduced bridging costs from L2 compared to L1, inexpensive on-chain verification, tailored gas tokens, and specialized state transition functions.

Offchain Labs 高级合作伙伴经理 Peter Haymond 反驳了 Boiron 的说法，强调 L3 的众多优势不会降低以太坊的价值。其中包括与 L1 相比，L2 的桥接成本降低、廉价的链上验证、定制的 Gas 代币以及专门的状态转换函数。

Patrick McCorry, a researcher at Arbitrum Foundation, expressed surprise at Boiron's stance, emphasizing that "L3s seem like an obvious choice, especially when they empower the L2 to evolve into a settlement layer (i.e., where executing the bridge becomes more economical) and ultimately rely on Ethereum as a global ordering service and the final arbiter of settlement."

Arbitrum 基金会研究员 Patrick McCorry 对 Boiron 的立场表示惊讶，他强调“L3 似乎是一个显而易见的选择，特别是当它们使 L2 能够演变成结算层时（即，执行桥梁变得更加经济）并最终依靠以太坊作为全球订购服务和结算的最终仲裁者。”

Convergence and Divergence of Opinions

意见的趋同与分歧

In a separate post on Twitter, Helus Labs CEO Mert Mumtaz appeared to align with Boiron's viewpoint, stating that "L3s are essentially centralized servers settling on other centralized servers (L2s) – controlled by multisigs."

在 Twitter 上的另一篇帖子中，Helus Labs 首席执行官 Mert Mumtaz 似乎同意 Boiron 的观点，表示“L3 本质上是集中在其他集中式服务器 (L2) 上的集中式服务器 – 由多重签名控制。”

Conversely, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin ignited the L3 debate in late 2022 by suggesting that layer-3s would serve a distinct purpose beyond scaling, offering "customized functionality." He emphasized that a third layer on the blockchain is only meaningful if it provides unique capabilities not offered by layer-2 solutions.

相反，以太坊联合创始人 Vitalik Buterin 在 2022 年底引发了 L3 争论，他表示第 3 层除了扩展之外还有一个独特的目的，即提供“定制功能”。他强调，区块链上的第三层只有提供第二层解决方案所没有的独特功能才有意义。

Conclusion

结论

The debate surrounding the necessity and potential impact of layer-3 networks in Ethereum's scaling journey is ongoing, with proponents and detractors presenting compelling arguments. As the Ethereum ecosystem continues to evolve and mature, the role of layer-3 protocols in shaping its future trajectory will undoubtedly be a topic of ongoing discussion and exploration.

围绕以太坊扩容之旅中第 3 层网络的必要性和潜在影响的争论仍在继续，支持者和反对者提出了令人信服的论点。随着以太坊生态系统的不断发展和成熟，第三层协议在塑造其未来发展轨迹中的作用无疑将成为持续讨论和探索的话题。