Optimism and similar rollups aim to borrow their security from Ethereum, meaning recording transactions should be tantamount to writing transactions directly onto Ethereum. Optimism is currently the third-largest rollup network in terms of transaction volume, with $950 million in total deposits, according to DefiLlama. The chain’s technology also powers the second and fourth-largest layer-2 networks, Coinbase’s Base network and Blast, a buzzy newcomer to the rollup race.
