Optimism is developing a native interoperability system for Layer 2 chains

Optimism developers revealed a roadmap plan to introduce native interoperability across Layer 2 chains in the ecosystem — such as OP Mainnet, Zora, Base and others.

Layer 2 chains within the Optimism ecosystem — also called the Superchain — currently rely on the Layer 1 Ethereum mainnet for secure communication and asset transfer, which results in fragmented assets and users. The developers plan to introduce native interoperability in the Superchain, which aims to enable asset and user portability across chains and make them accessible anywhere through integrated applications.

The objective of the interoperability solution is to make the Superchain operate like a single blockchain — allowing users, assets, and developers to move seamlessly across networks.

“The Superchain needs to feel like one chain. To achieve this, we’re setting out to build a unified Superchain where users, assets, and developers move seamlessly across the network and beyond,” the developers noted.

The ecosystem's flagship network is OP Mainnet. Other chains include Layer 2 networks such as Base, Mode, Zora, Lyra and Aevo. Worldcoin, the digital identity network founded by OpenAI’s Sam Altman, is also developing a Layer 2 network using the OP Stack.

Addressing fragmentation

The implementation features a protocol to facilitate the creation and dispatch of cross-chain messages alongside a universal token standard (SuperchainERC20) to enhance cross-chain portability. Additionally, the developers aim to deploy an interoperable fault-proof system to guarantee secure asset transfers.

The roadmap also outlines the launch of a developer network (devnet) to trial the message-passing protocol and token standard. This will be followed by a test network (testnet) and, ultimately, the mainnet rollout to enable real-time cross-chain interactions.

The plan also extends beyond the Superchain to the broader Ethereum ecosystem, aiming to standardize user experiences across different ecosystems by adopting universal cross-chain interfaces like ERC-7683 for asset transfers.

OP Mainnet and other chains in the Optimism ecosystem use a scaling solution called optimistic rollups for operation. This technology aggregates Ethereum transactions on a secondary off-chain layer and allows for cheaper transaction processing to address Ethereum's scalability concerns.