Phil_00Llama, an active member of CurveDAO (CRV), has presented a compelling proposal to halt the future expansion of decentralized exchange Curve Finance onto Ethereum Layer 2 (L2) networks.
The proposal follows a similar call last month by Aave co-founder Marc Zeller to halt the deployment of the Aave protocol on the Bitcoin Layer 2 network BOB.
“L2s consume the time of talented developers. Each of these chains requires as much care as Ethereum, but the returns are minimal. By cutting development in this area, Curve can focus on more productive aspects,” phil_00Llama said in a post on the CurveDAO forum yesterday.
For years, Ethereum has adopted a “rollup-centric roadmap” strategy, aiming to increase scalability through Layer 2 solutions. However, this approach is now being questioned by some. Some advocate for a renewed focus on Ethereum's core layer (Layer 1).
Curve Finance is active on approximately 25 chains, including Arbitrum, Base, Polygon, Avalanche, and many more. However, according to DeFiLlama data, the platform's total locked value (TVL) is almost entirely on the Ethereum mainnet: approximately $2.3 billion. Layer 2 platforms Arbitrum and Base only hold around $50 million in TVL.
phil_00Llama justifies this by saying, “Curve’s pools on the Ethereum mainnet generate 450 times more revenue than all L2s combined, even on the slowest day.” He also argues that the focus should be on expanding Curve’s stablecoin solution, scrvUSD, on Ethereum.
A CurveDAO member noted that L2 deployments only generate around $1,500 per day in revenue, making it an inefficient strategy given the high maintenance costs and short-lived network structures. He argued that developers should focus on “more meaningful work” instead.
*This is not investment advice.
