What do you think of Uniswap's upcoming DeFi-specific Layer 2 - Unichain? Recently, this news has caused widespread discussion in the public opinion, and some people interpret it as the "defection" of the top DeFi applications to Ethereum. But looking back at history, similar situations such as dYdX's independent application chain and MakerDAO's NewChain plan have also caused heated discussions. However, I think Uniswap's independent chain plan cannot be regarded as defection, but may become a catalyst for the development of Ethereum Layer 2. Here are my views:

dYdX's independent chain based on the Cosmos IBC architecture and MakerDAO's desire to get close to Solana to make an independent chain are mainly limited by the performance bottleneck of the Ethereum chain. Ethereum's Gas Limit determines that each block can only process a limited number of transactions, and the performance of the Layer 2 chain is limited by the main network's Rollup contract processing capacity even if it is expanded off-chain. Therefore, dYdX and MakerDAO finally chose an independent consensus chain. However, Uniswap has formulated an expansion plan combining off-chain preprocessing with on-chain from the beginning. Even if the chain is launched, it will remain closely connected with Ethereum, so there is no problem of "defection". Uniswap Labs announced that it would build Unichain Layer 2 chain based on OP Stack, which is in line with Ethereum's grand strategy centered on Rollup.

In my opinion, Uniswap, a project with phenomenal application genes, will likely become a catalyst to break the current Layer 2 development dilemma. In particular, as a Layer 2 chain dedicated to expanding DeFi, Unichain will greatly benefit the development of DeFi in the Ethereum Layer 2 market. At present, the Layer 2 chains of both OP-Rollup and ZK-Rollup have failed to fully stimulate the activity of DeFi applications. Therefore, the launch of Unichain is expected to bring new vitality to the Ethereum Layer 2 market.