According to Blockworks, developers have been working on mechanisms called 'rollups' to scale Ethereum. Jon Charbonneau, co-founder and partner at crypto investment firm DBA, explains that a rollup is a state derived from data posted on another blockchain or data layer. The concept becomes more complex when discussing bridging back to Ethereum. Charbonneau notes that a rollup doesn't necessarily have to bridge back to the original data layer if it is strictly using the base network for its security properties. However, the use cases for such a rollup are unclear.
The debate around rollups centers on whether they actually contribute to scaling Ethereum or simply offload activity elsewhere. Charbonneau defines scaling as trying to get more throughput through a system relative to its resource requirements. With rollups, it's possible to create more efficient execution environments that provide more throughput for comparable amounts of resources. However, Charbonneau admits he doesn't have the perfect answer to whether rollups actually scale Ethereum.
The answer lies within a fuzzy line, which is why some people argue that rollups aren't scaling Ethereum and that the base layer should be considered separately. Scaling with rollups on Ethereum allows for more interesting uses of ether (ETH) that couldn't be done on the base layer. Charbonneau believes that if the security properties of the underlying system are retained, then it can be considered scaling.
