Imagine if your favorite app suddenly got faster, cheaper to use, and smoother overall. That’s basically what happened in the crypto world when Optimism, a layer 2 solution built on Ethereum, rolled out its major upgrade called Bedrock.
Optimism is one of the most popular tools for scaling Ethereum — making it faster and cheaper without changing the core of how Ethereum works. In June 2023, Optimism launched Bedrock, an upgrade that fundamentally changed how the network works — in a good way.
What Is Bedrock and Why Was It Introduced?
Think of Bedrock as a rebuild of Optimism’s core systems. It wasn’t just a patch or a tweak — it was a full-scale transformation designed to:
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Lower transaction fees
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Speed up fund transfers
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Make the system more compatible with Ethereum
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Make future upgrades easier
In short: it made Optimism much more efficient, developer-friendly, and future-ready.
What Did Bedrock Actually Change?
1. Cheaper Transactions
Bedrock introduced a new way to compress data and removed unnecessary fees tied to how information is sent to Ethereum’s base layer. This led to a 10–20% drop in gas fees compared to the older version of Optimism.
2. Faster Fund Transfers
Before Bedrock, it could take up to 10 minutes to move assets from Ethereum to Optimism. Now? Just 2–3 minutes. This is thanks to smarter syncing between Ethereum and Optimism.
3. Modular Design = Future-Proof
Bedrock was built like LEGO: different components can be updated or swapped out without rebuilding the whole system. This modular approach makes it easier to improve Optimism in the future without breaking anything.
4. Tighter Ethereum Integration
The upgrade made Optimism behave more like Ethereum. Developers can use the same tools, and apps can run almost exactly as they do on Ethereum itself — but with much better performance and lower costs.
How Bedrock Works Behind the Scenes (Without the Jargon)
Here’s what’s happening under the hood, in plain language:
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Separated components: Different parts of the system can be updated independently.
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Based on Ethereum’s tools: Bedrock reuses Ethereum’s most trusted software, especially the popular Go-Ethereum client (geth).
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No Proof-of-Stake: Optimism doesn’t rely on validators like Ethereum does. Instead, it uses something called block derivation — a different way to sync up with Ethereum that’s simpler and faster.
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Full support for key Ethereum features: Like EIP-1559 (a fee system), chain reorganizations (when Ethereum reshuffles blocks), and more.
What Does Bedrock Mean for You?
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For users: Lower fees, faster transfers, and smoother apps.
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For developers: Easier, more powerful tools to build the next generation of Web3 apps.
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For the crypto ecosystem: A big step toward scalable, user-friendly decentralized finance (DeFi).
Current Status as of October 17, 2025
OP Mainnet Key Indicators
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Daily Active Addresses (DAU): Activity on the OP Mainnet has stabilized. The number of daily users hovers around 95,000. Despite fluctuations, the network maintains a strong base of developers and regular users who drive its growth.
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Total Value Locked (TVL): The TVL, which is the sum of all assets locked in protocols on OP Mainnet, currently stands at approximately $3.05 billion USD. This change reflects a market-wide correction and capital rotation towards newer networks within the Superchain ecosystem, demonstrating the maturity of the entire system rather than a weakness in the technology itself.
OP Stack Adoption in the Superchain Ecosystem
The OP Stack software remains the foundation for the most dynamic Layer 2 projects, confirming its position as a market standard.
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Base (Coinbase): The Base network has solidified its position as the leader in the ecosystem, consistently recording over 13 million monthly active users. It has become the main hub of activity for Coinbase users entering the Web3 world.
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World Chain (Worldcoin): After its initial growth, activity on World Chain has stabilized at around 890,000 monthly active users. The project remains a key component of the Worldcoin ecosystem, focusing on the development of digital identity.
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Unichain (Uniswap): Unichain, the dedicated network for the Uniswap protocol, is a crucial piece of the Superchain infrastructure, optimizing the operations of the largest decentralized exchange. Although transparent user metrics are still taking shape, the network plays a fundamental role in the development strategy for Uniswap V4.
Recent and Future Network Updates
The “Bedrock” nomenclature for subsequent versions is now historical. The development team has transitioned to a new, geological naming scheme while continuing to deliver regular network improvements.
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Isthmus Upgrade Deployed: In May 2025, the hard fork named Isthmus was successfully activated. This was a key update that integrated features from Ethereum’s major upgrade (Pectra) across the entire Superchain ecosystem (including OP Mainnet, Base, and others). As a result, developers and users gained access to the latest tools and improvements almost immediately after their implementation on Layer 1.
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Future Plans – Preparing for Fusaka: Work is currently focused on preparing for the next major network event—the Fusaka fork. It aims to further increase throughput, reliability, and the overall performance of the Superchain, providing the foundation for the next wave of adoption and innovation.
Summary
Optimism remains one of the most efficient and rapidly evolving rollups in the Ethereum ecosystem. With successive Bedrock upgrades and the growing adoption of OP Stack, the network continues to strengthen its position as a leading Layer 2 technology standard.
