Layer 2 · Optimistic Rollup · Live since 2021

ArbitrumGAS IN ETH · GOVERNANCE TOKEN ARB

The leading Layer 2, it runs Ethereum apps far cheaper and faster, then posts the results back to Ethereum for security. You get near-instant, cent-level transactions while still settling on the most battle-tested chain in crypto.

In the Zypto App Accepted as payment Not yet in the Zypto App Secured by Ethereum
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Value secured (TVL)$3.1B#1 of all L2s
Daily transactions2.48M24h
Active addresses432KDaily · 7d avg
Avg fee$0.02~30× cheaper than L1
Secured byEthereumvia fraud proofs
Live since2021Arbitrum One
How it works

Ethereum's speed layer, explained.

Ethereum is secure but can get slow and expensive when busy. Arbitrum is a “rollup”: it does the heavy lifting off to the side, then files a compressed summary back to Ethereum. You keep Ethereum's security, at a fraction of the cost. Four ideas make that work.

What a rollup is

Arbitrum bundles thousands of transactions, executes them off-chain, then posts the compressed batch to Ethereum. Many transactions, one L1 footprint.

Inherits Ethereum's security

Because the data and proofs live on Ethereum, Arbitrum doesn't need its own validator set, it borrows the security of the L1 beneath it.

Optimistic + fraud proofs

Batches are assumed valid, but anyone can challenge a bad one during a window. If they're right, the cheat is reverted, honesty is the only winning move.

Gas is paid in ETH

You spend ETH for fees, usually a cent or two. ARB is a separate governance token that lets holders vote on the network's future, not a gas token.

How a transaction reaches Ethereum
1

Execute off-chain

The Arbitrum sequencer orders your transaction and runs it in milliseconds on the Nitro engine, so it feels instant and costs cents.

2

Batch & post to L1

Thousands of transactions are compressed into one batch and written to Ethereum, where the data is permanently available for anyone to verify.

3

Settle & finalise

A challenge window lets watchers dispute any invalid batch with a fraud proof. If unchallenged, the state is final and secured by Ethereum.

The layers under the hood
Execution
Arbitrum Nitro, EVM-equivalent
Runs standard Ethereum smart contracts unchanged, plus Stylus for Rust/C++, so any Ethereum app ports over with little or no rewriting.
Sequencing
The sequencer + batch poster
Orders transactions instantly off-chain and periodically posts compressed batches and proofs down to Ethereum.
Settlement
Ethereum L1, data & disputes
Stores the batch data and resolves any fraud-proof challenge. This is where Arbitrum's security ultimately comes from.
Layer 1 vs Layer 2
  • ~30× lower fees than Ethereum L1
  • Same wallets & tools, MetaMask, EVM
  • Same security root, Ethereum L1
  • Bridging back to L1 has a challenge delay

Think of Ethereum as the courthouse and Arbitrum as the fast lane: most activity happens on L2, but the final record and disputes live on L1.

Adoption & usage

The most-used Ethereum Layer 2.

Live, on-chain numbers that show how much real activity Arbitrum settles, usage, cost savings and security, not price.

View on L2BEAT
Network activity
Total transactions1.92BAll-time
Daily transactions2.48MLast 24h
Block time~0.25 sSequencer
Avg fee$0.02vs ~$0.92 on L1
Daily transactions · last 12 months+24%

Consistent activity. Arbitrum routinely settles more daily transactions than any other Ethereum rollup, driven by deep DeFi liquidity.

Daily active addresses432K

Unique addresses transacting each day, 7-day average, a proxy for real users and apps.

Security · inherited from Ethereum
Security rootEthereum L1Fraud proofs
Value locked$3.1B
42% of all L2 TVL
Challenge window~7 daysFraud-proof period
StageStage 1L2BEAT maturity
Reliability
Funds stay safe even if the sequencer goes offline
Because all data is posted to Ethereum, users can always recover or withdraw funds directly from L1, even if Arbitrum's sequencer is unavailable. The “escape hatch” is what keeps an L2 trust-minimised.
Dec 2023A sequencer outage paused new transactions for ~78 minutes after a surge in inscription traffic. No funds were affected and the network resumed automatically once throughput normalised.
Ecosystem

What people build on it.

Arbitrum hosts one of the deepest DeFi ecosystems outside Ethereum mainnet, the same apps you know, running cheaper. Here's the landscape.

DefiLlama

DeFi & perps

Spot and derivatives trading, GMX, Uniswap, Aave, Pendle. $3.1B in total value locked.

Stablecoins

Native and bridged USDC/USDT make Arbitrum a low-cost hub for stablecoin payments and savings.

Orbit L3s

Projects launch their own app-chains (“Orbit” L3s) that settle to Arbitrum, scaling on top of the scaling layer.

Gaming & social

Cheap, fast transactions suit on-chain games and social apps that would be too expensive on L1.

Top protocols by value locked
1GGMXPerps · DEX$520M
2AAaveLending$490M
3PPendleYield trading$410M
4UUniswapDEX$340M
5CCamelotNative DEX$180M

Part of the Ethereum family

Arbitrum is one of several L2s that scale Ethereum and use ETH for gas. It settles to Ethereum; compare it with Optimism and Base.

Ecosystem at a glance
Total value locked$3.1B#1 of all L2s
Share of L2 TVL42%All rollups
In the Zypto App

Hold, swap and spend Arbitrum assets.

Arbitrum is fully integrated. Self-custody ARB and bridged assets, pay cent-level fees in ETH, swap cross-chain with no separate bridge, and spend a subset through Zypto Pay.

Available in the Zypto App · ARB + popular Arbitrum assets

ArbitrumARB$0.42+1.8% EthereumETH · gas$4,218+1.0% USD CoinUSDC$1.00+0.0% TetherUSDT$1.00+0.0% GMXGMX$18.40+2.6% PendlePENDLE$4.92+3.1% ChainlinkLINK$24.18+2.1% UniswapUNI$13.07+1.4%

Gas on Arbitrum is paid in ETH. Live prices link to full price pages. Any asset in the Zypto App is held in self-custody, your keys, your coins.

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EthereumAccepted as Payment
USD CoinAccepted as Payment
TetherAccepted as Payment
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Swap & cross-chain

CChangeNow LLetsExchange SSwapKit ZIn-app DEX
Chainlink CCIP supported Send tokens cross-chain to any CCIP network in one transaction, Arbitrum, Ethereum, BNB Chain, Optimism, Avalanche, Polygon and Base.

Move between Arbitrum, Ethereum and other chains without a separate bridge, Zypto routes the best path automatically, including the L1↔L2 hop.

History & FAQ

From experiment to mainstream L2.

Key milestones
2021
Arbitrum One launches
Offchain Labs ships its optimistic rollup, bringing cheap Ethereum-compatible transactions to mainnet.
2022
Nitro upgrade
A major rebuild boosts throughput and cuts fees, making Arbitrum the most-used L2.
2023
ARB token + DAO
The ARB governance token launches and the Arbitrum DAO begins steering the network.
2024
Stylus
Developers gain the ability to write contracts in Rust and C++ alongside Solidity.
2025
Orbit L3 expansion
A wave of app-specific L3 chains launch on top of Arbitrum, deepening the ecosystem.
Key facts
LaunchedAug 2021
Built byOffchain Labs
TypeLayer 2 · Optimistic Rollup
Settles toEthereum
Gas tokenETH
GovernanceARB
VMEVM-equivalent · Stylus
CCIPSupported
Layer 2Optimistic RollupEVMDeFiScaling
What is Arbitrum in one sentence?
Arbitrum is a Layer 2 network that runs Ethereum apps much more cheaply and quickly, then posts the results back to Ethereum, so you get low fees with Ethereum-grade security.
What's the difference between a Layer 1 and a Layer 2?
A Layer 1 like Ethereum is a base blockchain that secures itself. A Layer 2 like Arbitrum runs on top of it, handling transactions off-chain for speed and cost, then settling to the L1 for security. The L2 borrows the L1's trust rather than building its own.
Do I need ARB to use Arbitrum?
No. Gas fees on Arbitrum are paid in ETH. ARB is a separate governance token that lets holders vote on proposals through the Arbitrum DAO, it isn't required to transact.
Is Arbitrum secure?
Its security comes from Ethereum: all transaction data is posted to L1, and fraud proofs let anyone challenge an invalid batch during a roughly seven-day window. Even if Arbitrum's sequencer went offline, users could withdraw funds directly from Ethereum.
Is Arbitrum available in the Zypto App?
Yes. You can hold, swap and self-custody ARB and other Arbitrum assets in the Zypto App, pay fees in ETH, and spend a subset (ETH, USDC, USDT) through Zypto Pay. For live prices and charts, see the ARB price page.
Explore more chains

The Ethereum family.

EthereumLayer 1 · settles here OptimismLayer 2 · EVM BaseLayer 2 · EVM PolygonLayer 2 · EVM BitcoinLayer 1 · PoW All blockchainsBrowse the hub
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Zypto App

Hold Arbitrum in self-custody.

Buy ARB and Arbitrum assets in seconds, pay cent-level fees in ETH, swap cross-chain with no bridge, and spend from a real Visa card, all in one self-custodial app.

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Self-custodial · non-custodial · your keys, your coins.
Live heatmap See the Arbitrum ecosystem on the live heatmap The Arbitrum ecosystem, sized and colored in real time

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