L2 earns a lot of ETH but becomes a tool. How to change the status quo?

Author: zak.eth, co-founder of CORN; Translation: Golden Finance xiaozou

Ethereum is bleeding value into L2. Rollups extract fees, MEV, and liquidity, leaving ETH stakers far behind. If this continues, Ethereum will become a dumb security layer while L2 keeps making money. Does this sound like a decent pattern to you? L2 does not need to pay Gas fees using ETH, but they do need to pay for the security of Ethereum. Currently, L2 hardly pays any fees. This situation needs to change. There is no such thing as a free lunch in Ethereum. L2 should pay rent. Base charged about $2.5 million in fees last month, while paying less than $11,000 to Ethereum. For every $1 paid to Ethereum by Optimism, it can earn about $321 in L2 fees. The profit of L2 is extremely high, but Ethereum can hardly see this value. It shouldn't be like this! **Every Rollup should contribute to Ethereum in at least one of the following ways: ETH staking deposit: L2 sequencers should store ETH as collateral to participate in network activities. Settlement fees: A portion of the L2 fees should belong to Ethereum stakers. MEV Redistribution: MEV generated by L2 should flow back to Ethereum. If an L2 does not use ETH to pay Gas fees, it should still be required to stake ETH or contribute a portion of its token supply to the ETH treasury. This treasury will serve as the economic index for all Rollups, making ETH the financial layer of the L2 ecosystem. Ethereum validators should secure Rollup, not just L1. L2 sequencers should be required to stake ETH and extend Ethereum security to all Rollups through re-staking. If an L2 wants to earn the trust of Ethereum, it needs to pay for it. All L2s require liquidity to transfer assets across chains. ETH should be the default settlement asset for all cross-Rollup transactions. Native Gas tokens are also possible, but ETH needs to be the liquidity layer. L2 does not have to adopt a single pattern. They can use their own tokens, their own sequencers, and their own economic models. However, Ethereum needs to capture value through ETH staking, fees, or direct alignment with Rollup economics. Currently, Ethereum is subsidizing L2, while L2 is reaping all the benefits. This is unsustainable. Ethereum either aligns now, or it may become an outdated security layer for Rollups that are no longer needed. Are you also thinking about the same question?