Arbitrum vs Optimism: Which L2 Leads This Month?

Arbitrum holds more user funds, while Optimism shows faster ecosystem growth. Both benefit from lower fees after Ethereum’s latest upgrade.

In October 2025, Arbitrum remains the largest Layer 2 network on Ethereum when it comes to locked capital. It currently holds about $3.85B in total value locked (TVL), compared to Optimism’s $338.99M. 

These numbers highlight where users and liquidity providers are choosing to place their assets as the L2 race continues to heat up.

Let’s look at a quick Arbitrum vs Optimism comparison to help you choose between the two. 

TVL And Liquidity: Who Is Locking More Capital?

Arbitrum’s TVL currently stands at around $3.85B;  almost six times more than Optimism. Its strong position comes from major decentralized exchanges, lending platforms, and derivatives protocols that attract large trading volumes and stablecoin pools. 

Optimism’s TVL at $338.99M, while smaller, includes a higher share of native liquidity — capital that originates within its ecosystem rather than bridged from Ethereum. This type of liquidity tends to stay longer and supports protocol stability. 

The growing share of native assets on Optimism shows deeper developer activity and stronger long-term participation.

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User Activity And Transactions: Are Users Following The Liquidity?

Arbitrum continues to lead in user engagement. It records hundreds of thousands of daily active wallets and over 2.6 million transactions in recent 24-hour periods. This suggests more trading, lending, and DeFi activity on its network. 

Optimism shows steady user numbers and active development, but transaction counts remain lower overall. 

After Ethereum’s EIP-4844 upgrade, both networks saw transaction fees drop by roughly 90%, making activity cheaper and faster. Arbitrum’s higher traffic reflects strong DeFi participation, while Optimism’s steady pace shows a focus on building sustainable growth.

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Short-Term Catalysts And Ecosystem Signals

Optimism’s Superchain initiative continues to expand, linking multiple rollups under its technology stack. Arbitrum is also seeing new protocol launches and steady inflows of TVL.

Key factors to track include daily transaction growth, token unlocks, and migrations of major DeFi projects to either chain.

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Conclusion

Arbitrum leads in both TVL and user activity, showing stronger liquidity depth and broader adoption. Optimism, however, is catching up through developer expansion and Superchain integrations. Both remain essential players in Ethereum’s scaling ecosystem.

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