The Ethereum ecosystem is found at a fundamental time. In the last four years, scale challenges have been addressed through CAPE-2 (L2) solutions, accumulations and technological advances, expanding from processing 15 transactions per second to thousands, with costs that fall from $ 50 per exchange to mere cents. The roll -centered roadmap worked: it worked almost too well.
This success has introduced an unexpected challenge: fragmentation. With more than 50 L2 and more in development, Ethereum has become a maze of isolated chains. Users now juggle with multiple networks, walk the assets and sail for complex processes to perform basic actions.
The irony? Transactions can be faster and cheapest, but the general experience of the user is sorry!
The cost of fragmentation
Fragmentation is more than a minor inconvenience: it is becoming an existential threat to the future of Ethereum. Users face the discouraging tasks to administer multiple networks, join assets and execute intricate processes. A simple action, such as buying a token, may require changing networks, joining multiple assets and transactions. Each step introduces friction, confusion and error opportunities.
The impact on liquidity is even more serious. Capital is caught in silos, reducing market efficiency and increased costs for all participants. Defi protocols struggle to maintain deep liquidity in multiple chains, which forces users to worse prices or processes together.
For developers, the situation is equally challenging. Choose what L2S support, administer multiple implementations and build a complex bridge infrastructure suffocates innovation and poses entry barriers for new projects.
ERC-7683: The standard for a unified Ethereum
This is the reason why we, together with Uniswap Labs, have proposed ERC-7683, a standard that allows web3 applications to express complex cross transactions of multiple steps as a single user application that is executed by a shared network of portrays . By standardizing how these requests are expressed, ERC-7683 allows any cross chain action in the Ethereum ecosystem, regardless of its origin or destination chain, it feels as perfect as operating in a single chain.
The ERC-7683 standard has suffered multiple rounds of comments from the community and is widely supported by more than 50 protocols, including main projects such as the referee, the base and optimism and has the support of the working group L2 Interop of the Ethereum Foundation .
In its nucleus, ERC-7683 simplifies the operations of the cross chain. Instead of manually administering network switches and bridges, users express what they want to achieve. For example, exchanging tokens for base using funds from the referee becomes a single click process. Behind the scene, a network of competitive solutions is made up to meet these attempts in seconds, handling all complexity.
This architecture based on the intention separates the desired result of the user from mechanical execution, eliminating the need for users to understand or interact with bridges. The result is an experience of “base of operations”, where users can interact with the entire Ethereum ecosystem as if it were a chain.
Some argue that users do not care, they just want things to work. They are absolutely reason. This is precisely where ERC-7683 comes into play. It allows developers to abstract all the complexity of the chain and at the same time take advantage of the scale and efficiency of a multiple ecosystem. Users benefit from the best of both worlds: the simplicity of a chain with the power of many.
ERC-7683 is not theoretical, it is already being used in production through implementation, which has processed more than $ 18b in cross-chain volume. The standard is based on years of development of the solution network, extending it to an open and flexible framework in which others can build.
A vision for 2025: an Ethereum
Imagine Ethereum in 2025: Users open their wallets and see all their assets in each chain in a single view. They interact with any application in any L2 without ever thinking about joining or changing network. The developers create applications once and perfectly reach users everywhere. Liquidity flows freely through the ecosystem, maximizing capital efficiency and minimizing costs.
This is not just a dream, it is becoming a reality. ERC-7683 offers the execution speeds of the cross chain of two seconds necessary for perfect experiences. And by standardizing the interactions of the cross chain, it allows a new generation of applications that treat the entire Ethereum ecosystem as its canvas.
Beyond technology: the path to mass adoption
Although ERC-7683 is a technical standard, its implications extend beyond technology. When solving fragmentation, it addresses one of the most significant barriers for conventional adoption. Defi becomes more accessible when users no longer need to navigate L2 and bridges. Liquidity improves as assets move without market problems. Governance participation becomes more inclusive since users can vote from any network.
This unified experience positions Ethereum to continue leading as the web3 pioneer protocol. While other chains are optimized for speed inside a single network, Ethereum is building a unified ecosystem that combines the benefits of specialized L2 with the simplicity of a single chain.
The time to act is now
ERC-7683 has obtained broad support from more than 45 teams, including the referee, base, optimism, polygon and Zksync, reflecting the preparation of the Ethereum community to address fragmentation. Unified standards, shared infrastructure and collaboration are crucial to overcome these challenges.
With rapid l2s, abstraction of accounts and bridges based on the intention that are already in place, ERC-7683 integrates these innovations into a cohesive standard, preparing the scenario for the next Ethereum chapter.
The fragmentation cannot be allowed to hinder Ethereum’s progress. The adoption of ERC-7683 is essential to build a unified and accessible ecosystem. L2, developers and the broadest community are encouraged to adopt this standard to unlock Ethereum’s potential as a scalable and perfect system for 2025.
Let’s make it happen.
