I just came across Messari's analysis report on "2025 Arbitrum". I remember when I first entered the space, the timeline of X revolved around the four kings of Eth Layer 2, all about grabbing Airdrop and such.

Now that the times have changed, two of the four have become marginalized, but what about Arbitrum? @arbitrum_cn has transformed from a pure Layer 2 into Arbitrum Everyever "a broader future"!

In the past six months, many friends holding Layer2 positions have been complaining on X about certain projects saying "there are no users, no TVL, and no ecosystem!!"

Messari's research report describes Arbitrum as a "Digital Sovereign Nation" and "Arbitrum Everywhere"; Arbitrum is far more than just a simple Layer 2!

Unlike some other projects, from the 2023 Airdrop to the launch of the DAO, Arbitrum has been practicing Community First! The current Arbitrum is no longer a project solely owned by Offchain Labs, but a decentralized protocol managed together by ARB holders through the DAO.

After Community First, Arbitrum is also a rare project that continues to be so "fierce" after the TGE. More than two years have passed since the TGE, Arbitrum's TVL remains in the top three, with over 1.1 million active addresses, accounting for 31.8% of L2 transactions.
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The Messari research report "Arbitrum Everywhere" discusses how Arbitrum transformed from a single L2 chain into a multi-chain empire, expanding to 48 custom chains through the Orbit technology stack, with a total TVL soaring to 13.7 billion dollars.

Developers start with shared liquidity and then move to exclusive blockchain space, doing games, RWA, anime, anything really. For example, the Proof of Play's Apex chain and the soon-to-launch AnimeChain.

The highlights of Orbit technology include Stylus, AnyTrust DA, and L3 settlement, as well as the ability to customize Gas tokens, allowing projects to pay with their own tokens and avoid liquidity fragmentation.

This is not just a simple matter of scaling up; it is a three-pronged approach involving performance, unity, and decentralization, which is completely different from the fragmented activities of certain L2 solutions.

"Arbitrum Everywhere" truly addresses the pain points of Layer 2, not just empty talk and big promises, showcasing the flexibility of the Arb ecosystem and redefining the infrastructure.
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The concept of "digital sovereign states" in Messari's research report refers to the economic self-sufficiency of Arbitrum, similar to a "nation" led by a DAO, where holders can control resources and governance through the DAO.

Unlike some L2 communities that are cold and unwelcoming, Arbitrum DAO holds $1.21 billion in assets, accumulating funds from core protocol revenue ($7.5 million) and Timeboost, and then reinvesting through a growth flywheel: including DeFi incentive programs ($20 million ARB quarterly), RWA diversification (holding $27.6 million, earning $745,000), and game investments (first tranche of $10 million).

The core of the vision of "Digital Sovereignty Nation" lies in three pillars: diverse stakeholders (developers and users), high-profit block space (gross profit margin of 95%), and economic experimentation zones. These three pillars form a closed loop that drives demand to surge. The key to this innovation is sustainable prosperity: relying not on external funds, ARB holders upgrade governance through Tally voting, and the security committee mitigates risks, fully embodying the decentralized spirit of blockchain.
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This Messari report makes me feel that after years of hype around the ETH Layer 2 narrative, Arbitrum is one of the few projects that truly delivers on its promises instead of just talking big. Arbitrum perfectly combines technology and community governance to create a self-sustaining ecosystem.

As some Eth-Layer2s move towards the edge, Arbitrum is heading towards a broader future through "Digital Sovereign Nation" and "Arbitrum Everywhere."

Arbitrum holders and ecosystem participants are encouraged to take a look at Messari's research report.
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