Ethereum recently announced a new record of 24,192 TPS on the network after integrating the Lighter layer-2 scaling solution.

Lighter processes far more transactions than the Ethereum base chain, currently surpassing Base as a layer-2 solution by handling about 4,000 TPS versus Base’s typical 100–200 TPS.

The high throughput is primarily driven by Lighter’s use of zero-knowledge proofs, which validate transactions efficiently without revealing underlying data.

Rapid growth brought challenges, including a network outage on October 28, 2025 that affected nearly 3,900 wallets and led to about $774,872 in USDC compensation for affected users.

There are concerns about Lighter’s impact on Ethereum’s mainnet, since improvements on layer-2s do not directly boost the base chain’s capabilities, fueling questions about Ethereum’s long-term role as the foundational layer for decentralized applications.

Industry figures and analysts, including prominent voices like Ryan Sean Adams, suggest Lighter and zk-rollups could drive Ethereum toward dramatic scaling milestones, potentially reaching 100,000 to 1,000,000 TPS and signaling a substantial scaling factor since October.