Arbitrum vs Optimism: picking an OP Stack partner
Arbitrum and Optimism both settle to Ethereum, yet they emphasise different go-to-market motions. Arbitrum attracts derivatives and high-volume DeFi with Nitro performance and Orbit expansion. Optimism focuses on public goods and a Superchain of OP Stack deployments. Choose the environment that matches your product’s culture, incentives, and liquidity requirements.
- Compare liquidity profiles, incentive programs, and developer experience.
- See how Orbit and Superchain plans diverge for future scaling.
- Identify which communities rally behind each ecosystem.
Liquidity leaders
Ecosystem incentives
Expansion path
Average fee
Chain focus
Arbitrum One
Largest rollup by TVL with deep DeFi liquidity, Nitro tech stack, and rapidly growing ecosystem grants.
Strengths
- Deep liquidity anchors (GMX, Uniswap, Radiant) with active whales.
- Nitro architecture delivers low fees with rapid finality.
- Robust ecosystem support via Arbitrum Foundation and Orbit program.
Key metrics
- Average fee$0.05–$0.20
- Settlement layerEthereum (Optimistic rollup)
- TVL rank#1 among rollups
- Gas tokenETH
Best for
- Perp DEXs, derivatives, and liquidity-intensive DeFi strategies.
- Teams needing composability with Ethereum mainnet state.
- Projects seeking access to Orbit + Stylus expansion paths.
Chain focus
Optimism
Sequenced by OP Labs with retroactive public goods funding and a growing Superchain of OP Stack deployments.
Strengths
- Strong governance vision with retroactive funding for aligned projects.
- Shared OP Stack enables interoperability across Base, Zora, World Chain.
- OP token incentives reward early ecosystem activity.
Key metrics
- Average fee$0.05–$0.20
- Settlement layerEthereum (Optimistic rollup)
- Ecosystem focusPublic goods, consumer, DeFi
- Gas tokenETH
Best for
- Teams aligned with public goods / retro funding programs.
- Builders planning multi-chain OP Stack deployments.
- Consumer protocols tapping OP incentives and quest programs.
Where each option excels
Go-to-market focus
Arbitrum One
Perp DEXs, derivatives, and liquidity-intensive DeFi strategies.
Optimism
Teams aligned with public goods / retro funding programs.
Liquidity strategy
Arbitrum One
Teams needing composability with Ethereum mainnet state.
Optimism
Builders planning multi-chain OP Stack deployments.
Ecosystem alignment
Arbitrum One
Projects seeking access to Orbit + Stylus expansion paths.
Optimism
Consumer protocols tapping OP incentives and quest programs.
Frequently asked questions
Which L2 is better for perpetual DEXs?
Arbitrum currently leads derivatives liquidity thanks to GMX, Hyperliquid, and other high-velocity venues. Optimism is improving rapidly with Synthetix and new OP Stack deployments, but Arbitrum still offers deeper perp order flow today.
What is the upgrade path for custom appchains?
Arbitrum Orbit lets you launch dedicated chains with Nitro tech and settle back to Ethereum or Arbitrum. Optimism frames this as the Superchain: OP Stack deployments like Base, Zora, and World Chain interoperate and share upgrades. Pick the community and governance you want to align with long term.