James Richardson
Arbitrum, one of Ethereum’s leading layer-2 scaling solutions, has unveiled Converge, a new blockchain tailored to handle the settlement of tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) and on-chain financial applications. The initiative is being developed in collaboration with Ethena Labs and Securitize, and aims to funnel billions of dollars in stable value into the DeFi ecosystem.
Unlike traditional Ethereum L2s, Converge is purpose-built to support financial applications by combining fast finality, modular architecture, and stablecoin-powered gas fees. The blockchain will utilize Celestia’s modular data availability layer, enabling more efficient transaction processing and data throughput.
Notably, USDe and USDtb—two key stablecoins—will be used as gas tokens, anchoring transaction costs in stability and eliminating unpredictable fee spikes.
At launch, block times are set at an impressive 100 milliseconds, with future upgrades targeting a reduction to 50ms, making Converge one of the fastest DeFi settlement platforms to date. Validators will secure the chain using sENA, Ethena’s staked asset, adding another layer of decentralized security.
Multi-Language Support and Deep Liquidity Boost Adoption Potential
With the upcoming Stylus upgrade, developers will be able to build on Converge using multiple languages including Solidity, Rust, C, and C++. This flexibility is expected to attract a broader base of developers, while improving the scalability and efficiency of dApps.
Additionally, assets valued at $5 billion from Ethena Labs and $2 billion from Securitize will be migrated to the Converge chain. This infusion of liquidity positions the network as a major player in the evolving DeFi infrastructure race.
Arbitrum’s Position in the Layer-2 Arena
As Ethereum’s scalability battle heats up, Arbitrum continues to be a key contender despite some recent dips in usage. According to L2Beat, Arbitrum One saw a 35.9% decrease in 30-day UOPS (User Operations Per Second), currently sitting at 21.71 UOPS.
In contrast, Base, another Ethereum L2, surged ahead with 83.99 UOPS, peaking at 155.44 on January 1, 2025. It processed over 221 million operations in a month, showing the rapidly growing demand for Layer-2 solutions.
Still, Arbitrum’s technical architecture and recent rollout of Converge could reverse that trend by drawing new liquidity and institutional interest.
ARB Token Sees Uptick Following Robinhood Listing
Meanwhile, Robinhood recently added Arbitrum’s ARB token to its list of tradable assets, sparking a 14% price increase shortly after the announcement. At the time of writing, ARB is trading at $0.2808, showing a modest 0.11% 24-hour gain, alongside a 6.84% increase in trading volume, now totaling $115.38 million.
With Converge now live, investors are watching closely to see if further developments will drive continued momentum for ARB.
What’s Next for Ethereum and Arbitrum?
Beyond Converge, the Ethereum Pectra upgrade—set to go live on May 7—is the next major development on the horizon. This update could set the stage for even greater synergy between Ethereum Mainnet and its Layer-2 ecosystems, including Arbitrum.
