Marc Boiron, the CEO of Polygon, firmly stated that their layer-2 network was not exploring layer-3 protocols due to the potential dangers they pose to Ethereum's safety. This statement came amidst the success of Degen Chain, a layer-3 network operating on the Base scaling solution backed by Coinbase.

Layer-3 protocols aim to improve scalability by expanding on existing Layer 2 infrastructure, enabling developers to create specialized blockchains for specific applications.

Degen Chain, powered by Arbitrum Orbit for the DEGEN token, has quickly become a prominent community token among users of Farcaster, a growing web3 social media platform. The network has attracted significant attention and activity in the crypto industry, experiencing a remarkable surge of over 200% in the past week. Reports show that the network has facilitated more than $30 million in bridging transactions and over 3.5 million transactions as of March 30.

The success of Degen Chain has sparked discussions within the crypto community, with varying opinions on the network's impact. Boiron, in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on March 31, argued that layer-3 networks could shift value away from Ethereum onto the layer-2 platforms hosting them. This divergence, he believes, contradicts Polygon's dedication to Ethereum's scaling solutions already in place, such as proof-of-stake (PoS) and zero-knowledge Ethereum Virtual Machine (zkEVM) chains.

Boiron also raised concerns about the limited performance improvements offered by layer-3 networks and the potential risks they pose to Ethereum's security. He emphasized the risk of Ethereum losing value if all layer-3 settlements converge onto one layer-2 platform, leading to a drop in ETH's value and potential repercussions for network security.

In contrast, blockchain expert Cygaar argued that layer-2 networks are still evolving and have not yet reached Ethereum's security standards due to challenges like network centralization and upgradeable bridge contracts. He warned that integrating layer-3 networks on top of layer-2s could heighten risks and compromise the security of blockchain networks.