Matter Labs has announced the launch of its pending testnet: a new layer 3 Ethereum scaling prototype called ‘Pathfinder’, which will launch in the first quarter of 2023 and could become the first layer 3 network built on the internet. Ethereum blockchain.

Matter Labs is the Ethereum development firm behind zkSync, a Layer 2 scaling network on Ethereum set to launch later this month.

A layer 2 network is built and connected to the base layer (Ethereum). Improves scalability, allowing you to process more transactions at a lower cost.

In Matter Labs’ latest Medium blog post, the company announced the release of its Layer 3, described as the “path to unlocking unlimited scalability and customization.”

This Layer 3 network will amplify all the benefits of Layer 2 and allow unlimited scalability with unlimited customization.

“With zkSync’s Layer 3 solution, developers will be able to choose between 3 data availability options, all using the same test infrastructure for their project. Developers can choose their own trade-offs between price, performance, and security,” Matter Labs said in the announcement.

The firm further stated that its layer 2 solution, zkSync, is there to provide the necessary foundation to scale Ethereum in the ecosystem without devaluing its security or decentralization. But beyond that, his vision is that unlimited scalability and, as a result, mass adoption comes from Layer 3 and beyond.

Furthermore, Matter Labs explained that the layer 3 solution, Pathfinder, will replace non-native bridges with native bridges (or “HyperBridges”) and enable native bridging between blockchains.

Native bridging is about moving tokens from one blockchain to another without locking or delivering tokens to an intermediary ‘escrow’ bridging platform.

Once zkSync finally launches its Layer 3 network, it could solve one of the biggest pain points in the industry, as billions of dollars were stolen last year through non-native bridge exploits between Layer 1 blockchains. and layer 2.

Last week, the crypto industry witnessed another on-chain attack, with approximately $100 million worth of Binance Coin (BNB) stolen after a vulnerability occurred in a cross-blockchain bridge.

According to figures from blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis, a total of $2 billion has been lost to cross-chain breaches this year.

With this huge amount of money lost to cross-chain bridging violations, a Layer 3 network like Pathfinder, which enables the act of native bridging, could be just what the industry needs to prevent these bridges.

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