Optimism

Optimism

Ethereum Layer 2 mainnet for scalability

Overview

Optimism builds Ethereum scaling solutions. Its main product, OP Mainnet, is an Ethereum Layer 2 chain that runs on top of Ethereum to speed up transactions and lower gas fees while staying compatible with existing Ethereum software. The company also pursues the Superchain concept to connect multiple Layer 2s using the OP Stack, improving interoperability and coordination across chains. It funds ecosystem development through Retroactive Public Goods Funding, using fees from OP Mainnet to support public-good projects and sustain a developer-friendly Ethereum ecosystem.

About Optimism

Simplify's Rating
Why Optimism is rated
B-
Rated B on Competitive Edge
Rated B on Growth Potential
Rated C on Differentiation

Industries

Data & Analytics

Enterprise Software

Crypto & Web3

Company Size

51-200

Company Stage

Series B

Total Funding

$178.5M

Headquarters

New York City, New York

Founded

2019

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • September 23, 2026 KB Securities MOU brings tokenized funds and bonds onto OP Mainnet.
  • September 2026 Toss, KOMSCO, and Upbit pilots expand Korean payments and exchange infrastructure.
  • Superchain interoperability on Sepolia and Upgrade 20 advance cross-L2 messaging before mainnet rollout.

What critics are saying

  • August 2026 budget projects 343 million OP entering circulation by April 2027, crushing scarcity.
  • Base left revenue sharing in February 2026; Superchain buybacks covered only 9 million OP.
  • Retro Funding paused after Season 7, exposing ecosystem dependence on governance spending and developer retention.

What makes Optimism unique

  • Optimism powers OP Stack, now chosen by Upbit, KB Securities, Toss, and Securitize.
  • September 2026 Superchain interoperability and required op-batcher v1.17.0 upgrades deepen infrastructure defensibility.
  • OP Mainnet ties Ethereum security to low-fee execution, while Superchain compounds network effects.

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Funding

Total Funding

$178.5M

Above

Industry Average

Funded Over

3 Rounds

Notable Investors:
Series B funding is typically for startups that have proven their business model and need more funding to expand rapidly—often by entering new markets or adding more products. Investors are usually venture capital firms that specialize in later-stage investments.
Series B Funding Comparison
Above Average

Industry standards

$35M
$45M
Linktree
$65M
Substack
$100M
ClickUp
$150M
Optimism

Benefits

🤑 Top 25% salaries

🪙 Equity in OP Labs PBC

🦷 Medical, dental, ortho & vision insurance

💵 Flexible Spending Account

💰 401k Retirement plan

⛑️ Life & disability insurance

🏠 WFH flexibility

🍼 Paid parental leave

💸 Crypto tax professionals

🏝️ Vacations & paid holidays

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

↑ 2%

1 year growth

↑ 3%

2 year growth

↑ 2%
Crypto-Economy
Sep 23rd, 2026
Securitize, KB Securities and Optimism team up to expand tokenization in Korea.

Securitize, KB Securities and Optimism team up to expand tokenization in Korea. * C. Monasterio * Published: September 23, 2026 * 11:02 pm * Updated: September 23, 2026 * 11:05 pm Table of Contents * Securitize, KB Securities, and Optimism Foundation formalized a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to structure tokenized securities aimed at institutional investors in South Korea. * The initial plan outlines the development of a tokenized money market fund (MMF) and a fund based on a KB Asset Management strategy on the OP Mainnet network. * KB Securities recorded 76.5 trillion won in total assets and 6.9 trillion won in net equity as of the close of December 2025. This Wednesday, September 23, the partnership between financial infrastructure firm Securitize, South Korean brokerage KB Securities, and Optimism Foundation was confirmed to expand tokenization in Korea. Crypto Economy signed an MOU with KB Securities and @Optimism to explore tokenized securities for institutional investors in Korea. This combines KB Securities' distribution and capital-markets capabilities, its regulated tokenization infrastructure, and Optimism's blockchain technology. pic.twitter.com/zkUIxwYmVm - Securitize (@Securitize) September 23, 2026 The tripartite agreement establishes a collaborative framework geared toward the design, issuance, and distribution of regulated investment instruments on public distributed ledgers. Within this structure, KB Securities oversees product sourcing, placement analysis, and access to its domestic institutional client base. Securitize will provide its issuance management platform and transfer agency functions. Meanwhile, Optimism Foundation will integrate the technical environment through the Layer 2 network OP Mainnet. The first asset outlined on the roadmap is a tokenized money market fund (MMF). Additionally, the entities plan to structure a second investment vehicle focused on a flagship strategy from KB Asset Management. Both instruments will exclusively target corporate and institutional clients, such as domestic insurers and pension funds. Leadership at KB Securities announced that it is also assessing the domestic distribution of global tokenized funds previously managed on Securitize's infrastructure. According to a market report, this move seeks to build a direct bridge connecting South Korea's capital markets with real-world asset (RWA) issuers already operating abroad. Regulatory framework and on-chain asset timeline. The deployment of these instruments coincides with legislative progress in Seoul. In January 2026, the National Assembly of South Korea passed amendments to the Capital Markets Act and the Electronic Securities Act to recognize distributed ledgers as valid legal record-keeping systems for commercial securities. The statutory framework stipulates that tokenized securities will retain their legal status as traditional investment securities, remaining under the direct oversight of the Financial Services Commission (FSC). Regulatory data cited by the participants indicates that the initial phase of the digital securities framework could come into force on February 4, 2027. During this primary stage, regulatory guidelines will allow institutional private placements of debt and money market funds. According to technical projections from the alliance, once subsequent regulatory phases solidify, offerings could expand to publicly traded equities, American Depositary Receipts (ADRs), corporate bonds, and South Korean Treasury debt instruments. This development marks a significant technical milestone for OP Mainnet as it serves as a settlement layer for traditional financial intermediaries across Asia. Industry reports highlight that Securitize manages more than $5 billion in tokenized assets worldwide. The alliance stands as a preparatory initiative ahead of the operational formalization of the secondary digital securities market scheduled for early 2027.

Bitcoinist
Sep 20th, 2026
Optimism releases required op-batcher v1.17.0 upgrade.

Optimism releases required op-batcher v1.17.0 upgrade. Trusted Editorial content, reviewed by leading industry experts and seasoned editors. Ad Disclosure * Optimism has released op-batcher v1.17.0. * The project labels it a required upgrade for batcher operators. * It adds Glamsterdam compatibility, security updates and configurable AltDA limits. Optimism has published a new batcher release, and this is not one operators can casually ignore. op-batcher v1.17.0 is marked as a required release for operators running the batching infrastructure used by OP Stack chains. The update includes compatibility work for Ethereum's Glamsterdam upgrade, security changes and configurable limits around alternative data availability. It also removes one structured-log field. Why the batcher matters. The batcher is an important piece of rollup infrastructure. It collects Layer 2 transaction data and submits that data to the Layer 1 chain so the rollup can inherit Ethereum's data availability and settlement guarantees. Most users never interact with a batcher directly. But if the component falls behind protocol requirements, the chain's ability to publish transaction data can be affected. That is why required releases deserve more attention than routine software housekeeping. Ethereum upgrades ripple into Layer 2. One of the notable changes here is Glamsterdam compatibility. Ethereum upgrades do not only affect Ethereum node operators. Every Layer 2 that ultimately depends on Ethereum also has software that needs to understand new L1 behavior. The OP Stack therefore has to keep its sequencers, batchers, proposers and supporting components aligned with Ethereum's roadmap. v1.17.0 is part of that work. The release also adds configurable AltDA limits, giving operators more control over data-availability configurations where OP Stack chains use alternatives to standard Ethereum calldata or blobs. Operators have A straightforward job. For end users, this is mostly invisible. For infrastructure teams, the message is much simpler: upgrade. Optimism's release notes explicitly identify v1.17.0 as required for op-batcher operators. That is the kind of update that tends to matter most when somebody forgets to install it. If operators do their job, users should notice very little. And that is generally exactly how infrastructure upgrades are supposed to work. Editorial Process for bitcoinist is centered on delivering thoroughly researched, accurate, and unbiased content. Bitcoinist uphold strict sourcing standards, and each page undergoes diligent review by its team of top technology experts and seasoned editors. This process ensures the integrity, relevance, and value of its content for its readers. For updates and exclusive offers enter your email. I consent to my submitted data being collected and stored.

Bitcoinist
Sep 4th, 2026
Optimism Superchain interoperability goes live on Sepolia testnet.

Optimism Superchain interoperability goes live on Sepolia testnet. Trusted Editorial content, reviewed by leading industry experts and seasoned editors. Ad Disclosure Optimism's Superchain interoperability upgrade has gone live on the Sepolia testnet, giving developers a new environment to test native cross-L2 messaging across OP Stack chains. This is not mainnet yet, and that distinction is important. But it is still a meaningful step. The whole Superchain idea depends on many OP Stack networks being able to communicate more smoothly with each other. Without interoperability, the ecosystem risks becoming a collection of separate chains that happen to use similar technology. With it, the Superchain can start behaving more like a connected network. That is the real promise here. For more details, visit the official Blog platform. Tl;dr. * Optimism's Superchain interoperability upgrade is live on Sepolia testnet. * The upgrade is designed to support native messaging across OP Stack chains. * It is a testnet milestone, not full mainnet activation. Why interoperability matters for Optimism. Optimism is not just one chain anymore. The OP Stack is used by multiple networks, and the Superchain vision is about connecting those networks into a broader Ethereum scaling system. That only works if users, assets, and messages can move between chains without creating a terrible experience. Nobody wants to feel like they are hopping between isolated islands. Developers want apps that can work across the ecosystem. Users want smoother movement. Liquidity providers want markets that are not unnecessarily fragmented. Interoperability is what makes that possible. Sepolia is A testing ground. Testnet launches are easy to underestimate. They are not production events, but they are where developers find bugs, test assumptions, and prepare the system for real usage. A cross-L2 messaging system needs that kind of testing because mistakes can become expensive once assets are involved. Sepolia gives OP Labs and developers a safer place to test the upgrade before mainnet. That includes messaging behavior, contract interactions, latency, edge cases, and how different OP Stack chains handle cross-chain actions. The mainnet question comes later. The current story is the testnet deployment. That matters because mainnet requires more confidence. The code needs testing, audits, documentation, developer feedback, and operational readiness. Cross-chain infrastructure is not the place to rush. Optimism's testnet milestone is encouraging, but it is not the finish line. The bigger question is whether the system can move from controlled testing into reliable production use. Why users should care. Most users do not care about infrastructure details until something breaks. But interoperability affects the experience directly. It can reduce friction between apps, simplify movement across chains, and make the broader ecosystem feel less fragmented. That matters if Ethereum scaling is going to reach normal users. The more chains Ethereum has, the more important user experience becomes. If moving between them feels confusing or risky, adoption suffers. If it becomes seamless, the ecosystem gets stronger. The Superchain bet. Optimism is betting that many connected chains can be more powerful than one isolated network. The Sepolia deployment is a step toward proving that. It gives developers a live place to test how OP Stack chains can communicate and coordinate. There is still work to do before mainnet. But this is the kind of infrastructure update that can make the Superchain feel less like a slogan and more like a real technical roadmap. Editorial Process for bitcoinist is centered on delivering thoroughly researched, accurate, and unbiased content. Bitcoinist uphold strict sourcing standards, and each page undergoes diligent review by its team of top technology experts and seasoned editors. This process ensures the integrity, relevance, and value of its content for its readers. For updates and exclusive offers enter your email. I consent to my submitted data being collected and stored.

The Digital Track
Sep 1st, 2026
Robinhood Chain hit $945M in daily DEX volume and nobody on crypto Twitter noticed.

Robinhood Chain hit $945M in daily DEX volume and nobody on crypto Twitter noticed. September 1, 2026 Crypto news general Positive Robinhood Chain, a Layer 2 blockchain launched just two months ago by retail brokerage giant Robinhood (HOOD), has recorded $945 million in daily decentralized exchange (DEX) volume, surpassing established chains that have operated for years and flying almost entirely under crypto Twitter's radar. This extraordinary DEX volume figure positions Robinhood's Layer 2 as a serious contender in the competitive blockchain infrastructure space, challenging networks like Arbitrum, Optimism, and Base for daily on-chain activity dominance. The fact that a stock brokerage's blockchain is now generating nearly $1 billion in daily DEX volume within weeks of launch signals a potentially transformative moment for mainstream DeFi adoption and Layer 2 crypto investment narratives. Traders and developers searching for Robinhood Chain review, Layer 2 DEX volume rankings, and new blockchain launches in 2025 should take note - this network's rapid growth suggests either significant organic demand, strategic liquidity incentives, or both. The broader implication is that traditional finance players entering the blockchain space are capable of scaling faster than crypto-native protocols expected. Watch for Robinhood to officially promote the chain's performance metrics, for total value locked (TVL) data to surface, and for competing Layer 2 networks to respond with incentive programs as they face an unexpected new rival for users and liquidity. A two-month-old Layer 2 built by a stock brokerage is now processing more daily decentralized exchange volume than chains that have existed for years, and the market is only beginning to pay attention.

Yahoo Finance
Aug 6th, 2026
Optimism to release 343M OP tokens while buyback covers just 9M amid 98% price drop

Optimism plans to release approximately 343 million OP tokens over the next 12 months, whilst its buyback programme has only repurchased 9 million tokens. This represents one token bought for every 38 released. The Year 5 outlook, covering May 2026 to April 2027, shows discrepancies in reported figures. The Ecosystem Fund will supply 200 million OP, with early contributors and investors adding 47.6 million and 15.3 million respectively. Revenue supporting buybacks is declining following Coinbase's Base network departure from the OP Stack in February. OP traded near its record low at $0.0867 on Thursday, down 98% from its March 2024 peak of $4.84. Optimism has suspended user airdrops and paused Retro Funding after Season 7.

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