Felten: Responsive Pricing Essential for ARB L2s

Edward Felten Emphasizes Responsive Pricing for ARB and L2 Networks

Offchain Labs co-founder Edward Felten emphasized in his EthCC 2026 keynote that Ethereum layer-2 networks need a “responsive pricing” mechanism to scale to billions of users and reduce fee fluctuations during congestion periods. Despite the EIP-1559 update, volatility in gas fees is deterring mainstream users and protecting networks during heavy demand. With responsive pricing, more traffic can be processed at lower gas prices. This mechanism dynamically responds to demand fluctuations, increasing efficiency in leading L2 networks like ARB detailed analysis.

Responsive pricing, peak demand and peak gas price comparison among leading L2 networks. Source: Edward Felten

Arbitrum One ARB Leadership and TVL Records

Arbitrum One was the first layer-2 to implement this model in January and kept fees lower than other L2s like Base during congestion. According to L2beat data, Arbitrum One leads with 15.2 billion USD TVL, Base is second with 10.9 billion USD, and total L2 TVL exceeded 39.7 billion USD. Julian Kors noted that responsive pricing might be less predictable than EIP-1559, while Jerome de Tychey and Cyprien Grau viewed it as an improvement but argued for a complete overhaul of the gas model. This development supports ARB's ARB futures trading volume.

Fees via responsive pricing compared to EIP-1559 on Jan. 31, 2026. Source: Andrew Felten

ARB Price Technical Analysis (April 3, 2026)

ARB price 0.09 USD, 24h +1.45%. RSI 43.47, downtrend and Supertrend bearish. EMA 20: 0.0953. Supports: S1 0.0858 (strong, -7.54%), S2 0.0908 (strong, -2.16%). Resistances: R1 0.1735 (+86.96%), R2 0.1000 (+7.76%). Investors should monitor S2 in the ARB spot market.