Andre Cronje, co-founder of Sonic Labs, has critiqued L2 appchains, citing them as impractical for developers due to high infrastructure costs and liquidity fragmentation.

Cost and Support: Cronje vs. Orth

Cronje's main criticism is the high cost of deploying and maintaining appchains. He noted that infrastructure expenses, such as regulatory compliance and oracles, quickly accumulate, with his team spending $14 million this year. This consumption of resources makes it difficult for developers to focus on their core applications and users. Hilmar Orth, the founder of Gelato Network, disagreed, asserting that the necessary infrastructure is accessible through rollup-as-a-service providers, eliminating the need for developers to start from scratch.

Liquidity and Security: Cronje vs. Boiron

Cronje also expressed concerns about liquidity fragmentation, mentioning that liquidity is often confined to bridges, which are 'centralized and vulnerable to attacks'. Marc Boiron, CEO of Polygon Labs, suggested the AggLayer as a solution, creating an interoperable network of appchains to address liquidity challenges. Orth reflected a similar optimism, noting that rollups include built-in bridges and market makers, with 'faster zk proofs' optimizing the flow of funds.

Community and Network Effects Debate

Cronje stated that L2s, as appchains, lack 'a community of users or builders,' weakening the necessary network effects. Boiron objected, highlighting the active participation and network effects within the community. Orth countered both Cronje's and Boiron's claims, commenting that developers often 'compete for users and are not friends.' The ongoing debate continues to draw attention, showcasing differing opinions on L2s as appchains.

The discussions around L2 appchains persist, with Andre Cronje and other experts sharing diverse perspectives, emphasizing challenges and opportunities in this area.