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OKX has migrated X Layer to the OP Stack, boosting Ethereum’s L2 ecosystem with improved scalability, security, and developer tooling.
Author: Tanishq Bodh
December 8, 2025 – OKX has officially migrated its Layer-2 network, X Layer, to the Optimism (OP) Stack, marking one of the most significant architectural pivots by a major exchange in 2025. Announced by Optimism on Monday, the transition positions X Layer as a high-performance, standalone rollup. It is now built atop a framework that powers most of Ethereum’s L2 activity. For OKX’s 50 million global users and its large developer ecosystem, the move signals a shift toward open-source, verifiable infrastructure. It also reinforces Ethereum’s role as the settlement hub for global financial applications.
X Layer debuted in April 2024 as a zkEVM chain using Polygon’s Chain Development Kit (CDK). It quickly onboarded more than 200 decentralized apps across DeFi, NFTs, gaming, and tooling. OKX strengthened its Polygon alignment in August 2025 through a major “PP upgrade,” adopting Pessimistic Proof settlement, consolidating liquidity, and elevating OKB as the network’s gas token. The upgrade sent OKB soaring over 450% amid heightened ecosystem activity. The chain also absorbed OKTChain, unifying OKX’s infrastructure under one scalable L2.
The migration to the OP Stack triggered immediate market enthusiasm. OKB climbed 15% within 24 hours, reflecting investor confidence in X Layer’s new direction. Developers praised the decision as a shift toward modular, enterprise-grade tools built for reliability. The OP Stack currently supports roughly 70% of Layer-2 throughput and processes an estimated 12% of all daily crypto transactions worldwide. Its shared upgrade path, open governance, and fault-proof architecture offer X Layer battle-tested scaling without compromising autonomy.
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Despite the optimism, several challenges persist. High-value RWA settlements must meet strict finality requirements, and furthermore, regulators are increasing their scrutiny of L2-based payment architectures. In addition, observers note that X Layer is not immediately joining Optimism’s Superchain, which raises new questions about long-term interoperability. Even so, experts argue that OKX’s pivot away from proprietary zk frameworks and toward standardized rollup tooling represents a meaningful step toward “credible neutrality,” a theme repeatedly echoed across institutional blockchain adoption.
The OP Stack migration enables full EVM compatibility, allowing dApps to port to X Layer without modification. It also unlocks emerging features such as gas-free stablecoin transfers via the x402 API suite and advanced sequencer pathways capable of supporting payments, DeFi protocols, and real-world asset platforms. With nearly 60% of Fortune 500 companies now experimenting with blockchain, OKX’s upgrade positions X Layer as a scalable highway for global Web3 products.
Industry voices see this as part of a broader consolidation trend. “Ethereum is becoming the global settlement layer,” one analyst tweeted, noting that modular rollups are poised to handle surging data loads and liquidity flows. For OKX, the message is clear: decentralization and standardization are now core to its roadmap.
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