Optimism Collective Overhauls Technology and Governance

The Optimism Collective has made significant strides in improving its technology and governance. In 2021, developers replaced a complex transpiler with a simplified modification to the Solidity compiler, marking the beginning of the OP Stack's modular architecture.

This overhaul led to an EVM equivalence upgrade that still holds its own against newer releases from alternative rollups. The Bedrock upgrade implemented a modular design that separates consensus, execution, and settlement, reducing code requirements by 97%. It also introduced a two-phase withdrawal process to increase bridge security, resulting in a 47% reduction in protocol costs and security fees.

The OP Stack relies on specific modules to function. The execution engine uses op-geth, while the rollup node operates in two modes: sequencer mode and verifier mode. The BatchInbox acts as the L1 address where the sequencer stores transaction batches, and the OptimismPortal manages L1 deposits and withdrawals.

The Superchain architecture has grown significantly, linking multiple chains like Base, World Chain, Mode, Zora, and Sonic. As of Q4 2025, Base generated $19M in gross sequencer revenue, with net revenue after accounting for L1 data costs and the OP Collective revenue share being $15M. However, the Superchain faces a concentration risk due to Base's announced migration off the OP Stack in February 2026.