Which stablecoin began testing on OP?

Ripple USD (RLUSD) is a stablecoin currently being tested on Optimism (OP), as part of Ripple’s expansion across multiple Ethereum Layer 2 (L2) networks. This was recently confirmed in reports covering Ripple’s multichain rollout, including Optimism source.

1. The pilot program includes Optimism, Base, Ink, and Unichain, using Wormhole’s Native Token Transfers (NTT) standard for issuing RLUSD across multiple chains source.
2. A full launch is planned for next year, pending approval from New York regulators source.
3. Optimism is a key focus in Ripple’s strategy, serving as an important gateway among Ethereum L2s source.

Deep Dive

1. Networks and Technology

Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin is being tested on several Ethereum L2 networks—Optimism, Base, Ink, and Unichain—using Wormhole’s Native Token Transfers (NTT). This technology allows RLUSD to be issued natively on each chain, rather than as “wrapped” tokens. This reduces risks associated with bridging tokens between chains and helps maintain liquidity integrity source.

What this means: If you use Optimism for decentralized finance (DeFi), RLUSD could become easier to access and use, with fewer complications from moving tokens between different blockchains.

2. Timing and Regulation

The current pilot phase is a testing period before a wider rollout planned for next year. This broader launch depends on regulatory approval from New York, highlighting Ripple’s focus on compliance alongside blockchain efficiency source.

What this means: You can expect RLUSD’s features to expand gradually, with full availability once regulatory hurdles are cleared.

3. Why Optimism?

Optimism is a strategic choice for Ripple because many L2 networks are built on the OP Stack, making it a natural hub for RLUSD’s multichain expansion source.

What this means: Since many apps share the OP Stack standards, RLUSD can grow more easily across different L2s, speeding up adoption and use.

Conclusion

In short, RLUSD is Ripple’s stablecoin pilot on Optimism, part of a broader multichain strategy using Wormhole’s Native Token Transfers. The goal is a wider launch after regulatory approval. For users on Optimism, this means increasing access to RLUSD liquidity and payment options as testing continues.

What could affect the price of OP?

The future of Optimism (OP) depends on upcoming protocol upgrades, changes in token supply, and how quickly Layer 2 (L2) solutions are adopted.

1. Token Unlocks (Bearish) – 81 million OP tokens (about 1.89% of total supply) will become available in April 2025, which could lead to selling pressure.
2. Superchain Adoption (Bullish) – The OP Stack supports Base, Zora, and handles 70% of Ethereum’s L2 activity, showing strong ecosystem growth.
3. Macro Risks (Mixed) – Bitcoin’s dominance at 59% and a 67% drop in overall crypto trading volume limit the upside for altcoins like OP.

Deep Dive

1. Token Unlocks & Supply Dynamics (Bearish Impact)

Overview:
On April 30, 2025, 81 million OP tokens worth about $21.8 million at current prices will unlock. These tokens are allocated to early investors and key contributors. This follows a smaller $7 million unlock in July 2025 that caused a 17% price drop (CoinMarketCap).

What this means:
When large amounts of tokens unlock, holders often sell to take profits, which can cause the price to drop 15-25% within two weeks. Since OP has already fallen 61% this year, this unlock could push prices lower unless there’s a strong increase in network use.

2. Superchain Ecosystem Growth (Bullish Impact)

Overview:
The OP Stack now powers 70% of Ethereum’s Layer 2 activity, including major projects like Coinbase’s Base and OKX’s X Layer. In November 2025, the Superchain handled 14.1% of all cryptocurrency transactions (Optimism Governance).

What this means:
Each new chain built on the OP Stack contributes 15% of its sequencer fees back to the Optimism Collective. For example, Base generated $4.4 million in fees for OP holders in Q3 2025. This growing revenue could support higher OP valuations if adoption continues to rise.

3. Macro Crypto Liquidity (Mixed Impact)

Overview:
Overall crypto trading volume dropped 67% year-over-year to $67 billion, with altcoins like OP hit harder than Bitcoin. Bitcoin’s market dominance increased to 59% as investors sought safer assets (CMC Global Metrics).

What this means:
For OP to gain momentum, either Bitcoin needs to rally above $150,000, lifting the entire market, or Ethereum-specific events like approval of spot ETFs need to happen. The current Fear & Greed Index at 28/100 shows investors are cautious, limiting short-term interest in L2 tokens.

Conclusion

OP’s outlook depends on managing the supply increase in April against real-world growth driven by the Superchain. Keep an eye on the OP/BTC ratio—if it breaks above 0.000015 BTC (around $0.35), it could signal renewed interest in altcoins. The key question is whether Optimism’s governance and technology upgrades can overcome the broader market challenges.

What are people saying about OP?

Optimism’s price movements are stirring up discussions – here’s the latest:

1. Analysts are divided on OP’s direction – Will it drop to $0.24 or bounce back to $0.37?
2. Technical traders focus on key support levels – $0.2735 is a critical point that could determine the next move
3. Long-term supporters highlight ecosystem growth – OP Stack adoption is rising, even if the price hasn’t moved much

In-Depth Look

1. @bpaynews: Short-term drop before a rebound? Mixed outlook

"OP might fall to $0.22-$0.24 soon... but strong support at $0.29 could lead to a rally up to $0.37-$0.42 by January 2026."
– Bpay News (2K followers · 750K+ impressions · Dec 21, 2025, 1:05 PM UTC)
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What this means: The signals are mixed. Technical analysis points to a possible short-term drop, but if the $0.29 support holds, there could be a medium-term recovery.

2. @FinoraAI_ES: Key price levels suggest caution Bearish outlook

"There’s strong buying interest between $0.2735 and $0.2591... but if the price falls below $0.2552, it could slide further to $0.2335."
– Finora AI - Español (628 followers · 10.5K+ impressions · Dec 21, 2025, 10:00 AM UTC)
See original post
What this means: The near-term trend looks bearish. If the price can’t stay above $0.2735, selling pressure might increase, though there could be signs of a turnaround at lower prices.

3. @boy_mi89: Ecosystem growth vs price stagnation Bullish outlook

"OP Stack is being adopted widely – on platforms like Base, Zora, and Metal... infrastructure growth usually wins in the long run."
– Hai Long (2.3K followers · 37.7K+ impressions · Nov 25, 2025, 9:37 AM UTC)
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What this means: Long-term outlook is positive. The growing use of OP Stack across various projects suggests strong ecosystem development, even if the price hasn’t reflected that yet.

Summary

The outlook for $OP is mixed. Technical traders warn of a possible drop toward $0.24, while supporters point to increasing real-world use of OP Stack as a sign of future value. Keep an eye on the $0.24 to $0.2735 range this week: falling below could lead to panic selling, while staying above might indicate buyers stepping in. For the latest updates, watch OP’s daily active users and the expansion of its Superchain network.

What is the latest news about OP?

Optimism is adapting to changes in the Layer 2 (L2) blockchain space as new projects launch and others shift back to Ethereum’s main network. Here are the key updates:

1. Synthetix Moves Back to Ethereum Mainnet (December 18, 2025) – This major protocol returns to Ethereum after improvements in its network scaling.
2. RLUSD Stablecoin Launches on Optimism (December 18, 2025) – Ripple’s $1.3 billion stablecoin is now available on Optimism, using Wormhole to enable cross-chain liquidity.
3. OP Token Supply Absorbed Despite Increased Unlocks (December 18, 2025) – Growing transaction activity helps balance selling pressure from newly unlocked tokens.

Detailed Overview

1. Synthetix Moves Back to Ethereum Mainnet (December 18, 2025)

Summary:
Synthetix, a platform for trading synthetic assets, moved to Optimism in 2022 to benefit from lower transaction fees. However, with Ethereum’s gas fees dropping significantly (from 18.85 gwei in 2024 to 0.71 gwei now) and better scalability, Synthetix’s founder Kain Warwick announced the protocol’s return to Ethereum’s mainnet. Ethereum’s main network now supports high-frequency trading and offers deeper liquidity, which outweighs the advantages of staying on an L2 like Optimism.

What this means for Optimism:
This move is neutral overall. It shows Ethereum’s mainnet is becoming more competitive, but it doesn’t mean all projects will leave L2 solutions. Optimism still hosts important platforms like Uniswap and Velodrome. However, it highlights the need for Optimism to continue innovating to keep projects interested. (Source: Cointelegraph)

2. RLUSD Stablecoin Launches on Optimism (December 18, 2025)

Summary:
Ripple has expanded its RLUSD stablecoin, regulated by the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS), onto Optimism using the Wormhole protocol. This allows RLUSD to move seamlessly across different blockchains. Currently, $293 million worth of RLUSD (about 22% of its total supply) is active on Optimism. The move targets decentralized finance (DeFi) users and institutional investors.

What this means for Optimism:
This is a positive development. RLUSD’s regulatory compliance and strong institutional support could bring traditional financial liquidity into Optimism’s ecosystem. This aligns well with Optimism’s vision of a “Superchain” — a network of interconnected L2 blockchains working together. (Source: Coin Edition)

3. OP Token Supply Absorbed Despite Increased Unlocks (December 18, 2025)

Summary:
Even though $23 million worth of OP tokens were recently unlocked and available for sale, the token price remained stable around $0.27, with only a slight daily drop of 3.19%. This stability is supported by strong network activity, including 2 million daily transactions and a 142% increase in active users over the past quarter. Analysts attribute this to Optimism’s developer grants and Retro Funding programs, which encourage ongoing use and development.

What this means for Optimism:
This is cautiously optimistic news. While there is always some risk when new tokens enter the market, the growing usage of the network suggests that demand is keeping up with supply. The turnover ratio of 0.092 indicates moderate liquidity risk, but continued support for developers will be key to maintaining this balance. (Source: CryptoNewsLand)

Conclusion

Optimism is at a crossroads. The departure of Synthetix challenges its position, but the addition of RLUSD and strong tokenomics show ongoing institutional interest. With Ethereum’s main network becoming more competitive and other L2 solutions emerging, Optimism’s success in 2026 will depend on its ability to grow partnerships through its Superchain vision and maintain developer support via programs like Retro Funding.

What is expected in the development of OP?

Optimism is moving forward with some key updates:

1. Superchain Interop Layer (Early 2026) – This will allow different OP Stack blockchains to communicate and share security.
2. Token Unlock (December 31, 2025) – About 31.34 million OP tokens (around 1.65% of the total supply) will be released to early contributors and investors.
3. Enterprise Strategy Expansion (2026) – Optimism plans to focus more on business customers by offering customizable blockchain networks.

Deep Dive

1. Superchain Interop Layer (Early 2026)

What it is:
The Superchain Interop Layer is designed to connect Optimism’s different blockchains—like Base, Zora, and Mode—so they can easily share information and assets. It uses new technology for secure messaging and asset transfers between chains, building on previous upgrades that improved the system’s flexibility and capacity (Yahoo Finance).

Why it matters:
This upgrade could make Optimism more attractive to big companies and developers by making its network more connected and secure. However, there’s a chance it could be delayed or face competition from other similar technologies like Arbitrum.

2. Token Unlock (December 31, 2025)

What it is:
On this date, 31.34 million OP tokens will become available to early investors and team members. This is part of a planned schedule for releasing tokens over time (TradingView).

Why it matters:
While this release won’t change the long-term outlook for Optimism, it could cause short-term price drops if many holders decide to sell their tokens. The market has handled similar releases before, but weak demand could make prices more volatile.

3. Enterprise Strategy Expansion (2026)

What it is:
Optimism’s leadership is shifting focus toward serving businesses by offering blockchain networks that companies can customize and control themselves. This includes tools to meet regulatory requirements and dedicated transaction processors (The Defiant).

Why it matters:
This could open new growth opportunities if businesses adopt Optimism’s technology. However, it might take longer to gain traction compared to networks focused on individual users, and it faces competition from upcoming Ethereum upgrades.

Conclusion

Optimism’s plans combine technical improvements with a new business focus. While the Superchain Interop Layer could boost its appeal, token unlocks and market reactions add uncertainty. The big question is whether improved interoperability will outweigh the risks of token dilution in 2026.

What updates are there in the OP code base?

Optimism’s recent software updates have made the network faster, more connected with other blockchains, and more secure.

1. Flashblocks Launch (September 30, 2025) – Block creation time cut by 75%, speeding up transactions.
2. Superchain Upgrade 16 (June 20, 2025) – Enabled smart contracts to work across different blockchains and increased gas limits.
3. Bug Bounty Expansion (June 20, 2025) – Strengthened security by encouraging hackers to find bugs before updates go live.

Deep Dive

1. Flashblocks Launch (September 30, 2025)

What happened: Optimism reduced the time it takes to create a new block from 2 seconds to just 250 milliseconds using a feature called Flashblocks. This means transactions confirm much faster.

The update improved how the network reaches agreement and how nodes (computers running the network) sync with each other. It matches performance levels from 2021 but keeps the same strong security as Ethereum.

Why it matters: Faster blocks mean smoother experiences for decentralized finance (DeFi) apps like Uniswap or Velodrome. It could also attract more traders who rely on quick transactions. (Source)

2. Superchain Upgrade 16 (June 20, 2025)

What happened: This upgrade made it possible for smart contracts on Optimism to interact with contracts on other blockchains within the Superchain network (like Base and Zora). It also increased the gas limit—the amount of computational work allowed per block—from 200 million to 500 million.

The update included code improvements that cut down on-chain data processing by 90%, making the network more efficient.

Why it matters: This is generally positive because it opens up new possibilities for developers and users by connecting different blockchains. However, the higher gas limit means running a node requires more powerful hardware, which could be challenging for smaller participants. (Source)

3. Bug Bounty Expansion (June 20, 2025)

What happened: Optimism increased its bug bounty program to $2 million and now rewards security researchers for finding issues in protocol upgrades before they are launched. This includes reviewing the data sent with transactions (calldata) and governance processes.

Why it matters: This proactive approach to security helps prevent attacks and builds trust, especially important as Optimism’s total value locked (TVL) approaches $1.3 billion. (Source)

Conclusion

Optimism is focusing on making its network faster (Flashblocks), more connected with other blockchains (Superchain Upgrade 16), and safer (expanded bug bounty). These improvements show the project is maturing, balancing growth with security. The big question is whether Flashblocks’ speed boost will push daily transactions on the OP Mainnet beyond the current average of about 900,000.

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Why did the price of OP fall?

Optimism (OP) dropped 2.11% in the last 24 hours, adding to a 9.37% decline over the past month. Here’s why:

1. Token unlock worries – On December 31, 2025, 31.34 million OP tokens (worth about $8.56 million) will become available, raising concerns about increased supply (TradingView News).
2. Technical weakness – The price fell below a key support level at $0.28.
3. Layer 2 competition – Synthetix moving back to Ethereum’s main network reduces Optimism’s usage.

Deep Dive

1. Token Unlock Concerns (Negative Impact)

What’s happening? Optimism plans to unlock 31.34 million OP tokens on December 31, 2025. This is about 1.65% of all OP tokens. When tokens unlock, early investors and team members can sell, often causing price drops.

Why it matters:

• The unlocked tokens’ value ($8.56 million) is roughly 17% of OP’s daily trading volume, which could flood the market.
• Past unlocks in June and September 2025 led to price drops of 10-15% within a few days.

What to watch: Keep an eye on large holders (“whales”) moving tokens before the unlock, which might signal upcoming selling pressure.

2. Technical Breakdown (Bearish Signals)

What’s happening? OP’s price slipped below an important support level at $0.28 and is trading below key moving averages (7-day average at $0.28, 30-day average at $0.31).

Why it matters:

• The Relative Strength Index (RSI) is at 39, showing weakening momentum but not yet oversold.
• The MACD indicator confirms bearish momentum. The next support level is around $0.2559, the low from 2025.

Key point: If OP closes below $0.2559, it could trigger automatic sell orders pushing the price down to about $0.22.

3. Increased Layer 2 Competition (Mixed Effects)

What’s happening? Synthetix, a major decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol, moved from Optimism back to Ethereum’s main network on December 18. Meanwhile, competitors like Base and Arbitrum are gaining users.

Why it matters:

• Optimism’s total value locked (TVL) dropped 70% from $1 billion at its 2024 peak to $301 million (Coinpedia).
• Daily transactions on Optimism fell 13% since Synthetix left, reducing fee income.

Conclusion

Optimism’s recent price drop is due to a combination of token supply concerns, technical weaknesses, and competition within the Layer 2 ecosystem. While the broader market shift toward Bitcoin (+59% dominance) plays a role, factors specific to OP are the main drivers.

Key level to watch: Can OP hold the $0.2559 support before the December 31 token unlock? If it fails, we could see a sharp sell-off in the typically quiet year-end market.

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