LONDON, Feb 17, 2026, 10:31 (GMT)
- MegaETH executive urges blockchain teams to build user-facing apps, not just infrastructure
- Transak integration lets users buy ether directly on MegaETH using cards and bank transfers
- MegaLabs outlines USDM-linked MEGA buybacks and usage targets ahead of token launch
MegaETH chief strategy officer Namik Muduroglu said the Ethereum layer-2 project aims for a “real-time” feel — including 10-millisecond “lock times” — and has hit 55,000 transactions per second in stress tests by centralising block production for speed. “Staying removed from the application layer is a losing strategy for blockchain teams,” Muduroglu said. “The era of infrastructure for the sake of infrastructure is over.” (Crypto Briefing)
That matters because Ethereum’s busiest activity is increasingly moving to layer 2 networks — add-on chains that process transactions faster and then settle back to Ethereum, which acts as the base ledger. Faster rails alone have not fixed the bigger problem: getting ordinary users to show up, fund accounts, and keep using apps.
A market note published late on Feb. 16 pointed to MegaETH’s token buyback plan and its payments tie-up as attempts to cut the steps between a bank card and an on-chain app. In plain terms, the pitch is lower friction and faster confirmation, at a time when new networks need repeat users more than benchmark charts. (Meyka)
Transak said in a Feb. 12 blog post that it had fully integrated with MegaETH, letting users buy ether directly on the network using credit and debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, SEPA and local bank transfers. The company said the service is live for its base of more than 10 million users and removes the need for “bridging” assets across chains or setting up an account at a centralised exchange. “This integration is about removing friction at the exact moment users want to get started,” said Jack Bushell, Transak’s director of sales. (Transak)
A fiat “on-ramp” is simply the payments plumbing that swaps government-issued money into crypto. In crypto, that first step is often where users drop off, especially when they are asked to buy tokens on one platform and then move them to another.
MegaLabs, which is building MegaETH, has also laid out a buyback model tied to USDM, a stablecoin designed to hold a steady value. A MegaLabs post said revenue from USDM would be used to buy back and accumulate MEGA, a planned token it also links to “Proximity Markets” — bidding for space near the network’s sequencer, the software that orders transactions. The firm said it would not launch MEGA until usage targets are met, including a $500 million threshold for USDM circulation and application benchmarks. (Linkedin)
MegaETH is entering a crowded Ethereum scaling market led by Arbitrum and Optimism, while Coinbase-backed Base has become a major consumer gateway for some apps. The field has turned into a fight over developers, users and liquidity, not just theoretical throughput.
But faster confirmations and token incentives do not guarantee sticky demand. Fiat on-ramps depend on payment partners and compliance checks such as know-your-customer rules, while buybacks rely on stablecoin growth and can draw regulatory scrutiny. MegaETH’s performance-first design also leans on more centralised components, a trade-off that some crypto users reject.
The next near-term test is whether builders ship applications that look and feel like normal internet services, and whether users keep transacting after the first purchase. MegaETH has said it opened a “Frontier” mainnet for builders and plans an “OMEGA” phase aimed at broader public access.
