Plasma's chain has been focused on stablecoin payments from start to finish, with gas-free USDT transfers, almost instant arrival, and Bitcoin anchoring for security; these are all hard goods that directly address user pain points.
The Paymaster mechanism makes transfers free of charge, and the PlasmaBFT consensus reduces confirmation time to the minimum. The Reth execution layer is compatible with EVM, allowing developers to directly port their code over for use.
The Bitcoin bridge welds historical states onto BTC, ensuring maximum security, with $XPL responsible for gas, staking, and governance.
It doesn't pursue a universal L1 but instead focuses on being a settlement layer, using XPL rewards to tie together protocols like Uniswap and Aave, allowing funds to flow smoothly within, earning even while lying idle.
Currently, the ecosystem is expanding quietly despite low prices; when stablecoins truly become cash on the chain, the foundation for this seamless payment system will become valuable.