Espresso Network has launched its ESP token, marking its transition to a permissionless proof-of-stake blockchain. The launch includes a community airdrop of 10% of the total 3.59 billion ESP supply, targeting early ecosystem participants and users of Espresso-integrated rollups. The token is designed for staking and securing the network, with additional allocations for contributors, investors, and future incentives. Espresso aims to serve as a coordination and finality layer for layer-2 blockchains, offering faster finality than Ethereum. CEO Ben Fisch highlighted the network's design to support layer-2s, finalizing rollup blocks in about six seconds compared to Ethereum's 12-minute window. This launch coincides with ongoing debates in the Ethereum community about the future role of layer-2 networks, as improvements to Ethereum's base layer may reduce the need for rollups.