# Yilong Li

> Yilong Li is a co-founder of MegaETH Labs, a project focused on developing high-performance scaling solutions for Ethereum Layer 2 networks. He previously pursu...

- Canonical URL: https://iq.wiki/wiki/yilong-li
- Categories: People in crypto
- Tags: Founder
- Created: 2025-06-23T14:37:27.831Z
- Last updated: 2026-05-28T02:11:55.157Z
- Source: IQ.wiki — the world's largest blockchain and crypto encyclopedia (https://iq.wiki)

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**Yilong Li** is a co-founder of [MegaETH](https://iq.wiki/wiki/megaeth), a project focused on developing high-performance scaling solutions for [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain) networks. [\[7\]](#cite-id-tLGAsa1mtA)

## Early life & Education

Yilong Li first attended Stony Brook University, where he studied Computer Science as a visiting student between 2011 to 2012. He then attended the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he completed his Bachelor's degree in Computer Science in 2014.

From 2015 to October 2022, he earned his PhD, Computer Science from Stanford University. [\[7\]](#cite-id-tLGAsa1mtA)

## Career

Before [MegaETH](https://iq.wiki/wiki/megaeth), Li was a Senior Software Engineer at Runtime Verification from August 2014 to August 2015. [\[7\]](#cite-id-tLGAsa1mtA)

### MegaETH

Yilong Li co-founded [MegaETH](https://iq.wiki/wiki/megaeth) alongside [Shuyao Kong](https://iq.wiki/wiki/shuyao-kong), [Namik Muduroglu](https://iq.wiki/wiki/namik-muduroglu), and [Lei Yang](https://iq.wiki/wiki/lei-yang). The project focuses on creating high-performance scaling solutions, specifically targeting [Ethereum](https://iq.wiki/wiki/ethereum) Layer 2 networks [\[2\]](#cite-id-XqIpCi9d56) [\[7\]](#cite-id-tLGAsa1mtA).

Key aspects of [MegaETH](https://iq.wiki/wiki/megaeth) include its scaling approach for scaling Layer 2 solutions, leveraging the security and censorship resistance provided by [base](https://iq.wiki/wiki/base) layers like [Ethereum](https://iq.wiki/wiki/ethereum) [\[2\]](#cite-id-XqIpCi9d56). It also includes its performance targets to scale over 100,000 transactions per second (TPS). [\[2\]](#cite-id-XqIpCi9d56)

## Li's Views & Interactions

Yilong Li has publicly discussed various technical topics related to [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain) scaling and performance.

* On Layer 2 vs. Layer 1 Scaling: He has stated that many of the scaling technologies developed for [MegaETH](https://iq.wiki/wiki/megaeth), which is focused on [Layer 2](https://iq.wiki/wiki/layer-2), do not directly apply to Layer 1 blockchains like [Ethereum](https://iq.wiki/wiki/ethereum). This is because [Layer 2](https://iq.wiki/wiki/layer-2) solutions can [leverage](https://iq.wiki/wiki/leverage) the security and censorship resistance of the [base](https://iq.wiki/wiki/base) layer, enabling more aggressive optimizations [\[2\]](#cite-id-XqIpCi9d56).
* On Quick Merkle Database (QMDB): Li has expressed interest in QMDB, describing it as a significant breakthrough in authenticated key-value stores with a simple and elegant design. He reviewed a draft paper on QMDB and congratulated the [LayerZero](https://iq.wiki/wiki/layerzero) team on its development. [\[1\]](#cite-id-I3LqdzmAGM)
* On Data Availability Choices: He explained that EigenDA was chosen for [MegaETH](https://iq.wiki/wiki/megaeth) due to its capacity for hyperscale throughput, which is considered necessary to realize the vision of [Ethereum](https://iq.wiki/wiki/ethereum) as a "world computer" [\[3\]](#cite-id-ZTgh1VJ2u6).