Seeing blockchain fees as "extractive" is the wrong mindset imo.
Fees pay for the security of the chain.
In a proof-of-stake system, the network is secured by the value of the native asset. For Ethereum the network to be valuable, ETH the token has to be valuable too.
There's a negative feedback loop here: if ETH's value declines, security weakens, which erodes the utility of using Ethereum, which further erodes ETH, and so on.
For the token to hold value, you have two options:
1. Seigniorage. But L2s are incentivized to push stablecoins for UX reasons, and most people in trading and DeFi now denominate in stables rather than ETH. Combined with ETH's lackluster price performance and other chains taking market share, fewer people view ETH as a safe monetary asset.
2. Fee capture. Fees are burned and deflate ETH supply, accruing value back to the underlying asset.
Folks can hope ETH remains a monetary asset, but day by day, as other chains chip away at that narrative, the hope gets harder to hold. So fees matter bec they protect the value of ETH, which in turn protects the chain itself.
I don't believe that blockchains derive their value from the fees they extract. All fees will go towards zero at some point (which is a good thing). The blockchain that will actually win the majority of tokenized assets needs to be the most decentralized, secure, and reliable one. That's why we see Ethereum dominate in DeFi TVL/RWAs etc.
For app chains like Hyperliquid it's a different story, which is why I don't actually see HL as a competitor to Ethereum. It's good for trading, but after that I bridge my funds to Ethereum. I don't think Hyperliquid will gain traction as a strong DeFi chain or where large amounts of assets will be held long term.
Solana definitely has a strong community (more Retail driven) and good apps, however I don't see it having any moat. Any L2 is fast and cheap nowadays and, on top, way more secure, reliable and better integrated into the EVM ecosystem.