Vitalik Buterin: Ethereum Scaling Reduces L2 Importance
Ethereum’s co-founder Vitalik Buterin recently shared his views on the evolution of second-layer solutions (L2) within the Ethereum ecosystem. Buterin believes that the traditional approach to L2 scaling is outdated and proposed a new approach that focuses on the unique functions of individual projects.
The concept of L2 being equivalent to “branded shards” is no longer applicable, according to Buterin. He highlighted two major reasons for this shift in perspective. Firstly, the transition of rollups to full decentralization, known as Stage 2, has been a more challenging and slower process than initially anticipated. Secondly, Ethereum’s main network (L1) is independently evolving to achieve scalability by reducing fees and increasing gas limits.
Instead of adhering to a single standard, Buterin suggested viewing L2 as a spectrum of possibilities. This approach would cater to various projects with different technical and regulatory requirements. Users would have the flexibility to choose the level of security and guarantees that align with their needs.
In terms of development directions for L2 projects, Buterin emphasized the importance of focusing on unique value propositions rather than duplicating L1 functions. He highlighted areas such as privacy, application-specific optimization, development for non-financial sectors like social networks and AI, and achieving ultra-high transaction speeds as promising avenues for exploration.
To ensure the successful integration of L2 projects with Ethereum’s ecosystem, Buterin advised developers to aim for at least the first stage of decentralization (Stage 1) and prioritize compatibility with Ethereum’s protocols. He proposed the incorporation of a native precompile of rollups as a foundational technical element for the new system. This feature would enhance security by enabling real-time verification of ZK-proofs at the L1 protocol level and facilitate synchronous composability between different L2 solutions and L1 without the need for bridges.
Despite the emphasis on enhancing security and decentralization, Buterin acknowledged that within an open ecosystem, there is room for less secure or centralized projects to emerge. Therefore, he stressed the importance of transparently communicating the level of guarantees provided by each platform to users.
In a related development, Buterin introduced a novel model for incentivizing content creators, which combines elements of DAOs and prediction market mechanics. This initiative aims to provide a new avenue for motivating and rewarding creators within the Ethereum ecosystem.
Overall, Buterin’s insights signal a shift in the approach to L2 scaling within the Ethereum ecosystem, focusing more on unique project functionalities and diverse opportunities for developers and users alike.
