Vitalik Buterin Signals Rethink of Ethereum’s Heavy Dependence on Layer-2 Networks

Vitalik Buterin has openly called for a major reassessment of Ethereum’s long-standing scaling strategy, arguing that the network has become overly dependent on layer-2 (L2) solutions and now needs to chart a different course.

Source: A2ZCrypto

In a recent post on X, Buterin said Ethereum has reached a point where its roadmap must evolve. According to him, the growing reliance on L2s no longer fully reflects Ethereum’s original vision of decentralization and security. For years, Ethereum has positioned L2 networks as the primary way to increase transaction capacity while keeping the base layer secure. Popular networks such as Base, Polygon, Arbitrum, and Optimism have been promoted as key components of this approach, effectively acting as extensions of the Ethereum ecosystem. However, Buterin now believes the main network itself has achieved a sufficient level of scalability. More importantly, he raised concerns that several L2s are making compromises that weaken decentralization. Because of this, he argued that not all L2s should be viewed as Ethereum’s official scaling path or treated as so-called “brand shards.” He pointed out that some L2 teams either cannot—or do not intend to—meet the standards required to function as fully decentralized extensions of Ethereum. In some cases, projects have openly stated they plan to remain in an intermediate stage of decentralization, not just due to technical hurdles but also to retain control for regulatory or operational reasons.

Under Buterin’s framework, Stage 1 L2s rely on partial trust assumptions and centralized safeguards, while Stage 2 systems operate with full decentralization and trust minimization. He noted that many L2s appear reluctant to progress to Stage 2, raising questions about their long-term alignment with Ethereum’s core principles.

As a result, Buterin emphasized that users and developers should stop treating all L2s as equal or automatically assuming they are direct extensions of Ethereum. Instead, each network should be evaluated on its own merits, including its security model, degree of decentralization, and the trade-offs it makes to deliver specific benefits.

He also issued a clear message to L2 builders: simply claiming to “scale Ethereum” is no longer enough. Going forward, L2 projects must clearly define and communicate what makes them distinct—whether that is performance, cost efficiency, regulatory compliance, or specialized use cases.

The comments have sparked fresh debate across the Ethereum ecosystem and could significantly influence how L2 networks position themselves, both technically and in their public messaging, as Ethereum’s roadmap enters its next phase.

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