On February 4, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin stated that as the Ethereum main chain (L1) continues to scale and Gas limit expansion progresses, Layer 2 networks (L2)—once viewed as “branding shards”—are no longer the sole path to scalability.
He proposed that L2s should be repositioned, moving beyond pure scaling roles toward differentiated capabilities, including:
- Privacy-focused virtual machines
- Application-specific execution environments
- Extreme scalability architectures
- AI and identity systems
- Low-latency networks and built-in oracles
Community Divided: Support and Concerns Coexist
Some community members support Vitalik’s perspective, arguing that L1 technical advancements reduce reliance on L2 scaling narratives. They also note issues within certain L2 projects, including centralization risks, liquidity fragmentation, and additional security concerns.
Bankless co-founder Ryan Sean Adams described this as a potential “turning point” in Ethereum’s scaling narrative, emphasizing that a strong ETH ecosystem depends on a strong L1 foundation. The Block founder Mike Dudas echoed similar views, stating that the industry should have acknowledged this shift earlier.
However, other participants worry that such remarks may undermine L2 project funding and ecosystem confidence, potentially triggering divisions within the community. They argue that L2 solutions still offer strong advantages in high-throughput scenarios and specialized application environments.
Industry Perspectives: L2 Still Holds Technical and Ecosystem Value
Paradigm General Partner Dan Robinson noted that while L1 throughput has improved, challenges remain in latency reduction and MEV optimization. As long as block times are not significantly shortened or PBS architectures are not fully optimized, L2 solutions will continue to have meaningful development opportunities.
Avalanche founder Emin Gün Sirer added that multi-chain architectures and differentiated scaling approaches have long been explored, and technological competition across ecosystems will likely continue.
Security and Compliance Challenges in an Evolving Multi-Layer Ecosystem
As L2 networks evolve toward functional specialization and multi-chain architectures expand, cross-chain interactions, fund flows, and complex application scenarios introduce new risk management challenges.
In multi-layer environments, on-chain monitoring solutions such as Trustformer KYT can assist projects and platforms in identifying abnormal transaction paths, cross-chain fund movements, and high-risk addresses, helping strengthen ecosystem security and compliance capabilities.
Conclusion
Vitalik’s latest remarks do not signal the abandonment of L2, but rather advocate for role transformation. The shift from scaling tools toward functional infrastructure may define Ethereum’s next development phase. As L1 and L2 continue to evolve together, balancing performance, security, and decentralization will remain a central topic for the ecosystem.