Overview
- Buterin wrote that high-throughput chains connected by multisig bridges “are not scaling Ethereum,” rejecting the idea of L2s as universal “branded shards.”
- He pointed to sustained low fees on Ethereum’s base layer and anticipated 2026 gas-limit increases as reasons the network no longer relies on L2s for core capacity.
- He said many rollups have not reached full decentralization, noting some may remain at “stage 1” because customers want ultimate operator control for regulatory reasons.
- On-chain data show divergence across L2s, with total value secured at about $40.3 billion, down roughly 13% year over year, even as activity rose to roughly 3,470 user operations per second since a September step change.
- He urged treating L2s as a spectrum with distinct trade-offs and value beyond basic scaling—such as privacy or app-specific features—with some coverage highlighting interest in native rollups and tighter ZK‑EVM integration.