Vitalik Buterin sparked a heated debate this week when he questioned whether Ethereum still needs rollups for scaling. The co-founder posted his thoughts on X Tuesday, arguing the network’s dependence on Layer 2 solutions might be outdated.
His timing caught people off guard. For years, the Ethereum community bet big on rollups as the answer to high fees and slow transactions. That plan isn’t working out as everyone hoped.
Layer 2 Decentralization Lags Behind Schedule
More than 50 major Layer 2 networks are running right now. But only two hit Stage 2 decentralization by early 2026. L2Beat tracks this data.
Stage 2 means full trustlessness. No small group controlling your money through security councils. Just transparent, decentralized infrastructure.
Popular networks like Optimism and Arbitrum promised to fix Ethereum’s problems. They would process transactions off the main chain. Fees would drop. Speed would increase.
Reality didn’t match the pitch. Most Layer 2s still run on multisig bridges. A handful of people control access between chains. Buterin put it bluntly. When your high-speed chain connects to Ethereum through a multisig setup, you’re not actually solving the Ethereum rollups scaling problem.
Also Read: Vitalik Proposes Anonymous Voting to Secure Ethereum DAO Governance
Base Layer Performance Improved Faster Than Expected
Ethereum itself got way better at handling transactions. The main chain now pushes through 20 to 30 transactions per second. Fees dropped below 2 gwei.
Nobody saw this coming a few years back. Recent upgrades did the heavy lifting. Gas limits could go from 60 million per block to 80 million. That’s a major expansion of base layer capacity.
Tech like EIP-7825 made the difference. Blob improvements through PeerDAS added more capacity. The old argument that Ethereum can only grow through rollups started looking shaky.
When everything runs on Layer 1, liquidity stays unified. You’re not splitting pools across ten different chains. Users don’t need five wallets. The experience just works better.
Layer 2s Need To Find Their Real Purpose
So what happens to all these Layer 2 networks now? Buterin says they need to stop pretending they’re just faster versions of Ethereum.
He threw out some ideas. Privacy tools that actually hide transaction details. Super-fast sequencing for traders who need millisecond execution. Virtual machines that run completely different code than the EVM can handle.
The point is simple. If Layer 1 handles basic scaling, then Layer 2s better offer something Layer 1 physically cannot do.
Native rollup precompiles might help here. These would live inside Ethereum’s protocol and update automatically. They could let different rollups talk to each other without bridges.
Some Layer 2s will probably stay at Stage 1. Regulatory issues might force that choice. Others will gun for full decentralization. Both paths work as long as projects are honest about their guarantees.
Also Read: Can Ethereum Survive Without Vitalik? Founder’s 7-Step Survival Plan
Developers Push Back On Strategy Shift
Not everyone bought Buterin’s new direction. Ryan Sean Adams from Bankless thought it made sense.
Max Resnick had a different take. He left Ethereum research to work on Solana. His response was direct. Ethereum should have focused on mainnet scaling from day one.
Base hit Stage 1 last year. They decentralized governance and launched permissionless fault proofs. But it took way longer than predicted.
A Hybrid Future Takes Shape
The Ethereum roadmap is changing. Rollups won’t disappear, but their role is shifting.
Regular users might benefit here. Fewer chains to track. Less bridge hopping. More activity on the main network where security is strongest.
Developers building generic Layer 2s should worry. When Layer 1 does your job better and cheaper, you need a new angle fast.
ZK-EVM proofs and native rollup features could create something interesting. Layer 1 handles security and shared liquidity. Specialized Layer 2s tackle privacy, speed, or custom use cases.
The ecosystem spent huge resources betting on Layer 2 dominance. Now everyone has to reassess. Layer 1 is getting attention again, and Layer 2 networks better figure out what makes them special.
Also Read: Is Ethereum in Danger? Vitalik Warns Quantum Computers Could Break ECC by 2028
What is Stage 2 decentralization for Layer 2 networks?
Stage 2 means a rollup runs with full trustlessness. No centralized security councils can override the system or control user funds.
Why did Vitalik Buterin question the rollup roadmap?
Two main reasons hit hard. Layer 2 decentralization moved way slower than planned. Meanwhile, Ethereum’s base layer started scaling effectively on its own with low fees.
What new roles should Layer 2 networks pursue?
Buterin suggested focusing on things Layer 1 can’t do well. Privacy features, ultra-low latency for trading, non-EVM virtual machines, or highly specialized applications.
How much can Ethereum Layer 1 handle now?
Around 20-30 transactions per second with fees below 2 gwei. Gas limits are expected to jump significantly higher in 2026, expanding capacity even more.
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