Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has announced a change in how he will support Layer 2 (L2) scaling projects. Starting in 2025, he will only publicly endorse L2 projects that have reached at least Stage 1 in their development. He might offer a short grace period for new, exciting projects, but the bar is being set higher.
“I take this seriously,” Buterin said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “Starting next year, I plan to only publicly mention L2s that are stage 1+, with maybe a short grace period for new genuinely interesting projects.” He also made it clear that personal relationships or financial stakes will not affect his decisions.
Governance Rules for Stage 1
Buterin also outlined what it takes for an L2 project to reach Stage 1. A key requirement is that 75% of the governing council must agree on major decisions, like overriding proof systems. Additionally, at least 26% of the council members should not be part of the core development team. This structure is aimed at increasing decentralisation and lowering the risk of governance issues.
He highlighted the shift by saying, “The era of rollups being glorified multisigs is coming to an end. The era of cryptographic trust is upon us.”
A New Era of Ethereum Scaling
Back in October 2020, Buterin shared a vision for Ethereum where Layer 2 solutions would drive scalability, not improvements to the Layer 1 (L1) blockchain. His belief is that L2 rollups can help Ethereum scale more efficiently than by just upgrading the base layer.
This has sparked discussions in the industry about whether L2 solutions compete with L1 networks like Ethereum. Max Resnick, an engineer with the Special Mechanisms Group, thinks that L2s do compete for users. However, Steven Goldfeder, co-founder of Offchain Labs, disagrees, saying L2s and L1s work together to improve scalability. “If Ethereum reaches its potential, we’ll have plenty of demand to fully saturate L1 and multiple L2s/L3s,” he said.
Buterin’s Ethereum Sales Explained
In related news, on September 9, Spot On Chain reported that a wallet linked to Buterin sold 760 ETH, valued at $1.835 million. This came after earlier transfers of 3,800 ETH in August.
Buterin addressed rumours surrounding the sale, explaining it was related to a bio-defense group he supports. He mentioned that an automatic order through Cowswap, set up in late August, triggered the sale. He also reassured his followers, saying, “That was the last one.”
Buterin further clarified that he hasn’t sold ETH for personal gain since 2018. His Ethereum sales typically go towards charitable causes, non-profits, or other important projects.
