Vitalik Rethinks the Role of Ethereum Layer 2s

Recently, discussions around Layer 2 networks (L2s) in the Ethereum ecosystem have resurfaced. These debates are driven by two major developments that challenge Ethereum’s original rollup-centric roadmap.

Progress toward Stage 2 rollups and deep interoperability has been slower than expected, while Ethereum's L1 is scaling directly: fees are extremely low, and gas limits are projected to increase substantially through 2026. These developments render the original vision for L2s obsolete. A new path is needed.

• The Original Vision
• Why the Vision No Longer Fits
• Rethinking L2s
• What L2s Should Focus on Now
• The Role of Native Rollup Precompiles
• What This Means for Ethereum

The Original Vision

Ethereum needs to scale. This means creating large quantities of block space backed by its own credit.

Block space must guarantee activities (including those involving ETH) are valid, uncensored, unreversed, and untouched, as long as Ethereum functions. If a system offering high throughput but relying on a multisig bridge or external trust assumptions to connect back to Ethereum cannot truly be called scaling Ethereum.

The rollup-centric roadmap envisioned L2s as extensions of Ethereum's security, inheriting its guarantees while massively expanding capacity.

Why the Vision No Longer Fits

Ethereum’s L1 no longer needs L2s to act as branded shards. L1 is scaling, with large gas limit increases already underway. Meanwhile, many L2s are unable or unwilling to satisfy the full requirements of true Ethereum-secured shards.

Some projects have stated they may never move beyond Stage 1, citing technical challenges like ZK-EVM safety, or regulatory and customer requirements demanding ultimate control. This diverges from the original definition of “scaling Ethereum.”

Rethinking L2s

Rather than treating all L2s as branded shards with shared social and security expectations, it makes more sense to view them as a spectrum. On one end are chains fully backed by Ethereum’s security, potentially with unique properties such as non-EVM execution.

On the other end are systems with looser connections to Ethereum, optimized for specific use cases. Users can decide which guarantees matter to them based on context and need.

This reframing allows for more honest communication about trust assumptions, while preserving Ethereum’s role as a neutral, highly secure settlement layer.

There have recently been some discussions on the ongoing role of L2s in the Ethereum ecosystem, especially in the face of two facts:

* L2s' progress to stage 2 (and, secondarily, on interop) has been far slower and more difficult than originally expected
* L1 itself is scaling,…

— vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) February 3, 2026

What L2s Should Focus on Now

If launching or operating an L2 today, the priority should no longer be “scaling” for its own sake. Instead, L2s should identify clear value adds beyond what an increasingly scalable L1 can provide.

At a minimum, any L2 handling ETH or Ethereum-issued assets should reach Stage 1. Strong interoperability with Ethereum should also be a priority, though the form this takes will vary depending on the L2’s design.

The Role of Native Rollup Precompiles

From Ethereum’s perspective, one of the most promising developments is the concept of a native rollup precompile. This would be a precompile that verifies ZK-EVM proofs and is itself part of Ethereum.

Such a precompile would automatically upgrade alongside Ethereum, and if a bug were discovered, Ethereum could hard-fork to fix it. This enables full, trustless, security-council-free EVM verification directly at the protocol level.

Crucially, this design could support “EVM plus” rollups where Ethereum verifies the EVM portion, and the L2 supplies its own prover for additional functionality (such as Stylus). This could involve standardized lookup tables mapping contract inputs to outputs, with custom values proven separately.

The result is stronger, safer interoperability including the possibility of synchronous composability between Ethereum and rollups through real-time proving and preconfirmation.

What This Means for Ethereum

This future does not eliminate risk. In a permissionless ecosystem, some systems will inevitably introduce trust dependencies, backdoors, or weaker guarantees. The goal should not be to prevent this, but to clearly communicate guarantees to users while continuing to strengthen Ethereum itself.

Ethereum does not need L2s to simply extend L1. Instead, L2s should focus on adding something genuinely new while Ethereum continues to evolve as a robust, scalable, and neutral base layer.

If you identify any issues in this article or notice missing information, please feel free to reach out at team@etherworld.co for clarifications or updates.

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