Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin recently challenged the long-standing narrative that Layer 2 (L2) networks serve as Ethereum's primary scaling engine, declaring the original premise 'no longer reasonable' and urging L2s to pivot toward specialized use cases. The remarks sparked quick responses from three major L2 teams: Arbitrum, Optimism, and Base.
Vitalik: L2 reliance on multisig bridges undermines security
Buterin argued that many existing L2s still depend heavily on multisig bridge mechanisms, failing to fully inherit Ethereum's mainnet security. Combined with rising gas limits and the upcoming native rollup features, the mainnet itself is gaining capacity. In his view, treating L2s primarily as scaling layers no longer fits reality; instead, L2s should evolve into niche environments with clear functional divisions and differentiated technical approaches, moving beyond mere cost reduction and throughput enhancement.
Optimism: supports shift but cites unresolved technical hurdles
Karl Floersch, co-founder of the Optimism Foundation, agreed with Buterin's assessment, noting that building a fully decentralized modular L2 architecture is inherently difficult. He pointed to lingering practical issues: lengthy withdrawal wait times, Stage 2 proof mechanisms not yet commercially mature, and a shortage of cross-chain application tools. Floersch also endorsed Buterin's recent proposal to introduce native rollup precompiles on Ethereum mainnet, which could lower the technical barrier for trustless verification.
Arbitrum: scaling remains L2's fundamental value
Steven Goldfeder, co-founder of Offchain Labs (the team behind Arbitrum), took a more defiant stance. He emphasized that even if the rollup model evolves, 'scaling' remains the core reason for L2s' existence. Goldfeder argued that Arbitrum was not built to 'serve Ethereum' but because Ethereum provided a highly secure, low-cost settlement layer enabling large-scale rollups. He pushed back against the idea that mainnet scaling could replace L2s, noting that during peak periods Arbitrum and Base processed far more transactions than Ethereum mainnet. He also warned that if the market perceives Ethereum as unfriendly to rollups, institutions and large developers might launch independent Layer 1 blockchains instead of building on Ethereum.
Base: L2 must be more than 'cheaper Ethereum'
Jesse Pollak, head of Base, offered a more moderate perspective. He described mainnet scaling as 'positive for the entire ecosystem' but agreed that L2s should not simply be cheaper replicas of Ethereum. Pollak said Base prioritizes user and developer onboarding while gradually advancing toward Stage 2 decentralization. He believes differentiation through application-layer innovation, account abstraction, and privacy features will define L2s' future competitiveness—a direction aligned with Buterin's specialization vision.
Buterin's remarks underscore a deep shift in Ethereum's roadmap: as mainnet capability strengthens, L2s must redefine their roles. While the camps disagree on whether scaling remains L2's core mission, a consensus is emerging that the single scaling narrative alone cannot sustain future development.