Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum, called for further decentralization of Layer 2 networks on X (formerly Twitter). In fact, the well-known crypto developer spoke about the importance of decentralization and leveraging his vast platform.
Specifically, Buterin said that he will change the way he talks about the Vaiours Layer 2 network going forward, and will no longer talk about projects that are not doing enough on the decentralization front. Buterin said that projects must at least meet the Stage 1 criteria he laid out in a previous blog post discussing decentralized platforms.
Buterin criticizes L2 Network and calls for greater decentralization
Ethereum has long been the second largest cryptocurrency by market cap. Moreover, its influence is undeniable. But even more important is the influence of a key figure in building the network: Vitalik Buterin. It’s no exaggeration to say that when Buterin talks about Web3, the industry listens.
In a new statement, he said what he doesn’t say will be as important as what he does say. Specifically, the Ethereum founder urged Layer 2 networks to step up their decentralization efforts. For the sake of the industry’s development, he promised not to discuss those who don’t.
Buterin said in a recent post that he plans to “only publicly mention L2 that is at stage 1 or above (in blocks, talks, etc.).” He noted that he would give a “short grace period” to new and interesting projects, but is sticking to his new standards. “It doesn’t matter if I invested in it or if you’re my friend or not. It’s stage 1 or fail,” he added.
The statement refers to the proposed stages of project deployment that Buterin announced in 2022. These stages were created to enhance the decentralization goals of these projects. He discusses them as “training wheels” until the deployment of protocols leads to fully realized decentralization.
“The project is launching early anyway so that the ecosystem can start to form while the technology is still immature,” Buterin said in a 2022 post. “But rather than relying entirely on fraud proofs or ZK proofs, there will be some sort of multi-sig with the ability to force certain outcomes if there is a bug in the code.”
According to Buterin, there are three distinct stages: Stage 0 represents a Layer 2 network that relies entirely on training wheels. Then, Stage 1 runs with limited assistance but anti-fraud features. Stage 2 marks the full decentralization of the project, which is the end goal.
