'You are not scaling Ethereum': Vitalik Buterin issues a blunt reality check to the biggest crypto networks

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin argued that the original rollup-centric scaling roadmap, which positioned Layer-2s (L2s) as the primary scaling solution, "no longer makes sense." This shift is due to two main factors: L2s have progressed slower than expected toward full decentralization, and Ethereum's Layer-1 (L1) is now scaling directly, with low fees and expected L1 gas limit increases in 2026. Buterin clarified that chains relying on multisig-controlled bridges do not genuinely scale Ethereum because they lack the full security guarantees of the main network. He suggested that L2s should stop claiming to scale Ethereum if they cannot meet decentralization standards, perhaps due to regulatory needs, and instead focus on offering specialized value like privacy or application-specific designs, being transparent about the guarantees they provide.

(Source：CoinDesk)