Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin is encouraging developers to fully utilize the existing security and decentralization infrastructure of Ethereum’s Layer 1 (L1) when building Layer 2 (L2) solutions, rather than trying to replicate those systems independently.
In a recent post on X, Buterin responded to a discussion suggesting that many alternative Layer 1 blockchains eventually evolve into Layer 2s. He advised that instead of reinventing core functionalities, developers should rely on Ethereum’s L1 for critical features such as security, censorship resistance, proofs, and data availability.
Buterin argued that keeping L2s simple and efficient will allow them to be more scalable and resilient. “Your logic should mostly be about sequencing and proving — if you’re a based rollup, just proving,” he wrote. This minimalistic approach, he said, aligns with the original vision of enterprise blockchains from the 2010s, combining trust reduction with operational efficiency, something that earlier platforms failed to deliver.
He also stressed the practical advantages of building on Ethereum’s L1, noting that its robust design has already protected users during failures or issues on various L2s. These protections would not be possible if the L2s were entirely isolated from Ethereum’s core.
Speaking at the Ethereum Community Conference earlier this month, Buterin also criticized projects that claim to be decentralized while depending on centralized user interfaces. He referred to these as “straw houses”, fragile constructions that undermine the foundational goals of decentralization.
