Amid growing criticism over Ethereum’s Layer 2 (L2) solutions, the Ethereum community has rallied in defense of co-founder Vitalik Buterin’s vision for scaling the network. Critics have raised concerns, arguing that L2 solutions deviate from Ethereum’s core principles and disrupt the intended roadmap. In response, Offchain Labs co-founder Steven Goldfeder took to social media to dispel these misconceptions, referencing Buterin’s 2020 rollup-centric roadmap.
Misalignment or Misunderstanding? Revisiting Vitalik’s 2020 Roadmap
The debate surrounding L2 solutions and their role in Ethereum has intensified recently, with detractors claiming these scaling solutions undermine Ethereum’s broader vision. Goldfeder directly addressed three main criticisms: that L2s aren’t truly part of Ethereum, that L2 tokens and their fee collection models contradict Ethereum’s ethos, and that decentralized finance (DeFi) projects should remain on Ethereum’s mainnet rather than move to L2s.
The first criticism suggested that L2s, functioning as separate entities like Arbitrum and Base, compete with each other, leading to fragmentation rather than unity within the Ethereum network. Goldfeder countered this by pointing to Buterin’s 2020 roadmap, which described Ethereum as a collection of interconnected “islands.” He argued that these “islands,” or distinct L2s, are part of the broader Ethereum ecosystem, enhancing its scalability and robustness rather than dividing it.
Addressing Criticism of L2 Tokens and Fee Collection
Another point of contention focused on L2 tokens and revenue models, specifically fee and Maximal Extractable Value (MEV) collection, which critics claimed were misaligned with Ethereum’s principles. Goldfeder pushed back, noting that these elements were explicitly mentioned in Buterin’s 2020 roadmap as planned components of Ethereum’s ecosystem. Rather than being an afterthought, L2 tokens and their economic models were designed to contribute to a sustainable environment where L2s could thrive while supporting Ethereum’s long-term goals.
The Role of DeFi on Layer 2s
The third criticism targeted the role of DeFi on L2s, with some arguing that such projects should remain confined to Ethereum’s mainnet to preserve its integrity. Once again, Goldfeder turned to Buterin’s roadmap, emphasizing that DeFi was always expected to be an early adopter of L2 technology. According to Buterin’s vision, L2s supporting DeFi was a natural and essential step for Ethereum’s expansion into more scalable and efficient transaction processing.
Broader Community Engagement and Vitalik’s Input
Goldfeder’s defense of Buterin’s vision sparked a wider conversation within the Ethereum community. One user questioned whether building new applications within existing systems—such as developing on L2s within Ethereum—could lead to meaningful success. Goldfeder responded by drawing a parallel to VirtualBox, a software that allows multiple operating systems to run within a single machine, suggesting that Ethereum’s ecosystem could similarly support diverse applications without losing its coherence.
Vitalik Buterin himself joined the discussion, comparing modern web browsers to operating systems. He noted that most applications today run within browsers, functioning as mini-operating systems. This analogy reinforced the argument that L2 solutions operating within Ethereum are not limiting but rather expanding the network’s capacity to support complex applications, much like browsers have expanded the functionality of the web.
In summary, the Ethereum community, led by Goldfeder and supported by Buterin, has reaffirmed the alignment of L2 solutions with Ethereum’s core principles. They argue that L2s enhance scalability, support DeFi, and contribute to the network’s long-term vision—demonstrating that criticisms of these solutions stem from misunderstandings rather than legitimate concerns about misalignment.
