Vitalik Buterin says Ethereum is “where yesterday’s FUD is today’s problem solved”

On June 11, Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of the Ethereum Foundation, commented on the current state of Ethereum Layer 2 (L2) projects, and more specifically Optimism’s OP Mainnet.

The image he embedded in his post on social media platform that they use (ZK Rollup or Optimistic Rollup). . Vitalik Buterin’s post suggests that Tier 2 “Stage 1+” are those with robust proof systems that provide strong security guarantees. He welcomes Optimism to this group and expresses his hope that more L2s, especially those using Zero-Knowledge (ZK) proofs, will soon reach this level of maturity.

Based on this picture, there are currently no ZK-Rollups in Stage 2, which Buterin refers to when he mentions “proof systems that actually have teeth.” Only optimistic stacks like Fuel V1 and DeGate V1 reached stage 2.

The image is a screenshot of L2BEATa website dedicated to tracking and comparing various Ethereum Layer 2 scaling solutions.

L2BEAT offers a detailed overview of different L2 projects, covering aspects such as technology, performance, security and adoption metrics. Their categorization system is designed to help users understand Ethereum’s various scaling approaches and stay informed about the current status of each project.

The stage refers to the accumulation stage depending on its characteristics and maturity:

• Stage 0 (“full training wheels”)
• Stage 1 (“Limited Training Wheels”)
• Step 2 (“No Training Wheels”)

Step 0: Complete Training Wheels

The “Stage 0” designation means that the Layer 2 solution is in its initial development phase, marked by several key limitations:

1. Incomplete proof system: The mechanism for verifying transactions, called the proof system, is still under development.
2. Removal censorship: There is a risk that user withdrawals may be restricted by centralized operators authorized to control this process.
3. Centralized upgrades: Updates managed by centralized actors, as opposed to a more decentralized Security Council, give users less than 7 days to exit in the event of an operator or censorship issue.

Step 1: Limited Training Wheels

The “Stage 1” status indicates some progress from Stage 0, but highlights areas requiring improvement to achieve further decentralization and user assurance:

1. Restricted evidence of fraud: Only pre-approved (whitelisted) actors can submit evidence of fraud, which limits openness and decentralization.
2. Short upgrade notices: Upgrades that are not related to provable on-chain bugs give users less than 30 days to exit, limiting their response time.
3. General actions of the Security Council: Security Council actions are not strictly limited to provable on-chain bugs, suggesting the need for clearer governance rules.

L2BEAT emphasizes that these steps do not reflect the security of the rollup itself.

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