Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has announced a new benchmark for acknowledging layer-2 scaling solutions, emphasizing a shift towards greater decentralization.
In a September 12 post on X, Buterin revealed that starting next year, he will only highlight layer-2 networks that achieve “stage 1+” on his decentralization scale. He stated, “It doesn’t matter if I invested, or if you’re my friend; stage 1 or bust.”
Buterin’s focus on layer-2 decentralization involves a structured approach with clear stages. Currently, many zero-knowledge rollup projects are aiming to reach “stage 1” by the end of the year. This stage requires layer-2 solutions to have an active fraud-proof or validity-proof mechanism and a security council with stringent conditions.
Specifically, this council must include at least six of the eight required signatures and an external quorum-blocking group. Additionally, upgrades must undergo a seven-day delay window.
Buterin’s push comes as he believes the era of “glorified multisigs” is ending and that cryptographic trust is becoming the new standard. He expressed excitement about the progress of various ZK-rollup teams, which have indicated they are on track for stage 1 by year-end.
Introduced in 2022, Buterin’s decentralization scale includes three stages. Stage 0, or “full training wheels,” features on-chain transactions with a simple multi-signature wallet but no fraud or validity proofs. Stage 1 requires layer-2 solutions to have an active fraud-proof or validity-proof mechanism and a security council. Stage 2, the final stage, involves no code overrides for bug-free projects, minimal use of security councils, and a 30-day upgrade delay.
Buterin’s emphasis on these standards reflects his commitment to ensuring that Ethereum’s scaling solutions move towards genuine decentralization, reinforcing the importance of cryptographic trust over traditional multi-signature methods.
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