Vitalik Buterin Proposes New Roadmap to Strengthen Ethereum Layer 2 Solutions

Ethereum's future is poised for growth as Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum, has presented a transformative new roadmap aimed at significantly improving the security, scalability, and overall reliability of Layer 2 (L2) solutions.

In a comprehensive blog post, Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum, has put forth a multi-faceted proposal for strengthening Layer 2 (L2) solutions and shifting the culture of crypto funding.

The proposal, titled “A Multi-Chain Future: Near-Instant Finality, 2-of-3 Multi-Proof, and the Best Bits of Optimism, ZK, and TEE,” is a response to criticisms of ZK rollups, which have gained significant attention recently.

Despite their potential for scaling blockchain technology, Buterin argues that ZK rollups could face issues with bugs due to the similarities in code used by different projects. He also notes that ZK rollups favor speed and decentralization over the robustness of proof systems.

In contrast, optimistic rollops are known for their robustness but face limitations in terms of speed and finality. Buterin suggests that a hybrid approach, combining the strengths of both optimistic and ZK rollups, could create a more balanced and resilient system.

“We can imagine a system where transactions are announced by optimistic provers, and any optimistic prover can quickly add a single step to their proof to make the transaction final. We can also imagine a system where ZK provers can efficiently convert optimistic proofs into ZK proofs. Finally, we can imagine a system where trusted execution environments can quickly verify both optimistic and ZK proofs.”

This "2-of-3" multi-proving system would ensure that transactions become final once two out of the three systems agree.

“In a 2-of-3 multi-proving system, transactions would become final very quickly (within around 1-2 seconds) once two types of provers agreed, and where even if one type of prover had a bug that caused it to become an attacker, the system would still remain quite secure and transactions would still be confirmed within around 30-60 seconds.”

Buterin envisions a future where optimistic, ZK, and trusted execution provers come together to form a decentralized multi-prover system, rendering no single point of vulnerability.

He envisions a system where transactions are announced by optimistic provers, and any optimistic prover can quickly add a single step to their proof to make the transaction final. He also envisions a system where ZK provers can efficiently convert optimistic proofs into ZK proofs. Finally, he envisions a system where trusted execution environments can quickly verify both optimistic and ZK proofs.

With the multi-prover system in place, Buterin proposes an upgrade to Stage 2 rollups. These rollups would provide immediate transaction confirmation and strong finality, even in less trustworthy environments.

However, these rollups would still be in line with Ethereum’s 30-day upgrade delay, ensuring that the network stays stable as new features are gradually integrated.

“We can imagine a future where there are several different types of L2s, some of which are designed for use cases that require extremely high levels of trustlessness and would thus have a 30-day upgrade delay, and some of which are designed for use cases that require extremely high levels of speed and would thus have a 1-2 second upgrade time.”

Buterin envisions a future where there are several different types of L2s, some of which are designed for use cases that require extremely high levels of trustlessness and would thus have a 30-day upgrade delay, and some of which are designed for use cases that require extremely high levels of speed and would thus have a 1-2 second upgrade time.

Buterin's proposals also extend to the broader cultural shift required in the funding of cryptocurrency projects.

While public goods funding has long been the norm, Buterin believes it has been over-politicized and often incentivizes popularity over substance.

To combat this, he proposes a model of open-source funding, which focuses on transparency and real-world utility rather than optics or short-term success. In his view, the current system of funding development is too influenced by social biases, rewarding those with the best community connections rather than those creating the most impactful tools.

“We can imagine a future where crypto projects are funded not according to the strength of their social media presences but according to the strength of the tools that they build and the value that they create for the world.”

Buterin envisions a future where crypto projects are funded not according to the strength of their social media presences but according to the strength of the tools that they build and the value that they create for the world.

Buterin's proposals lay out a dual-pronged strategy for Ethereum's next phase: enhancing its technical infrastructure and revolutionizing how development is funded.

The Layer 2 improvements aim to make ETH a faster, more scalable network, while the new funding model is designed to support projects that bring genuine long-term value to the broader crypto community.

These changes reflect But