Buterin reevaluates Ethereum's roadmap
Vitalik Buterin, the co-founder and ideological driving force behind the Ethereum project, published a post in which he expressed a number of doubts about the 'rollup-centric' roadmap for the network's development.
Previously, Buterin actively promoted the strategy of scaling Ethereum through a network of 'branded shards' (modular blockchains) operating on top of the main chain. Now, however, he acknowledged that the development of Layer 2 (L2) solutions is 'much slower' than expected, while the Ethereum base layer continues to improve.
According to Buterin, the short-term and medium-term prospects for monetizing L2 solutions are questionable, as most of them are oriented towards investors and speculators rather than mass users. In addition, many L2 projects are highly centralized, which contradicts the principles laid down in the foundation of Ethereum.
As an alternative, Buterin proposes to focus on the development of the Ethereum base layer, improving its scalability and security. Possible directions include improving consensus algorithms, optimizing data structures, and so on.
Expert commentary
Vitalik Buterin's statement is an important signal for the entire crypto community. It demonstrates that even the creator of Ethereum does not fully trust Layer 2 solutions and their ability to completely solve the scalability problem. In essence, Buterin is calling for a fundamental revision of Ethereum's development roadmap, shifting the focus from L2 to improving the base protocol.
This may mean that in the medium term, we will see a slowdown in the growth and adoption of rollup solutions, while the Ethereum base layer will develop at a faster pace. Investors and developers should take this important shift in the strategy of one of the key blockchain platforms into account.