Vitalik Questions L2 Scaling Path, Arbitrum, Optimism, and Base Respond Collectively on "Dehomogenization" Direction

On February 4, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin recently said the original idea of Layer 2 as Ethereum’s primary scaling solution is “no longer tenable,” calling for Layer 2 networks to evolve toward a more specialized direction. The statement quickly drew responses from major L2 teams including Arbitrum, Optimism, Base, and others. Vitalik noted many Layer 2 solutions still rely on multi-sig bridges and haven’t fully inherited Ethereum’s security. Meanwhile, with higher Gas limits and progress in native Rollup solutions, Ethereum’s mainnet throughput is rising—so Layer 2’s positioning needs to be reconsidered. Optimism Foundation co-founder Karl Floersch expressed support for building a modular Layer 2 covering the “entire decentralization spectrum,” but acknowledged current challenges: long withdrawal periods, immature Stage 2 proof mechanisms, and insufficient cross-chain tools. Arbitrum dev team Offchain Labs co-founder Steven Goldfeder emphasized scaling remains Layer 2’s core value. Even as Ethereum’s mainnet capacity improves, he said, it can’t replace Layer 2’s ability to handle thousands of TPS during peaks. He also warned if Ethereum isn’t Rollup-friendly, institutions may pick independent Layer 1s instead. Base lead Jesse Pollak stated Ethereum L1 scaling “benefits the entire ecosystem,” adding Layer 2 can’t just be “cheaper Ethereum.” He noted Base is building unique traits via application-layer differentiation, account abstraction, privacy features, and other areas. StarkWare CEO Eli Ben-Sasson hinted on social media ZK-native Layer 2s (like Starknet) have somewhat aligned with Vitalik’s specialized direction. Overall, Layer 2 builders broadly accept the “dehomogenization and repositioning” trend, but still disagree on whether scaling is still the core mission.