Key Takeaways
- Vitalik Buterin has praised the Ethereum Layer 2, Base.
- Buterin hit back against criticism of L2 centralization.
- He pointed out that most L2s provide pathways for users to bypass centralized sequencers and send transactions to the L1.
Ethereum Layer 2s (L2s) like Base have been criticized for their reliance on centralized sequencers, which some claim pose a censorship threat.
Hitting back against that view on Monday, Sept. 22, Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin praised Base for “doing things the right way” as it progresses toward a more decentralized security model.
Vitalik Buterin Rejects L2 ‘Cynicism’
In a post on X, Buterin said “many people have been confused by recent cynicism” surrounding L2s.
That cynicism stems from the juxtaposition between L2s’ centralized design (all transactions are routed through a single server) and the crypto community’s deeply rooted belief that censorship resistance requires decentralization.
However, according to Buterin, fears over centralization and censorship are overstated.
Decentralization and L2 Censorship
Most rollups today implement a “force-inclusion” mechanism that means transactions which are ignored by the sequencer can always be routed straight to Ethereum mainnet through a special contract.
As Buterin pointed out, the strength of this model was highlighted last year when the Soneium L2 sequencer blacklisted certain memecoins. In response, some users turned to Soneium’s force-inclusion feature to bypass the restriction.
The same mechanisms also mean users can still withdraw their funds if the L2 sequencer shuts down, as happened with dYdX v3 last year, Buterin observed. He stated:
“There are concrete pathways implemented in smart contract logic on Ethereum L1, that have been successfully used in the wild, that ensure that the L2 users’ funds are ultimately controlled by L1, they cannot be stolen or blocked by the L2 operator.”
Not all L2s are Equal
Despite Buterin’s reassurances, many L2s still lack user-controlled force-inclusion paths.
Zero-knowledge rollups including zkSync Era and Linea are categorized as “Stage 0l2” by L2Beat according to a framework Buterin proposed in 2022.
According to this model, less established L2s (Stage 0) retain “training wheel,” and operators are still able to force a particular outcome if they encounter bugs.
However, as they progress to Stage 1 and 2, Buterin said L2s must remove their training wheels and delegate authority to decentralized security councils.
In September 2024, Buterin vowed to only endorse L2s that are at least Stage 1. “It doesn’t matter if I invested, or if you’re my friend; stage 1 or bust,” he proclaimed.
L2 Design Implications
Overcentralization doesn’t just undermine trust that L2 transactions will remain permissionless.
Earlier in September, a sequencer failure caused Linea to cease block production for 46 minutes, just as an airdrop for the platform’s native token went live.
Meanwhile, in a recent interview, SEC Commissioner Hester Pierce suggested that centralized sequencers can look a lot like trade matching engines, posing important regulatory questions.
As long as these platforms only deal with crypto assets, then it doesn’t fall under the SEC’s remit, she said. However, “this becomes more of an issue when you’re talking about tokenizing securities […] this is where the questions about when is something actually decentralized and when is something not become very tricky.”
Recommended Secure Partners
James Morales is CCN’s blockchain and crypto policy reporter. He has been working in the news media since 2020, writing about topics such as payments, banking and financial technology. These days, he likes to explore the latest blockchain innovations and the evolving landscape of global crypto regulation.
With an educational background in social anthropology and media studies, James uses his platform as a journalist to explore how new technologies work, why they matter and how they might shape our future.
