Vitalik Buterin Says Ethereum’s Original Layer-2 Scaling Model No Longer Works

Highlights:

• Vitalik Buterin said Ethereum should rely less on layer-2 scaling as mainnet capacity grows.
• He said many layer-2 networks failed to meet Ethereum’s security standards.
• Developers are raising gas limits to boost Ethereum mainnet throughput.

Vitalik Buterin has said that Ethereum must rethink its approach to network scaling. He noted that the original vision for layer-2 networks no longer fits Ethereum’s current technical state. He explained that the mainnet now scales faster than before due to recent protocol changes. Buterin said that earlier assumptions about relying on external execution layers no longer apply, given that progress.

LATEST: Vitalik Buterin says he’s reconsidering Ethereum’s rollup-centric roadmap, noting that L2s have decentralized slower than expected, while $ETH L1 now scales directly with low fees and higher gas limits.#Ethereum #ETH pic.twitter.com/TRo5Fk6Ar3

— Coin Headlines (@coinheadline) February 4, 2026

Ethereum developers viewed layer-2 networks as the main scaling solution for several years. That approach assumed most transactions would move off the mainnet over time. Ethereum would then focus on settlement and security. However, Buterin said that the changes at the protocol level now challenge that model. “We need a new path,” he wrote, adding that scaling should strengthen Ethereum itself. He said that the recent upgrades already expanded block space on the mainnet. As a result, he argued that Ethereum should no longer treat layer-2 networks as the default answer.

Why Layer-2 Scaling Fell Short Of Network Expectations

Buterin said layer-2 networks were designed to act as extensions of Ethereum. They were meant to create block space secured by the mainnet. That design required transactions to remain valid, uncensored, and final on Ethereum. However, he said many networks have failed to meet those conditions.

He pointed to systems that rely on multisig bridges to connect with Ethereum. Those bridges, he said, place control outside the protocol. As a result, trust shifts away from Ethereum validators. “If you create a 10000 TPS EVM where its connection to L1 is mediated by a multisig bridge, then you are not scaling Ethereum,” he wrote.

There have recently been some discussions on the ongoing role of L2s in the Ethereum ecosystem, especially in the face of two facts:

* L2s' progress to stage 2 (and, secondarily, on interop) has been far slower and more difficult than originally expected
* L1 itself is scaling,…

— vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) February 3, 2026

He also addressed decentralization stages across the ecosystem. Stage one networks still depend on limited control mechanisms. Stage two networks remove those controls and operate independently. However, Buterin said some teams do not plan to move beyond the first stage.

He added that regulatory needs often shape those decisions. Some networks retain control to meet compliance requirements. Buterin said users should treat layer-2 systems as a spectrum. Not all of them, he noted, meet Ethereum’s security and decentralization standards.

Buterin has raised similar concerns in other areas of Ethereum design. In a recent post, he said token-based voting in DAOs has proven slow and easy to influence. He also said large holders often dominate outcomes. Separately, he stated that 2026 will mark a turning point for Ethereum. According to him, the network must recover lost ground on self-sovereignty and trustlessness.

We need more DAOs – but different and better DAOs.

The original drive to build Ethereum was heavily inspired by decentralized autonomous organizations: systems of code and rules that lived on decentralized networks that could manage resources and direct activity, more…

— vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) January 19, 2026

Mainnet Throughput Gains and Native Rollup Momentum

Buterin said recent progress at the base layer supports a shift away from dependence on layer-2 scaling. He said Ethereum is now expanding capacity through protocol upgrades on the mainnet itself.

In a related development, Ethereum developers have discussed raising the gas limit from 60 million to 80 million in mid-December. The discussion followed plans for a second blob-parameter-only hard fork. That hard fork took effect in January. Increasing the gas limit would allow more transactions and smart contract operations per block. As a result, the overall throughput would increase, and fees could ease.

Buterin also highlighted native rollups. These rollups integrate directly into Ethereum’s protocol. Validators verify their execution instead of external operators. This structure preserves Ethereum’s security model while it expands capacity.