Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has issued a cautionary note on the rapid decentralization of Layer-2 networks, highlighting the risks associated with weak or untested proof systems. His comments raise new concerns about the security of Ethereum’s scaling roadmap.
In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter) on May 5, Buterin emphasized that Layer-2 solutions should only advance to full decentralization—known as “stage 2″—if their proof systems are highly mature and dependable. According to Buterin, rushing into decentralization without strong technical safeguards could expose the ecosystem to serious vulnerabilities.
“A good reminder that stage 2 is not the only thing that matters for security: the quality of the underlying proof system matters too,” he wrote.
Buterin’s remarks were in response to a proposal by Loopring Foundation founder Daniel Wang, who suggested introducing a “Stage 2-BattleTested” label for Layer-2s that have proven resilience in real-world conditions. Wang proposed that a rollup could earn this designation after maintaining at least $100 million in Total Value Locked (TVL)—including $50 million in ETH and major stablecoins—for over six months on the Ethereum mainnet.
While Buterin acknowledged the value of Wang’s idea, he further elaborated on the hidden risks posed by inadequate proof systems. He presented a model where each Security Council member has a 10% chance of failure due to either technical errors, data inaccuracies, or operational unavailability. He warned that such models don’t fully account for coordinated threats like collusion or widespread attacks, known as “common mode failures.”
In light of these vulnerabilities, Buterin advocated for multi-signature setups using multiple independent systems to reduce reliance on a single proof mechanism. He warned that deploying a fully decentralized Layer-2 using a “stage-0-level” proof system could represent the worst-case scenario for Ethereum security.
His comments come at a time when several Layer-2 platforms are aggressively pursuing decentralization milestones. Buterin’s intervention serves as a reminder that robust and battle-tested infrastructure must underpin any significant expansion of Ethereum’s Layer-2 ecosystem.
