I recall mentioning at least 10 times in previous articles that the general-purpose Layer 2 strategy is no longer viable, and that every Layer 2 should transition to a specialized Layer 2, which is essentially a form of Layer 1. Unexpectedly, after @VitalikButerin guided the long-term alignment of Stage 2 strategies, many Layer 2s have still become "abandoned pawns": 1) Layer 2s, especially general-purpose Layer 2s, are burdened with a heavy development baggage. Initially, they faced the technical roadmap of aligning with Ethereum's security; then came the regulatory issues of centralized Sequencer after token issuance; and finally, they were burdened by the "falsification" of a weak ecosystem. The fundamental reason is that initially, all Layer 2 blockchains relied on Ethereum Layer 1 for survival. However, when Ethereum realized its own limitations and began to dominate the performance evolution of Layer 1, Layer 2 lost any potential to empower Ethereum, becoming nothing more than a burden and a hassle. 2) Since Layer 2 is not part of Ethereum's scaling, it doesn't mean it has no place in the ecosystem. Strategically, Ethereum's role as a "secure settlement layer" for extended or outsourced chains remains. However, before Ethereum L1 achieves its ZK lightweight goal, many Layer 2 blockchains must prove their necessity under the burden of Tokenomics before they can rejoin the Ethereum ecosystem as pure dedicated application chains. Imagine if an innovative newcomer like @HyperliquidX appeared in the Ethereum Layer 2 lineup; the story might have been very different. Currently, it seems the final trump card is left for @megaeth, who is about to undergo TGE, to reveal.