Chainfeeds Summary:
The future structure will be: a powerful L1 layer plus a ring of highly customized L2 ecosystems.
Article source:
https://x.com/Etherealize_io/status/2032091862513684661
Article Author:
Etherealize
Opinion:
Etherealize: Following the London Hard Fork in August 2021, Ethereum's gas cap was set at 30 million. This figure remained unchanged for over three years. The reason was a core trade-off: if there is too much on-chain computation, validators will require more powerful hardware, concentrating the network in the hands of a few and weakening decentralization. Many competing chains chose to ignore this problem. High-performance chains proved that there is a huge market demand for low-fee, fast L1 transactions. Ethereum's response was a cultural shift: from long-term research to short-term execution. The results are already beginning to show: the gas cap will increase from 30 million to 60 million by 2025; Pectra Upgrade and Fusaka Upgrade have increased blob capacity; and numerous optimizations have been made at the protocol layer. The Ethereum Foundation has also proposed an aggressive roadmap: L1 throughput will increase by approximately 3 times annually over the next few years. Currently, all L1 transactions require each node to re-execute all transactions. zkEVM, however, can compress verification into a fixed-size cryptographic proof. When combined with Data Availability Sampling, validators can verify blocks without downloading all the data. This means that Ethereum could achieve throughput close to that of a high-performance chain while maintaining decentralization. This progress was about five years ahead of many people's expectations. So much so that Ben Edgington, a key figure in Ethereum's PoS transition, even announced his retirement to rejoin development. Justin Drake proposed three goals. The roadmap also includes post-quantum cryptography and native privacy features. If L1 is scaling, what's the point of L2? The answer is customization. L2 has found a strong demand: institutions want Ethereum's security and liquidity while maintaining control of the chain. But this is precisely the source of the Stage 2 dilemma. If L2 reaches Stage 2, it must relinquish the ability to upgrade bridge contracts at any time. This is a limitation for institutions that need compliance adjustments and urgent vulnerability fixes. So the reality is: L2 forms a spectrum of decentralization. Vitalik also acknowledges this. Some L2s will pursue complete decentralization. Others will maintain a higher degree of control. Both are reasonable models, provided the trade-offs are explained honestly.
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