Vitalik Buterin Warns: Don’t Rush Rollup Decentralization Without Battle-Tested Security
Ethereum’s Co-founder Pushes for Patience Amid Security Concerns on Layer-2 Scaling
Vitalik Buterin, the co-founder of Ethereum, has issued a clear caution to developers: don’t decentralize your rollup platform until your proof systems are truly robust. His statement responds to rising pressure in the blockchain space to rapidly push layer-2 solutions toward decentralization—but Buterin argues that rushing this process could pose greater risks than benefits.
When Is a Rollup Ready?
In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter) on May 5, Buterin laid out a framework for when rollup-based scalability platforms should shift to full decentralization. The key factor, according to Buterin, is not just the stage of development—but the security maturity of the system, especially the reliability of its onchain proof mechanisms.
“The best time to decentralize is when centralized components become the larger threat,” Buterin wrote. “Not just when it feels ideologically right.”
His comments came in response to Daniel Wang, founder of decentralized exchange Loopring, who stressed that not all Stage 2 rollups are ready, especially if they rely on untested or new code.
The “Battle-Tested” Badge
Wang proposed a new metric: “BattleTested”—a badge granted only to rollups that have:
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Secured at least $100 million in assets over six consecutive months
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Maintained at least $50 million in both ETH and a major stablecoin
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Survived real-world stress from attacks, including those from nation-state actors like Lazarus Group, linked to multiple high-profile hacks.
The catch? This badge resets with each major code update—security must be earned repeatedly, not assumed.
Buterin endorsed the spirit of Wang’s proposal, reminding developers that:
“Stage 2 status doesn’t automatically mean strong security. The quality of your proof system matters just as much.”
Decentralization Without Preparation = Billions at Risk
Dominick John, analyst at Kronos Research, added weight to the argument, noting that decentralization is not just a technical milestone but a governance risk. Many rollups, he noted, remain vulnerable to multisig coordination failures, geopolitical chokepoints, or shared custody weaknesses—issues that don’t always emerge until platforms secure over $100 million in locked assets.
“The green light for decentralization is real-world reliability, not just code that looks good on GitHub.”
John’s warning was echoed by Mike Tiutin, CTO at PureFi, who said early decentralization “can leave users exposed”, and by Arthur Breitman, Tezos co-founder, who criticized current Ethereum L2s as “fundamentally custodial.”
Ethereum Wasn’t Designed for This—Yet
Another layer of complexity lies in Ethereum’s original design. Yishay Harel, CEO of Dymension, emphasized that Ethereum wasn’t initially built to handle sovereign execution environments like rollups. While he praised Buterin’s vision of a gradual staging process, he cautioned:
“Move too fast and you break things. Move too slow, and you’re basically a bank—governed by upgrade keys and multisigs.”
A Delicate Balance for the Ethereum Ecosystem
Vitalik Buterin’s intervention underscores the balancing act Ethereum and its broader ecosystem must perform. The push toward a decentralized future is strong—but a reckless sprint could cost billions in user funds and trust.
For now, security must lead the way. The protocol’s future depends not just on decentralization, but on earning it—block by block, update by update.
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