Buterin says stop cloning EVM chains, build L2s

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin used a Farcaster post on Thursday to press developers to stop launching copycat EVM chains and new Layer 1 blockchains. He argued the spread of generic networks that replicate Ethereum’s execution environment has stalled progress and pushed the ecosystem into a dead end.

“We don’t friggin need more copypasta EVM chains, and we definitely don’t need even more Layer 1s,” he wrote, urging builders to bring something new to the table. He added that scaling on Layer 2 can expand blockspace for EVM-based applications.

Buterin outlined a range of Layer 2 designs he views as constructive and stressed that a project’s public framing should match how it actually connects to Ethereum’s base layer. “Vibes need to match substance,” the post reads, cautioning against architectures that treat the Layer 1 link as an afterthought to satisfy decentralization labels.

One model he backed for app-focused systems keeps accounts and settlement on Ethereum’s main chain, while execution and signature verification run on a Layer 2. In his view, this preserves the security and account model of Ethereum while offering faster execution. He criticized configurations that operate mostly outside Ethereum and reference it only for brand alignment.

Buterin also described a separate category he called “institutional Layer 2s.” In this setup, organizations such as government registries or social platforms would publish algorithmic proofs of their operations to a blockchain. He noted this is “not Ethereum, not credibly neutral, and not trustless,” yet it could provide “algorithmic transparency” and enable new forms of economic and social activity. In his framing, the first model can be treated as an Ethereum application, while the second aligns with transparency goals even if it sits outside Ethereum’s neutrality.

The post follows a reassessment shared earlier in the week of the “rollup-centric” roadmap he previously championed. As we reported earlier, Buterin wrote on Tuesday that Ethereum should scale on the main chain by raising the gas limit and adding native rollups, saying the earlier plan to rely mainly on external L2s no longer adds up. He argued many L2s have not inherited Ethereum’s security and decentralization.

Vitalik did not move away from Layer 2s as a concept. Instead, he presented them as a spectrum of options with minimum expectations for open operation and security. He urged projects to reach “Stage 1” decentralization at a minimum to avoid being viewed as “vampiric” Layer 1s that mainly rely on a bridge to Ethereum.

Buterin called on developers to pursue differentiated designs that serve specific needs, such as privacy-preserving protocols, application-specific efficiency, and architectures built for very low latency. He framed the goal as adding clear technical capabilities rather than rebranding the same execution environment under new names.