Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has cautioned developers of rollup-based layer-2 platforms against hastily pursuing full decentralization without first ensuring the robustness of their security systems. In a recent post on X (formerly Twitter), Buterin emphasized that the transition to a decentralized model should occur only when the failure probability of a rollup’s proof system is sufficiently low, making centralization the greater risk.
Buterin’s remarks were in response to a discussion initiated by Loopring CEO Daniel Wang, who highlighted that not all code is created equal and that a rollup can be considered decentralized (Stage 2) but still run untested code. Buterin agreed, noting that the quality of the underlying proof system is crucial for security.
To address this, Wang proposed a “BattleTested” metric for rollups that have consistently secured at least $100 million in assets for six months, with a significant portion in Ether and stablecoins. This badge would be revoked with each code update, requiring the new code to withstand real-world attacks to regain the status.
Buterin’s comments underscore the importance of a cautious approach to decentralization, advocating for a balance between innovation and security to protect users and the broader ecosystem.
