The industry does not need new L1 blockchains or networks that merely replicate the EVM. According to Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin, this approach has "led developers into a dead end, stifling their creativity."
He pointed out that the first layer of the ecosystem is successfully scaling, making the creation of yet another network with an "optimistic" bridge and a week-long withdrawal delay pointless.
Instead of cloning infrastructure, Buterin urged for the development of fundamentally new solutions. He highlighted several priority areas:
- privacy;
- optimization for specific applications;
- ultra-low transaction latency.
Buterin also mentioned "institutional L2" solutions. This refers to government registries, social networks, or games that utilize cryptographic proofs. Even if such systems remain centralized, they provide algorithmic transparency, which is crucial for building trust.
Additionally, Buterin criticized projects that mimic connections to Ethereum just for a "green checkmark" on analytics platforms. Positioning must align with technical reality.
Sale of Ether
In the past three days, Buterin sold approximately 2,961 ETH for a total of $6.6 million.
According to Lookonchain, the average execution price for these transactions was $2,228.
vitalik.eth(@VitalikButerin) is dumping $ETH fast!
— Lookonchain (@lookonchain) February 5, 2026
Over the past 3 days, Vitalik has sold 2,961.5 $ETH ($6.6M) at an average price of $2,228 — and the selling is still ongoing.https://t.co/Q9G1lEsdiP pic.twitter.com/C1vBn5UimJ
According to Arkham, the transactions were conducted through the CoW Protocol. Buterin opted not to execute a single large transaction, instead breaking the volume into multiple smaller swaps.
Recall that in February, Buterin stated that the original concept of layer two solutions has lost relevance.
L2 developers responded to this statement, agreeing on the need for evolution, but differing in opinions regarding the role of scaling.