How L1 and L2s can build the strongest possible Ethereum

Ethereum has spent the last five years evolving from a single-chain ecosystem into a constellation of L2s with different security models, communities, and technical goals. The EF argues it's time to update the mental model of how L1 and L2s should relate. The rollup-centric roadmap succeeded in scaling Ethereum, but the ecosystem has matured: L2s are no longer just "scaling helpers" - they are independent economies, and Ethereum must articulate a coherent vision for how these layers reinforce each other.

Key Ideas

L1 and L2s have complementary, not competitive, roles. Ethereum L1 remains the maximally decentralized, censorship-resistant, high-security settlement layer - the global hub for liquidity, shared state, and DeFi. L2s extend Ethereum's properties to more users while relying on L1 for security and finality. The EF emphasizes that a strong L1 makes L2s stronger, and a diverse network of L2s strengthens Ethereum's center of gravity.
The future depends on deeper interoperability, transparency and trust minimization. The EF outlines a roadmap where L2s: move toward Stage 2 trustlessness and pass the "walkaway test", pursue synchronous composability (read-only or read-write), work on shared liquidity, fast confirmations, and secure access to L1 assets and maintain clear, verifiable disclosures of their security properties.

Why It Matters?

This vision positions Ethereum as the settlement and liquidity nucleus of a multichain world, while empowering L2s to innovate freely. It reframes L2s not as temporary scaling patches but as long-term partners that extend Ethereum's reach, user base, and economic surface area. If executed well, Ethereum becomes a platform where security, decentralization, and diversity of chains coexist, creating the strongest possible foundation for a global onchain economy.