Vitalik Buterin: Copy-Paste L2s Hurt Ethereum’s Progress

Vitalik Buterin warns that copy-paste Layer 2s and generic EVM chains will hinder Ethereum’s longer-term scaling vision.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has said that many new Layer 2 (L2) networks repeat superficial design patterns, and warned that generic EVM chains with optimistic bridges are holding back meaningful progress.

His comments expand the public debate over whether the current L2 ecosystem still fits Ethereum’s original scaling goals.

No more “Copypasta” EVM chains

In a February 5 post on X, Buterin argued that comfort and familiarity, not technical necessity, are the driving force behind many L2 launches, leading to copy-paste designs that add little beyond surface-level Ethereum compatibility.

The developer drew a comparison between infrastructure choices and governance habits, writing that creating another EVM chain and adding “an optimistic bridge to Ethereum with a week’s delay” has become routine, in the same way that Fork Compound once dominated DAO governance.

“That’s something we’ve done way too much for far too long, because we were comfortable, and that has sapped our imagination and left us at a dead end,” Buterin wrote.

He was even more direct about alternative designs that drop Ethereum bridges entirely.

“If you create an EVM chain without an optimistic bridge to Ethereum, that’s even worse,” he said, adding: “We don’t need more copypasta EVM chains, and we certainly don’t need more L1s.”

Buterin emphasized that Ethereum’s base layer is already scaling and will continue to add EVM block space until 2026, but not without limitations. He noted that some workloads, such as AI-related applications, may still require lower latency or specialized execution environments. According to him, these needs should push developers toward truly new architectures rather than slightly modified replicas.

Match ‘Vibes’ with real Ethereum connection

Buterin’s criticism builds on comments he made earlier, suggesting that many L2s no longer meet Ethereum’s original definition of scaling, as they fail to fully inherit its security.

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He argued that Ethereum no longer needs L2s to act as brand shards, especially given that mainnet fees are falling and gas limits are rising.

In his latest post, the 32-year-old emphasized that public positioning must reflect technical realities. “Vibes must match in content,” he wrote, criticizing projects that market themselves as closely linked to Ethereum while treating that link as an afterthought.

The blockchain co-founder outlined two models that he considers reasonable. One is an app chain that relies heavily on Ethereum, such as prediction markets that settle and manage accounts on the L1, while execution is handled via a rollup. The other is what he called “institutional L2s,” in which systems such as government registries publish cryptographic proofs online for transparency, even if they are not trustworthy or credibly neutral.

“If you are the first, it is valid and great to call yourself an Ethereum application,” Buterin says. “If you are the second, then you are not Ethereum… so you just have to say those things straight away.”