Buterin Shifts Stance, Supports Ethereum Native Rollups

Ethereum co-founder said in a recent post on X that he is now “more in favor of native rollups than before.” This is a change from his earlier stance, and the reason is timing. ZK-EVM technology has improved, and Ethereum’s path to supporting ZK proofs at the base layer is now realistic.

Before this, native rollups forced Layer 2 teams into a bad choice. Either use optimistic mode with 2-7 day withdrawals backed by Ethereum security, or use ZK mode with fast withdrawals but weak proof guarantees.

Teams chose the slower option. That pushed activity toward multisig bridges and broke composability across Ethereum. With ZK-EVMs now mature enough and L1 support closer, that tradeoff no longer makes sense as the security and speed timelines finally line up.

Native rollups rely on verification logic supported directly by Ethereum. Proof checks are not bolted on at the edges, which reduces complexity and trust assumptions.

Meanwhile, the impact is practical as fewer multisig bridges mean fewer failure points. Asset movement becomes simpler. Rollups can interact with each other and with L1 in a cleaner way, which matters during high-stress periods.

For builders, native verification also means clearer design rules, less custom plumbing, and more shared standards, which improves coordination across the ecosystem.

Buterin is also for synchronous composability as a core goal for Layer 2s. This means L2 transactions that can interact with L1 state in the same flow, not across long delays.

He pointed to designs that mix based rollups with low-latency sequencing. Sequencers handle fast blocks most of the time, and near the end of a slot, they allow anyone to build a base block that gets included on L1.

The result is a balance. L2s keep fast execution while still allowing blocks that compose directly with Ethereum. If an L1 block reverts, the L2 reverts too. That is a hard rule, but it keeps the system honest.