TLDR:
- Ethereum L1 will remain the core settlement and DeFi hub as it scales by several orders of magnitude.
- L2s must now prioritize differentiation and customization over scaling as their primary objective.
- The Ethereum Foundation urges all L2s to meet at least Stage 1 security standards going forward.
- Blobs are only 30% full, giving the EF room to expand capacity as L2 ecosystem demand grows.
The Ethereum Foundation has published a detailed post reshaping how L1 and L2 chains should relate. Written by Josh Rudolf, Julian Ma, and Josh Stark on March 23, 2026, the post updates a model that had not changed in roughly five years.
It addresses scaling, security standards, and cross-chain fragmentation across the broader Ethereum ecosystem.
L1 Retains Its Role as the Core Settlement Layer
Ethereum L1 is described as the primary hub for settlement, shared state, liquidity, and DeFi. The Foundation notes that no other chain matches its adoption, decentralization, and resilience today. L1 is expected to scale by several orders of magnitude while preserving its core values.
ZK technology has matured faster than initially anticipated, opening new scaling paths. This progress was driven by contributions from many teams across the ecosystem. The Foundation remains committed to growing L1 without compromising security or decentralization.
Blobs, a key data availability mechanism for L2s, are currently only around 30% full. The EF stated it feels comfortable expanding blob capacity further as demand grows. This headroom gives L2s room to grow without facing immediate bottlenecks.
The post also outlines plans to improve liquidity access on L1. Faster finality, deposits, and withdrawals are all part of the roadmap. These changes are aimed at making L1 a more accessible foundation for the entire ecosystem.
L2s Must Shift Toward Differentiation and Security
The Foundation’s framing of L2 objectives has shifted considerably. Previously, scaling was the primary goal of L2s. Today, the emphasis is on differentiated features, customization, and controlled execution environments.
L2s are now encouraged to reach at least Stage 1 security standards. This means users must be able to exit safely to L1 even if operators or security councils act maliciously. The Foundation called this passing the “walkaway” test.
Beyond Stage 1, L2s seeking deeper L1 integration are encouraged to pursue Stage 2, synchronous composability, and native rollup status. Native rollups would allow L2s to remove their security councils entirely. This would make their security fully verifiable by L1.
The post also encourages L2s to explore tools like the Open Intents Framework and the Fast Confirmation Rule. These are designed to improve interoperability and capital access across chains. Teams are urged to contribute to synchronous composability workstreams already in progress.
Fragmentation Remains a Priority Problem to Solve
The Foundation acknowledged that fragmentation is the primary downside of a multichain ecosystem. Users and developers currently face UX and platform inconsistencies when moving across chains. Addressing this is listed as a key priority going forward.
The EF plans to work with chains, wallets, and infrastructure providers on better interoperability solutions. The goal is to fix both the user experience and developer platform fragmentation. A clearer L1 and L2 relationship is also expected to reduce narrative fragmentation around Ethereum.
Transparency from L2 teams is also emphasized throughout the post. L2s are expected to clearly communicate their individual security properties to users. The Foundation highlighted the role of L2Beat in monitoring and validating these properties.
The Platform team, led by Josh Rudolf, will serve as an ongoing interface between L2 teams and the core protocol roadmap.
This team is tasked with improving the Ethereum platform as a whole. Regular collaboration with L2 teams is intended to ensure protocol priorities reflect real ecosystem needs.
