Alisa Davidson
Printed: Might 05, 2025 at 4:25 am Up to date: Might 05, 2025 at 4:25 am

Edited and fact-checked:
Might 05, 2025 at 4:25 am
In Temporary
Daniel Wang proposed a brand new “Battle Examined” label for Ethereum Layer 2 rollups, whereas Vitalik Buterin emphasised that transferring to Stage 2 additionally requires high-quality proof methods, not simply decentralization, to make sure general protocol safety.
Co-Founder and CEO of Taiko Labs, Daniel Wang, shared a submit on the social platform X, commenting on the various reliability of rollup implementations, suggesting that not all code needs to be considered equally. He identified {that a} rollup may technically qualify as Stage 2 when it comes to decentralization and performance however nonetheless depend on new, untested code that has not but confronted real-world stress situations.
Because of this, Daniel Wang proposed an extra classification, suggesting the time period “Battle Examined” be used to determine rollups which have demonstrated stability and resilience.
In response to him, a rollup could also be thought-about “Battle Examined” if it has been working on the Ethereum mainnet with its present configuration and codebase for greater than six months, constantly securing over $100 million in complete worth locked (TVL), together with a minimum of $50 million in ETH and main stablecoins. Daniel Wang clarified that this standing is just not everlasting—any improve would reset the analysis interval, requiring the rollup to re-establish its reliability below manufacturing situations.
Daniel Wang additionally talked about that the Ethereum Layer 2 challenge Taiko goals to achieve Stage 2 and intends to undertake code that meets the “Battle Examined” standards for future upgrades. He added {that a} separate Ethereum testbed rollup is perhaps essential to help this improvement technique.
In response, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin remarked that attaining Stage 2 standing is just not the only real determinant of a rollup’s safety; the reliability of the underlying proof system performs an important position as effectively. He proposed a simplified mathematical mannequin to information selections on when transitioning to Stage 2 is perhaps acceptable, primarily based on a number of assumptions.
The mannequin assumes every safety council member has an unbiased 10% likelihood of failing, whether or not because of issues of safety resembling signing incorrect information or being compromised, or liveness points resembling failing to signal because of inaccessibility. The purpose of the mannequin is to reduce the general threat of the protocol failing below these situations. Within the mannequin, a Stage 0 safety setup operates on a 4-out-of-7 multisig, whereas Stage 1 depends on a 6-out-of-8 construction.
Vitalik Buterin additionally acknowledged that this simplified method doesn’t account for potential shared vulnerabilities amongst council members—resembling the danger of coordinated compromise or simultaneous coercion—which would cut back the real-world safety of each Stage 0 and Stage 1 setups. Due to this fact, he urged that transitioning to Stage 2 could also be optimum sooner than the mannequin initially suggests.
He additionally emphasised that the danger of proof system failure could be decreased through the use of a multisig association that mixes a number of unbiased proof methods.
Vitalik Buterin illustrated this idea with a chart the place the X-axis represents the probability of the proof system failing, and the Y-axis displays the likelihood of your entire protocol failing. Because the reliability of the proof system improves, the perfect stage for protocol operation shifts progressively—from Stage 0 to Stage 1, after which to Stage 2. Nevertheless, he famous that making an attempt to implement Stage 2 utilizing a low-quality proof system carries the best threat general.
Stage 2 Rollups Mark Peak Decentralization In Ethereum Layer 2, Removing Reliance On Centralized Control
In the context of Ethereum’s Layer 2 ecosystem, a Stage 2 rollup is regarded as the highest maturity level in terms of decentralization and trust minimization, based on criteria outlined in the L2BEAT framework. At this stage, the rollup functions entirely through smart contracts and cryptographic proofs, with no reliance on centralized actors for transaction validation or system oversight.
In order to reach this level, the rollup must demonstrate that it allows open participation in the verification process, meaning that any user can validate or dispute state transitions. It must also include effective on-chain mechanisms for resolving disputes, ensuring that errors in state updates can be transparently challenged and corrected. In addition, users must be able to withdraw their assets directly to Ethereum Layer 1 at any time, without needing permission or intervention from a centralized party.
Attaining Stage 2 reflects that the rollup has matured beyond its early-phase safeguards—sometimes referred to as “training wheels”—and now operates with a security and decentralization model that aligns closely with that of Ethereum’s base layer.
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About The Author
Alisa, a dedicated journalist at the MPost, specializes in cryptocurrency, zero-knowledge proofs, investments, and the expansive realm of Web3. With a keen eye for emerging trends and technologies, she delivers comprehensive coverage to inform and engage readers in the ever-evolving landscape of digital finance.
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Alisa Davidson
Alisa, a dedicated journalist at the MPost, specializes in cryptocurrency, zero-knowledge proofs, investments, and the expansive realm of Web3. With a keen eye for emerging trends and technologies, she delivers comprehensive coverage to inform and engage readers in the ever-evolving landscape of digital finance.