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Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko has reignited the ongoing debate surrounding Ethereum’s layer-2 (L2) networks, questioning their decentralization and security integrity. During a heated discussion on Sunday, Yakovenko argued that the popular belief that L2s “inherit Ethereum’s security” is fundamentally incorrect, pointing to structural flaws in their design.
According to Yakovenko, most L2 scaling networks — which aim to make Ethereum faster and cheaper — carry major security vulnerabilities and rely on complex codebases that are difficult to audit. He emphasized that these factors create potential attack vectors and expose users to risks that are inconsistent with Ethereum’s core security model.
“The claim that layer-2s inherit ETH security is erroneous,” Yakovenko said. “Five years into the L2 roadmap, wormhole ETH on Solana has the same worst-case risks as ETH on Base and generates as much revenue for ETH L1 stakers. It’s wrong no matter how you slice it.”
Yakovenko’s Concerns: Centralization and Custodial Risks
The Solana co-founder further highlighted that many Ethereum L2s rely heavily on multisignature custody systems, where a small group of operators hold the authority to move or freeze user funds. This structure, he argued, introduces centralization risks, as users have to trust these intermediaries rather than relying on pure on-chain security.
Additionally, Yakovenko noted that L2 codebases are often vast and complex, making them prone to software bugs and vulnerabilities that cannot be fully detected or audited. These weaknesses, he said, undermine the principle that L2 networks are as secure as Ethereum’s base layer.
By contrast, Solana’s approach is built on maintaining all network activity directly on a single high-throughput layer, ensuring that consensus and security remain unified.
The Broader Debate Over Layer-2 Proliferation
The discussion around Ethereum’s layer-2 ecosystem has been growing increasingly intense. L2Beat, a platform tracking L2 projects, currently lists 129 verified layer-2 networks, with another 29 under review. This rapid expansion has divided the crypto community.
Some developers see the proliferation of L2s as a sign of innovation and network growth, while others argue it creates fragmentation and inefficiency across the Ethereum ecosystem.
Adrian Brink, co-founder of the Anoma blockchain protocol, believes the number of L2s has gone beyond what is necessary. “The blockchain industry has about ten times more L2s than is needed,” Brink stated, suggesting that the oversupply dilutes focus and resources.
Supporters Argue More L2s Mean More Innovation
Not everyone agrees with Yakovenko’s and Brink’s criticisms. Igor Mandrigin, co-founder of Gateway.fm, argued that having many L2s is actually beneficial for Ethereum. According to him, the explosion of scaling solutions shows that the network is evolving and becoming more diverse.
“The growing number of L2 networks reflects Ethereum’s health and adaptability,” Mandrigin said. “Each new L2 represents a unique approach to scalability, security, and user experience.”
Similarly, Anurag Arjun, co-founder of Avail and part of the Polygon ecosystem, echoed this sentiment. He said that each Ethereum L2 serves as a high-throughput blockchain that expands Ethereum’s overall capabilities. “Every L2 adds new transaction capacity to Ethereum, giving it multiple high-performance options,” Arjun explained.
L2 Networks May Hurt Ethereum’s Revenue
However, the growth of L2 networks also raises economic concerns. Binance Research recently noted that these scaling solutions might be cannibalizing Ethereum’s base-layer revenue.
Since L2s process transactions off-chain at lower fees, fewer users rely directly on Ethereum’s layer-1 for activity. This, according to researchers, results in fragmented liquidity and declining transaction-based income for Ethereum validators and stakers.
The report also warned that liquidity fragmentation could reduce the efficiency of decentralized applications (dApps) that depend on unified market depth and interoperability.
Security and Economic Tensions Continue
Yakovenko’s remarks have sparked a fresh wave of discussion about Ethereum’s scaling path. While Ethereum’s layer-2 ecosystem continues to attract investment and technical development, critics argue that the rapid proliferation of L2s introduces systemic risks that undermine Ethereum’s promise of decentralized security.
Supporters, on the other hand, maintain that the competition among L2 networks drives innovation, lowers fees, and benefits users — even if it temporarily fragments liquidity.
As Ethereum prepares for further upgrades and scaling initiatives, and Solana continues to promote its single-layer design, the debate over security versus scalability remains one of the most critical in the blockchain industry.
