Ethereum
Vitalik Buterin Says Layer 2 Protocols Are a “Cultural Extension of Ethereum”
In his recent blog post, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin reiterated that Layer 2 protocols are like a “cultural extension of the Ethereum network.”
Organizational difference between layer 1 and layer 2
In the blog post, the Ethereum co-founder started by laying the groundwork for the difference between Layer-1 and Layer-2 protocols. Buterin believes that the most important difference between the two innovations is organizational rather than technical.
“It’s not about what can be built, but what will be built, because of how the boundaries between different parts of the ecosystem are drawn and how that affects incentives and people’s ability to act,” added the crypto entrepreneur.
He described layer 2-centric ecosystems as having an inherent pluralistic nature. This is not to mention their natural ability to lead to a greater diversity of multiple approaches to scaling, virtual machine design as well as other technological features. Buterin highlighted a previous statement in which he clearly stated that Ethereum is like a hub where developers can simply independently build a sub-ecosystem.
While benefiting from the support of Ethereum, the sub-ecosystem may have its distinct characteristics, according to the published statement of the co-founder of Ethereum. He also emphasized that this characterization transcends technology to include culture.
Ethereum and L2 subcultures
According to Buterin, popular researcher Paul Dylan-Ennis has spent a lot of time studying the topic of Ethereum subcultures. So far, Dylan-Ennis has discovered three main subcultures of Ethereum which he called Cyherpunk, Regens and Degens.
The three subcultures differ in their characteristics. However, Ethereum’s position as a flexible development platform provides them with a sort of playground “where the subculture can engage in action and not just talk.”
For context, Cypherpunks participates in basic research and development of Ethereum and writes privacy software. Regens do Gitcoin provides grant rounds, retroactive funding of public goods, and various other non-financial applications. Degens, on the other hand, trades memecoins, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and plays games.
In terms of subcultures and L2s, Buterin said the latter provide the ultimate playground for action. Layer 2 protocols provide the opportunity for subcultures with substantial resources to emerge. An L2 is both an ecosystem organized around the construction of something. To further emphasize his position, Buterin highlighted a few L2s, including OptimismMegaETH and Starknet.
Ultimately, the core value proposition of the L2-centered cultural approach is its attempt to balance the benefits of pluralism and cooperation.
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