Ethereum Co-Founder Vitalik Buterin Warns About Importance of Layer-2 Solutions
Alright, mate, let's dive into the world of Ethereum rollups, as our boy Vitalik Buterin recently dropped some knowledge about the whole shebang.
It turns out that just rushing to fully decentralize rollups ain't always the best way to go, y'feel me? If the underlying proof system is as secure as a wet noodle,stage 2 might not be the best option – it could even increase the failure rate. Vitalik laid it all out in a post, using some geeky maths that won't hurt my simple mind to understand, but I'm guessing it's pretty mind-blowing if you're into that stuff.
So, here's the lowdown: Vitalik's model makes a few assumptions, such as considering safety and liveness failures as equal possibilities, and assuming each member of the security council has a 10% chance of fumbling the ball. Initially, a 4-of-7 multisig is used in stage 0 and a 6-of-8 in stage 1. Stage 2, being all decentralized and trustless, relies on smart contracts and cryptographic proofs. The failure probabilities of the proof system can vary, and as these probabilities increase, the model shows that stage 0 or stage 1 provide more security than stage 2.
But, as with all things, it ain't gonna be the same in the real world, where council members might experience common failures or collude, or encounter issues with shared infrastructure or legal pressure, making the multisig setup less effective than the model suggests.
However, no matter how real the world gets, a strong proof system is a must for stage 2 to be secure as hell. Vitalik thinks using multiple independent proof systems (proof system multi-sigs) could help reduce risks, especially in the early days of stage 2. According to him, it's not just about the rollups, but also about decentralization tools like l2beat, which should monitor the maturity of proof system audits. True security, it seems, is more about gradual alignment of governance and cryptographic integrity, rather than a checkbox you can just tick and forget about.
Now, I'm no expert, but maybe this'll help you understand why Vitalik's callin' for caution before we go full-speed-ahead with the rollups. So, remember, decentralization ain't always the be-all and end-all of security, and make sure that proof system is as secure as a gorilla's backside before you jump into stage 2. Don't wanna end up with a busted rollup, now do we?
- Vitalik Buterin suggests that the increasing decentralization in Ethereum rollups, such as stage 2, might not be the best choice if the underlying proof system is as weak as a wet noodle.
- In Vitalik's model for rollups, he considers the failure probabilities of the proof system to vary and states that stage 0 or stage 1 might provide more security than stage 2 as these probabilities increase.
- With the assumption that a strong proof system is crucial for the security of stage 2, Vitalik proposes using multiple independent proof systems (proof system multi-sigs) to reduce risks, particularly in the early days of stage 2.
- According to Vitalik, true security in the world of blockchain technology, like the Ethereum rollups, depends on a gradual alignment of governance and cryptographic integrity rather than just decentralization or a simple checkbox solution for security.
