{"id":95262,"date":"2026-03-16T14:55:42","date_gmt":"2026-03-16T11:55:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/?p=95262"},"modified":"2026-03-17T08:23:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T05:23:11","slug":"the-end-of-cheap-ether-why-buterin-is-rewriting-l2s-future-and-who-may-be-left-behind","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/the-end-of-cheap-ether-why-buterin-is-rewriting-l2s-future-and-who-may-be-left-behind\/","title":{"rendered":"The End of “Cheap Ether”: Why Buterin Is Rewriting the Future of L2 and Who Will Be Left Behind"},"content":{"rendered":"

For years a stereotype ruled crypto: expensive Ethereum is for whales; ordinary users belong on the \u201csecond floor\u201d<\/a>. Billions of dollars fuelled ecosystems whose business model was simple intermediation: projects bought mainnet blockspace wholesale to offer clients cheaper transactions.<\/p>\n

The Rollup<\/a>-centric strategy looked unassailable until February 2026, when Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin signalled a shift in direction<\/a>: the base layer is gearing up for a technological leap, and the network no longer needs centralised \u201cbranded shards\u201d.<\/p>\n

With the new Strawmap scaling plan<\/a>, the market stands on the brink of sweeping change. Here is why the idea that only the second layer offers cheap transactions is obsolete\u2014and how leading L2s may respond.<\/p>\n

A turn in direction and the scaling paradox<\/h2>\n

Since 2020 Ethereum\u2019s roadmap was built around rollups<\/a>. The assumption was that the mainnet would remain an expensive, slow but secure foundation, while most user activity would shift to blockchains such as Optimism<\/a>, Arbitrum<\/a> and Base<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In early 2026 Buterin effectively ripped up that social contract. His policy pronouncements on X were a cue to radically reassess architectural priorities.<\/p>\n

\n

There have recently been some discussions on the ongoing role of L2s in the Ethereum ecosystem, especially in the face of two facts:<\/p>\n

* L2s’ progress to stage 2 (and, secondarily, on interop) has been far slower and more difficult than originally expected
\n* L1 itself is scaling,\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2014 vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) February 3, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n