Consensys CEO Joseph Lubin said scaling Ethereum’s base layer alongside Layer 2s is key as the network shifts from a rollup-driven “divergence phase” toward renewed composability.
Ethereum could transition into a fully zero-knowledge proof-based protocol in 3 to 5 years, Consensys CEO Joseph Lubin said, arguing that the rollup-centric roadmap can still work if the network also strengthens its base layer. He pointed to efforts such as Lean Ethereum, Justin Drake’s long-term proposal to simplify and reinforce the mainchain with zero-knowledge cryptography (cryptographic proofs that verify computation efficiently), and to broader progress in ZK proving. Lubin said Layer 2s remain central to Ethereum’s long-term ambition to function as a World Computer, especially as testing grounds for complex technologies before they reach mainnet. He said Layer 2 networks are already delivering real-time ZK proving and that this could later move to Layer 1, improving composability between Ethereum and its Layer 2 ecosystem. He added that chains including Linea and Gnosis are using zero-knowledge proofs to support synchronous transaction composition across networks, and said the technology could eventually create a single atomic execution context, allowing assets to move across Ethereum-based networks without bridges and helping unify fragmented liquidity. His comments come as Ethereum leaders reassess the rollup-centric roadmap that aimed to solve scaling through an ecosystem of semi-interconnected chains settling to the base layer. The article says Vitalik Buterin largely stepped back from that earlier vision this year after concluding that most Layer 2s had become “branded shards.” Buterin and the Ethereum Foundation have instead recommitted to making Ethereum as cheap and fast to use as rival blockchains without giving up security or censorship-resistance, while keeping Layer 2s in the roadmap where they provide differentiated value such as throughput, privacy or non-EVM applications. Lubin said the earlier phase intentionally fragmented liquidity so Layer 2s could develop business models and explore the design space, describing that period as a divergence phase. He said the ecosystem is now moving into a convergence phase centered on composability, with the end goal of effectively infinite capacity as the architecture matures. He also rejected the idea of a “second foundation,” saying at least three groups will spin out of the Ethereum Foundation to focus on core protocol work, usability and scalability, and institutional outreach, while the EF will focus on the CROPs components.