I recently read a long article just released by the Ethereum Foundation about how L1 and L2 should be handled going forward.

Let me break it down in plain language for everyone.

We used to always say that L2's main task was to help Ethereum scale and solve its problems of being too slow and too expensive.
But now the thinking has changed—scaling is no longer the most important thing.

The new positioning is:

· L1 (Ethereum mainnet) is responsible for being the "anchor stone." It's the global most secure, most decentralized settlement layer and liquidity hub. All the money, the most core assets go here, emphasizing stability above all.
· L2s' mission has shifted from "helping L1 scale" to "providing more possibilities for users." Differentiation and customization are key.

Basically, L2s can now each show their strengths:

· You can create application-specific chains (app chains).
· You can implement privacy protection or create customized solutions for enterprise compliance needs.
· You can even use non-EVM approaches to provide ultra-low latency.
· In short, L2s handle the "fine details" that L1 can't do.

So what keeps all these L2s in the Ethereum ecosystem instead of going independent?
The article gave three reasons:

1. Save money and effort: Building an independent public chain costs a fortune to maintain a bunch of validator nodes, and you have to build trust from scratch. With L2, you directly rent Ethereum's security and pay as you go.
2. Built-in users and developers: Backed by Ethereum's largest ecosystem, you can directly access massive users and capital. Interoperability is also improving with zero-knowledge proof (ZK) technology development.
3. Access to liquidity: If designed well, you can directly and securely tap into L1's assets and DeFi liquidity without bootstrapping everything from scratch.

Conversely, what does Ethereum L1 get from L2s?
It's not free either. L2s help L1 by:

· Creating demand for ETH.
· Further amplifying Ethereum's network effects (developer tools, user habits).
· Solidifying L1's position as the "heart of a multi-chain ecosystem."

The article also gave L2s some recommendations:

· Be honest. If you're not that secure (for example, not a zero-knowledge proof-based Rollup, or relying on external committees), be clear about it to users.
· L2s pursuing maximum security should aim for "Stage 2" and "native Rollups," allowing users to exit safely even when facing malicious actors.
· Don't just focus on internal competition; work together on "interoperability" so users don't feel like they're traveling between different dimensions when moving between L2s.

What does the Ethereum Foundation plan to do?

· Continue expanding L1 and Blobs (data blocks). Currently Blobs are only about 30% full, so there's plenty of room.
· Research and develop "native Rollup" technology, aiming for L2s to be fully trusted and verified by L1, achieving true synchronous composability.
· Collaborate with L2Beat to oversee these L2s and rate their "security," giving users clear visibility.

In summary, the core of the new roadmap is one sentence:
L1 handles "stability," L2s handle "innovation."
L2s don't need to worry about being identical to L1 anymore; instead, you're encouraged to create differentiation. As long as you acknowledge your "roots" are in the Ethereum tree and don't commit security fraud, everyone works together to grow the pie and build a global, permissionless on-chain economy.

As for us regular users, we might actually forget which chain we're using someday, just knowing "this runs on Ethereum, it's fast and cheap, and pretty secure."

It feels kind of like the "mega infrastructure" is built, and now various themed commercial complexes are being constructed on top. $ETH