L2s are cultural extensions of Ethereum.
Ethereum's layer-2s aren't just about scale — they're also a rallying point for “subcultures” that grow the Ethereum ecosystem more than a chain can do alone, said Vitalik Buterin, one of Ethereum's founders.
In the year In a May 29 blog post on Buterin's self-hosted blog, the Ethereum founder explored the benefits of a layer-2 blockchain beyond its technical innovation, stating that this layer also serves as a breeding ground for crypto subcultures.
One of these subcultures includes old-school “cypherpunks” – those who build infrastructure and tools but are hands-on about how they're used, while charity “regs” focus on providing public goods to the community.
Then there are the speculatively driven “Degens” looking to profit from trending memecoins or imperishable tokens.
Buterin explained that these subcultures, first identified by Ethereum researcher Professor Paul Dylan-Ennis, resulted in different sizes, virtual machine designs and application preferences.
This shows how Layer 2s are “the ultimate playground for action,” Buterin said.
“[For example]institutional profit-oriented groups and people who buy monkey paintings are culturally very different.
Design decisions cost money
However, Buterin cautions that blockchain developers should understand that decisions they make to attract certain audiences may alienate others.
“If blockchain is officially understood as a ‘casino chain' and nothing else, it will be difficult to get non-casino applications on board.
These protocols will also find it more difficult to attract non-tenancy core developers and researchers, he added.
Buterin preaches ‘cultural diversity'
Buterin hopes that all subcultures on Ethereum layer 2 can be balanced by the concept of “cultural diversity”, which will ultimately benefit the Ethereum ecosystem.
“[Cultural pluralism allows] “One subculture focuses on core development and the other focuses on developing the ‘fringes' of the ecosystem,” Buterin explained.
Buterin highlighted the emergence of a few cultural specialties at Ethereum layer-2, such as more women taking more leadership roles on Optimism and ZKSync's commitment to remain “cypherpunk and user-friendly at the same time.”
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He also admits that many challenges lie ahead due to conflicts between these subcultures and “motivated misconceptions” – but he is confident that they will be resolved in time.
“Ethereum is an ongoing experiment, and part of what excites me about the ecosystem is its willingness to tackle difficult problems head-on.”
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